First Bulgarian Kingdom

In broad historical perspective Bulgaria is one of the oldest states in Europe and the first Slavic state formation. It was the first medieval state in Central and Eastern Europe, and as such it brought together the Bulgarian group of the Southern Slavs, the Proto-Bulgarians led by Asparouh, and the remnants of the Thracian population on the territory of present-day Bulgaria.

Proto-Bulgarians and Slavs joined their efforts in building a new state because of two major reasons: the danger of being subjugated by Byzantium and the approximately equal level of socioeconomic development of the two groups of tribes.

Khan Kubrat (632 - 651)
Khan Asparoukh (681 - 700)
Khan Kardam (777 - 803)
Khan Krum (803 - 814)
Khan Omurtag (814 - 831)
Khan Pressian (836 - 852)
Boris I (852 - 889)
Tsar Peter I (927 - 970)
Tsar Samuil (997 - 1014)

Extracts are used from the book "Rulers of Bulgaria"
Text by Profesor Milcho Lalkov, Ph.D.
Design by Krassimira Despotova Illustrations by Tekla Alexieva,
Buyan Filchev and Hristo Hadjitanev
Published by Kibea Publishing Company, Sofia, Bulgaria