The ''kavkhan'' (; ) was one of the most important officials in the
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire (; was a medieval state that existed in Southeastern Europe between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. It was founded in 680–681 after part of the Bulgars, led by Asparuh of Bulgaria, Asparuh, moved south to the northe ...
.
Role and status
According to the generally accepted opinion, he was the second most important person in the state after the Bulgarian ruler. He had a number of responsibilities and concentrated huge power and authority. The ''kavkhan'' was a commander-in-chief of the
Bulgarian army
The Bulgarian Army (), also called Bulgarian Armed Forces, is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in ...
and one of the primary diplomats in the state. He was a member of the '
Bolyar Counsel' and one of the most important advisers to the Bulgarian ruler; the ''kavkhan'' was sometimes his regent or co-ruler. The ''kavkhan'' was a high magistrate and substitute to the ruler when the latter is absent from the capital. He is also attributed to have been a judge.
It is assumed that there was a prominent bolyar family in Bulgaria from which the ''kavkhan'' was chosen generation after generation - the so-called "''kavkhan''
kin". The title was therefore hereditary and for life. According to most historians the title outlived the First Empire which was conquered by
Basil II
Basil II Porphyrogenitus (; 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (, ), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died in 963, but t ...
in 1018. The last person who had the prerogatives and responsibilities of a ''kavkhan'' was
Georgi Voiteh
Georgi Voyteh (, Greek: Γεώργιος Βοιτέχ) was an 11th-century Bulgarian aristocrat from Skopje who started a major uprising in Byzantine Bulgaria against the Byzantine rule.Dennis P. Hupchick, The Bulgarian-Byzantine Wars for Early ...
, an initiator of the uprising of
Peter III (Constantine Bodin) in 1072.
History
During the reign of
Samuil the ''kavkhan'' was Dometian, captured by the Byzantines and succeeded by his brother Teodor during the reign of
Ivan Vladislav
Ivan Vladislav (; ; died February 1018) served as the emperor (tsar) of the First Bulgarian Empire from approximately August or September 1015 until February 1018. The precise year of his birth remains elusive; he was born at least ten years pri ...
. During the
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...
the title was not used.
Another famous ''kavkhan'' is
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a su ...
who carried out three missions in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and one in
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
during the reign of
Boris I
Boris I (also ''Bogoris''), venerated as Saint Boris I (Mihail) the Baptizer (, ; died 2 May 907), was the ruler (knyaz) of the First Bulgarian Empire from 852 to 889. Despite a number of military setbacks, the reign of Boris I was marked wit ...
. The most prominent ''kavkhan'', as well as the one with most merits for Bulgaria was
Isbul
Isbul () (fl. 820s–830s) was the '' kavhan'', or first minister, of the First Bulgarian Empire during the reigns of Omurtag, Malamir and Presian I. Appointed to the ''kavhan'' office under Omurtag, Isbul was a regent or co-ruler of the unde ...
. He occupied that position during the reign of three
Khans
Khan may refer to:
* Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by various ethnicities
Art and entertainment
* Khan (band), an English progressiv ...
:
Omurtag
Omurtag (or Omortag) (died 831) also known as Murtag or Murtagon (; Веселин Бешевлиев, Първобългарски надписи. 2ed. София 1992. Chapter: VI. Възспоменателни надписи, Inscriptio) was a ...
(814-831),
Malamir Malamir may refer to:
* Malamir of Bulgaria, a Bulgarian ruler (Khan)
* Malamir, Iran, a city in Khuzestan Province, Iran
* Malamir Knoll
Malamir Knoll (Malamirova Mogila \ma-la-'mi-ro-va mo-'gi-la\) rises to 200 m in the southeast extremity of ...
(831-836) and his nephew
Presian (836-852). His merits include the reconstruction of
Pliska
Pliska ( , ) was the first capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the Middle Ages and is now List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, a small town in Shumen Province, on the Ludogorie plateau of the Danubian Plain (Bulgaria), Danubian Plain, 20 ...
as a beautiful capital during Omurtag and the completion of the new centralized state administration. He ordered an action to catch the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
spies. He was among the main initiators of the
30-year peace Treaty of 815 which was very favourable and useful for Bulgaria. Isbul commanded the Bulgarian armies in successful campaigns against the Byzantines in southern
Macedonia
Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
.
See also
*
Ichirgu-boila
*
Qapghan Qaghan
*
Qaghan
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kavkhan (title)
Noble titles
Bulgarian noble titles
First Bulgarian Empire