Description: Ivan Alexander(Bulgarian: , transliteratedIvan Aleksandr,pronounced[ivan lksandr]; original spelling: ),also sometimesAnglicizedasJohn Alexander,ruled asEmperor(Tsar) ofBulgariafrom 1331 to 1371,during theSecond Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on 17 February 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history. Ivan Alexander began his rule by dealing with internal problems and external threats from Bulgaria's neighbours, theByzantine EmpireandSerbia, as well as leading his empire into a period of economic recovery and cultural and religious renaissance. However, the emperor was later unable to cope with the mounting incursions ofOttomanforces,Hungarianinvasions from the northwest and theBlack Death.In an ill-fated attempt to combat these problems, he divided the country between his two sons,thus forcing it to face the imminent Ottoman conquest weakened and divided. Ivan Alexander was the son of theDespotSracimir ofKranbyPetrica, a sister ofMichael Asen III of Bulgaria.Therefore, Ivan Alexander was a nephew of Michael Asen III.Paternally, Ivan Alexander descended from theAsen dynasty.By 1330 Ivan Alexander was himself adespotand governed the city ofLovech. Together with his father and his father-in-lawBasarabofWallachia, Ivan Alexander fought in theBattle of Velbazhdagainst the Serbs at modern-dayKyustendilin 1330, in which Bulgaria suffered defeat. The defeat, combined with the worsening relations with the Byzantine Empire, precipitated an internal crisis, which was exacerbated by an invasion of the Byzantines. Acoup d'tatdroveIvan Stefanout of the capitalTarnovoin 1331, and the conspirators placed Ivan Alexander on the throne. The new ruler set about consolidating his position by regaining territories recently lost to the Byzantine Empire. In 1331 Ivan Alexander campaigned aroundAdrianopleand reconquered northeasternThrace.Meanwhile,Stefan Uro IV Duandeposed his fatherStefan Uro III Deanskiand becameSerbian kingin 1331. This helped normalize the previously tense relations between the two countries. Ivan Alexander and Stefan Uro IV Duan concluded an alliance, which was cemented by the marriage of the Serbian king toHelena of Bulgaria, a sister of Ivan Alexander, onEaster1332. At about the same time,Belaur, a brother of Michael Asen III, rebelled inVidin, probably in support of his deposed nephew Ivan Stefan's claim to the throne. The advance of the Byzantine EmperorAndronikos III Palaiologosagainst Bulgaria in the summer of 1332 protracted military operations against the rebels. The Byzantines overran Bulgarian-controlled northeastern Thrace, but Ivan Alexander rushed southward with a small army and swiftly caught up with Andronikos III at Rusokastro. After giving the impression that he wished to negotiate, Ivan Alexander, reinforced byMongolcavalry, overwhelmed the smaller but better organized Byzantine army in theBattle of Rusokastro.The contested cities surrendered to Ivan Alexander, while Andronikos III sought refuge within the walls of Rusokastro. The war ended with Ivan Alexander meeting Andronikos and agreeing a peace based on thestatus quo. To seal the alliance, he betrothed his eldest son, Michael Asen IV, to Andronikos's daughter Maria (Eirene), the marriage eventually taking place in 1339.The Bulgarian emperor was now free to turn his attentions to Belaur, but it was not until 1336 or 1337 that the rebellion in the northwest was put down. In about 1332 Ivan Alexander had crowned his eldest son Michael Asen IV co-emperor, perhaps to safeguard possession of the throne by his own family. He followed up this traditional association with the coronation of his younger sonsIvan Sracimirand Ivan Asen IV in 1337. Ivan Alexander may have intended the creation of two younger co-emperors to establish immediate control over important cities and regions, as Ivan Sracimir was eventually based in Vidin, and Ivan Asen IV perhaps inPreslav. Nevertheless, this was a marked departure from Byzantine practice, in which younger sons of the sovereign were made despots, whether they were charged with a territorial administration or not
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Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
End Time: 2024-03-08T18:39:54.000Z
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All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Era: Medieval
Region of Origin: Europe
Certification: Medieval copper coin
