Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theodore Svetoslav |
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| Tsar of Bulgaria | |
| Reign | 1300–1322 |
| Predecessor | Chaka |
| Successor | George Terter II |
| Born | 1270s |
| Died | 1322 |
| Spouse | Euphrosyne Theodora Palaiologina |
| Issue | George Terter II |
| House | Terter |
| Father | George Terter I |
| Mother | Maria Terter |
| Religion | Christianity |
Theodore Svetoslav was an emperor, also known as a tsar, who ruled Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322. We don't know his exact birth date. During his rule, he took control of important forts in the northeast. He also made the Bulgarian Empire bigger.
Besides his success in wars and the economy, Theodore Svetoslav also dealt with nobles who wanted to break away. This included his own uncle. He punished people he thought were disloyal. He even had the religious leader, Patriarch Joachim III, removed from his position.
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Early life
Theodore Svetoslav was the son of George Terter I and his first wife, Maria. Some historians think Maria might have been the daughter of Jakov Svetoslav.
When Ivan Asen III became emperor in 1279, Theodore's father divorced Maria. He then married the new emperor's sister. Maria and Theodore Svetoslav were sent to the Byzantine Empire as hostages. They lived in Nicaea.
Even when his father, George Terter I, became emperor in 1280, Theodore remained a hostage. In 1281, Theodore Svetoslav was promised in marriage to a daughter of John I Doukas from Thessaly. This was part of a deal between countries. The young girl came to Tărnovo, but she never met Theodore.
In 1284, George Terter I made a new agreement with Andronikos II Palaiologos. He got his first wife, Maria, back. But Theodore Svetoslav stayed a hostage for a while. The agreement also meant breaking the alliance with Thessaly. So, Theodore Svetoslav's intended bride was sent to Byzantium too.
It was not until 1285 that the Patriarch of Bulgaria, Joakim III, went to Constantinople. He arranged for Theodore Svetoslav to be released. Theodore was then supposed to marry a daughter of a high official named John Synadenos. We don't know if this marriage actually happened.
Becoming Emperor
In Bulgaria, Theodore Svetoslav was made a co-emperor by his father. Coins were even made showing them together. Later, Theodore was sent to the Golden Horde. His unnamed sister married Chaka, who was the son of a powerful Mongol leader named Nogai.
During his time away, Theodore Svetoslav became poor. He tried to improve his situation by marrying a rich woman named Euphrosyne. She was the god-daughter of Nogai's wife, Euphrosyne Palaiologina. This Euphrosyne was an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.
Theodore Svetoslav became important again around 1298 or 1299. He joined his brother-in-law Chaka in attacking Bulgaria. The leaders who were ruling for the young emperor Ivan II ran away from Tărnovo in 1299. Theodore Svetoslav helped convince the Bulgarian nobles to accept Chaka as their new ruler.
However, the armies of Toqta, the khan of the Golden Horde, entered Bulgaria. Toqta was chasing his enemy, Chaka. Theodore Svetoslav quickly planned to remove Chaka from power. He had Chaka killed in prison in 1300. Theodore Svetoslav then became the emperor of Bulgaria. After this, Toqta took his armies out of the country.
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The rule of Theodore Svetoslav brought peace and stability to Bulgaria. It also ended the Mongol control over Tarnovo. He managed to get back parts of Thrace that had been lost to the Byzantine Empire.
Theodore Svetoslav was very strict. He punished anyone who opposed him. This included his former supporter, Patriarch Joachim III, who was accused of disloyalty. Some nobles tried to replace Theodore with other people who claimed the throne. These attempts were supported by the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II.
One person who tried to become emperor was Radoslav Voïsil. He was defeated and captured by Theodore Svetoslav's uncle, Aldimir (Eltimir), around 1301. Another person, the former emperor Michael Asen II, also tried to enter Bulgaria with a Byzantine army, but he failed around 1302. Theodore Svetoslav traded thirteen high-ranking Byzantine officers, who were captured after Radoslav's defeat, for his father George Terter I. His father then lived a luxurious life in a city that is not known.
Expanding the Empire
Because of his victories, Theodore Svetoslav felt strong enough to attack by 1303. He captured several important forts in northeastern Thrace. These included Mesembria (Nesebăr), Anchialos (Pomorie), Sozopolis (Sozopol), and Agathopolis (Ahtopol) in 1304. The Byzantine army tried to fight back but failed at the battle of Skafida near Poros (Burgas). During this battle, the Byzantine Co-emperor Michael IX Palaiologos had to flee.
The war continued, with both Michael IX and Theodore Svetoslav raiding each other's lands. In 1305, Theodore Svetoslav's uncle Aldimir seemed to be talking with the Byzantines. So, Theodore Svetoslav took control of his uncle's lands. In 1306, Theodore Svetoslav got the help of some Alan soldiers who had rebelled against the Byzantines. He allowed them to settle in Bulgaria. He also tried to get the help of the Catalan Company soldiers, who had also rebelled against the Byzantines, but he was not successful.
The war ended with a peace treaty in 1307. To make the peace stronger, Theodore Svetoslav, who was now a widower, married Theodora. She was a daughter of the Byzantine Co-emperor Michael IX Palaiologos.
Theodore Svetoslav remained at peace with his neighbors for the rest of his life. He peacefully brought back control over areas like Vidin. He also likely took back the banate of Severin from the Kingdom of Hungary during their own internal problems. In 1318, the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin visited Tărnovo. This happened even though he had been allied with Andronikos II and had divorced Theodore Svetoslav's sister Anna.
There were two Mongol raids into Byzantine Thrace in 1320 and 1321. These might have been done with Bulgaria's help. They were connected to the start of a civil war between Andronikos II Palaiologos and his grandson Andronikos III Palaiologos. Theodore Svetoslav even sent military help to his brother-in-law Andronikos III. Some say he hoped to trick and capture his ally.
After a very successful rule, Theodore Svetoslav died in early 1322. His son, George Terter II, became the next emperor.
Family
With his first wife, Euphrosyne (Efrosina), Theodore Svetoslav had one son, George Terter II. George became emperor of Bulgaria from 1322 to 1323. We do not know if Theodore had any children with his second wife, Theodora Palaiologina. She was the daughter of Emperor Michael IX Palaiologos.
Legacy
Terter Peak on Greenwich Island in Antarctica is named after Tsar Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria.
Theodore Svetoslav's seal is shown on the back of the Bulgarian 2 levs banknote. This banknote was issued in 1999 and 2005.
See also
In Spanish: Teodoro Svetoslav para niños
