Peter Delyan

Infobox_Monarch | name =Peter II
title =Tsar of Bulgaria


caption =Peter Delyan being nominated for Bulgarian Emperor.
reign =1040–1041
coronation =
predecessor =(Presian II (1018) and Byzantine rule)
successor =(Byzantine rule and Constantin Bodin as "Peter III" (1072))
consort =
issue =
royal house =(??Comitopuli??)
royal anthem =
father =(??Gavril Radomir??)
mother =Marguerite of Hungary
date of birth =
place of birth =
date of death = 1041
place of death =
buried =|

Peter Delyan (reigned 1040–1041) (Bulgarian "Петър Делян") was the leader of the Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantine Empire started in thema of Bulgaria during summer of 1040 - (now region Pomoravlje in modern Serbia). [http://img53.exs.cx/img53/6537/ThemesintheByzantineEmpireunderBasilII.jpg] He was proclaimed emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria (as Samuil`s grandson) in Belgrade (summer 1040). His original name may have been simply "Delyan", in which case he assumed the name Peter II upon his accession, commemorating the sainted Emperor Peter I (Petăr I), who had died in 970. The year of his birth is uncertain, but probably not long after 1000, and before 1014; he may have died in 1041.

Origin

His origin is not clear. He claimed that he was son of emperor Gavril Radomir and grandson of Samuil, but he could also be a some local who became leader of uprising and used the story that he's Samuil's grandson to justify his proclamation for tsar.

Delyan as Radomir's son

Those who believe he actually was Radomir's son, think that he was born from Radomir's marriage with Marguerite, sister of King Stephen I of Hungary (996/997). Peter's mother was expelled while pregnant from the Samuil's court before the accession of Gavril Radomir, but given Delyan's subsequent career, it is likely that he had been born and remained in Bulgaria with his father (see Fine, reference below).

After Ivan Vladislav murder of Gavril Radomir in 1015 and the conquest of Bulgaria by the Byzantine Empire in 1018, Delyan was taken captive to Constantinople and became a servant of an unidentified member of the Byzantine aristocracy. He later escaped and went to his mother's country of Hungary, from which he re-entered Bulgaria and raised a revolt against Byzantine rule, taking advantage of the discontent over the imposition of taxes in coin by the Byzantine government.

Delyan as local Bulgarian

Those who oppose the theory that he was Samuil's grandson and believe he was merely a local Bulgarian, claim that he was proclaimed as tsar in Belgrade not because it was a border town between the Byzantine Empire and Hungary and he crossed the border when rebels liberated town to join them as a prince of royal blood, but only because it was the first important town rebels have liberated.

They also claim that it is highly unlikely that Ivan Vladislav who in 1015 murdered his brother Gavril Radomir (Delyans supposed father) and his current wife Maria to came to the throne, wouldn't kill Radomir's sons and heirs, if he had them, in order to secure his ruling. Especially if it's known that he also ordered killing of Serbian prince of Duklja Jovan Vladimir, who was Samuil's son-in-law (married with his daughter Theodora/Kosara), because he thought Vladimir was interested in position of Slavonic tsar.

Peter Delyan as leader of Bulgarian uprising

During the summer of 1040 in thema of Bulgaria local people raised rebellion against Byzantine Empire. There were two main causes:
#Replacing Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid with Greek (1037) and beginning of process of Hellenisation
#Imposition of taxes in coin for local people by the Byzantine government

Uprising spread fast and rebels very quickly took over control over northern part of Pomoravlje and liberated Belgrade. Leader of the rebellion Delyan was proclaimed emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria in Belgrade under the name "Peter II" by being raised atop a shield by leaders of the resistance, and perhaps enjoyed some support from Hungary.Peter II Delyan took Niš and Skopje, first co-opting and then eliminating another potential leader in the person of one Tihomir, who had led a rebellion in the region of Durazzo. After this Peter II marched on Thessalonica, where the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV was staying. Michael fled, leaving his treasury to a certain Michael Ivac. The latter, who was probably a son of Ivac, a general under Samuil, promptly turned over the bulk of the treasury to Peter outside the city. Thessalonica remained in Byzantine hands, but Macedonia, Durazzo, and parts of northern Greece were taken by Peter II's forces. This inspired further Slavic revolts against Byzantine rule in Epirus and Albania.

Peter II Delyan's successes ended, however, with the interference of his cousin Alusian. Alusian, whose father Ivan Vladislav had murdered Peter's father Gavril Radomir in 1015, joined Peter II's ranks as an apparent deserter from the Byzantine court, where he had been disgraced. Alusian was welcomed by Peter II, who gave him an army with which to attack Thessalonica. The siege, however, was raised by the Byzantines, and the army was defeated. Alusian barely escaped and returned to Ostrovo.

One night, during dinner, Alusian took advantage of Peter II's inebriation, and cut off his nose and blinded him with a kitchen knife in 1041. Since Alusian was of the blood of Samuil of Bulgaria, he was quickly proclaimed emperor in Peter II's place by his troops, but he conspired to defect to the Byzantines. As the Bulgarian and Byzantine troops were preparing for battle, Alusian deserted to the enemy and headed for Constantinople, where his possessions and lands were restored to him, and he was rewarded with the high courtly rank of "magistros".

Meanwhile, though blind, Peter II Delyan resumed command of the Bulgarian forces, but the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV determined to take advantage of the situation and advanced against them. In an obscure battle of Ostrovo, the Byzantines defeated the Bulgarian troops and Peter II Delyan was captured and taken to Constantinople, where he was perhaps executed. According some legends he was blinded and later exiled in a monastery in Iskar gorge in Balkan Mountains where he died.

Norse sagas refer to the participation of the future Norwegian King Harald Hardråda, who allegedly cut down Peter II in the field of battle as a member of the Varangian Guard. This tradition may be supported by a laconic reference in the so-called "Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle". In either case, Peter II Delyan may have perished in 1041.

Family tree

familytree | | | | | | | | CmN |~|y|~| RoA
CmN=Comita
Nikola
RoA=Ripsimia
of Armeniafamilytree | Aar | | Mos | | Dav | | Sam |~|y|~| Aga
Dav=David
Mos=Moses
Aar=Aron
Sam=Samuil
of Bulgaria
Aga=Agathafamilytree | IvV | | ThK | | Mir | | EoL |~|y|~| GvR |~|y|~| HP
IvV=Ivan
Vladislav
Mar=Marija
GvR=Gavril
Radomir
ThK=Theodora
Kosara
Mir=Miroslava
HP=Hungarian
princess
EoL=Eirene of Larissafamilytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SnD | | | | PeD
PeD=Peter Delyan
SnD=several sons
& daughters

Honour

Delyan Point on Smith Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Peter Delyan.

ee also

*South Slavs
*History of Bulgaria
*Bulgarians

External links

* [http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mladjov/files/bulgarian_rulers.pdf Detailed list of Bulgarian rulers]

References

* John V.A. Fine Jr., "The Early Medieval Balkans", Ann Arbor, 1983.
*Йордан Андреев, Милчо Лалков, Българските ханове и царе, Велико Търново, 1996.
*Васил Златарски. Въстанието на Петра Делян в 1040 г. I изд. София 1918; II изд., Наука и изкуство, София 1970
*БУНТАРИ И АВАНТЮРИСТИ В СРЕДНОВЕКОВНА БЪЛГАРИЯ, Пламен Павлов, Второ издание, 2005 - ISBN 954-304-152-0
*Цар Петър Делян, Радко Радков - ИК "Абагар Велико Търново", 2001-10-25