The creation of the Bulgarian state in 681 year
Bulgaria is one of the eldest medieval countries in Europe. It
has come on the international political stage as a consequence
of events, taken place during 7th Century on the Balkan
Peninsula, which have determined its historical fate for
centuries upfront. The location of the Slovans at the beginning
of the century has struck down the slave-owner system and
political power of the great Byzantium Empire. This leads to
some crucial changes regarding the ethnicity on the Balkans. The
location of the proto-Bulgarians takes place during the second
half of the century. They gain they right to become permanent
inhabitants of these lands by main force. The most important
event on the Balkan Peninsula is the formation of Bulgaria
during the second half of the 7th Century, created as an union
between proto-Bulgarians and Slovans. The biggest influence in
proto-Bulgarian history has the movement of proto-Bulgarian
tribes "unogonduri" in the 70`s of the VII-th century. They had
been ruled by the great khan Asparuh. During the war with the
hazarian invaders, Asparuh`s bulgarians were forced to withdraw
to the west-to the danubian outfall. They crossed the rivers
Dneper and Dnester and took the area Ongula (a territory to the
Black sea, between the rivers Danube, Prut and Dnester) drove
out the slavs. Soon after that they began to disturb with their
actions byzantine possessions in Little Skitiq. During one of
their campaigns they even reached Constantinople. During these
sudden attacks they came into contact with the mizian slavs, who
at that time were already united with the northern slavs and
other slav tribes in a military union. Its purpose was to
protect them from the Byzantium empire or from the pressing from
northwest avarians. From the interrelatoins between slavs and
proto-Bulgarians was formed the bulgrian country. The reasons
for its origins are devided into those with foreign-political
and those with internal political nature. With the first is
related the need of slavs and proto-Bulgarians to protect the
territories they have taken from Byzantium, and with the
second-the necessity of an instrument for the wealthy to keep in
subjection the poor, in other words the state as an institution
for assistance and stabilization to the power of one group over
another. A good premise for entering into an alliance between
the proto-Bulgarians and the slavs is also their equal stage of
development, and their neighbourly territories. Although the
proto-Bulgarians have richer statesmanlike experience ( they
have had numerous army and official`s apparatus for collecting
taxes from the peasants) , in 679 year between both ethnical
communities was concluded an agreement. Byzantium saw a great
danger in this alliance, that is why in the spring of 680 year
emperor Constantine IV organized a large campaign against
them-by land and by sea. One Byzantium army went through Thrace
and directed to the slavs, another one - in the lead with the
emperor himself - set sail to the danubian delta to deal with
the proto-Bulgarians. When they saw the numerous byzantium army
they denied to go into battle and withdraw in their well
defended fortifications in Ongula. For 3-4 days Byzantines did
not attack.
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