Avar Khaganate in the context of "First Bulgarian Empire"

⭐ In the context of the First Bulgarian Empire, the decline of the Avar Khaganate directly resulted in what territorial change?

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⭐ Core Definition: Avar Khaganate

The Pannonian Avars (/ˈævɑːrz/ AV-arz) were an alliance of several groups of Eurasian nomads of various origins. The peoples were also known as the Obri (modern Russian: обры, Obry) in the chronicles of the Rus, the Abaroi or Varchonitai (Greek: Βαρχονῖται, romanized: Varchonitai), or Pseudo-Avars in Byzantine sources, and the Apar (Old Turkic: 𐰯𐰺) to the Göktürks. They established the Avar Khaganate, which spanned the Pannonian Basin and considerable areas of Central and Eastern Europe from the late-6th to the early-9th centuries.

The name "Pannonian Avars" (after Pannonia in the upper Danube basin where they eventually settled) is used to distinguish them from the Avars of the Caucasus, a separate people with whom the Pannonian Avars may or may not have had links. Although the name Avar first appeared in the mid-5th century, the Pannonian Avars entered the historical scene in the mid-6th century, on the Pontic–Caspian steppe as a people who wished to escape the rule of the Göktürks. They are probably best known for their invasions and destruction in the Avar–Byzantine wars from 568 to 626 and for their influence on the Slavic migrations to the Balkans.

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👉 Avar Khaganate in the context of First Bulgarian Empire

The First Bulgarian Empire (Church Slavonic: блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, romanized: blŭgarĭsko tsěsarǐstvije; Bulgarian: Първо българско царство) 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, moved south to the northeastern Balkans. There they secured Byzantine recognition of their right to settle south of the Danube by defeating – possibly with the help of local South Slavic tribes – the Byzantine army led by Constantine IV. During the 9th and 10th century, Bulgaria at the height of its power spread from the Danube Bend to the Black Sea and from the Dnieper River to the Adriatic Sea and became an important power in the region competing with the Byzantine Empire.

As the state solidified its position in the Balkans, it entered into a centuries-long interaction, sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile, with the Byzantine Empire. Bulgaria emerged as Byzantium's chief antagonist to its north, resulting in several wars. The two powers also enjoyed periods of peace and alliance, most notably during the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, where the Bulgarian army broke the siege and destroyed the Arab army, thus preventing an Arab invasion of Southeastern Europe. Byzantium had a strong cultural influence on Bulgaria, which also led to the eventual adoption of Christianity in 864. After the disintegration of the Avar Khaganate, the country expanded its territory northwest to the Pannonian Plain. Later the Bulgarians confronted the advance of the Pechenegs and Cumans, and achieved a decisive victory over the Magyars, forcing them to establish themselves permanently in Pannonia.

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Avar Khaganate in the context of Siege of Constantinople (626)

The siege of Constantinople in 626 by the Sassanid Persians and Avars, aided by large numbers of allied Slavs, ended in a strategic victory for the Byzantines. The failure of the siege saved the empire from collapse, and, combined with other victories achieved by Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641) the previous year and in 627, enabled Byzantium to regain its territories and end the destructive Roman–Persian Wars by enforcing a treaty with borders status quo c. 590.

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Avar Khaganate in the context of Avar–Byzantine wars

The Avar–Byzantine wars were a series of conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and the Avar Khaganate. The conflicts were initiated in 568, after the Avars arrived in Pannonia, and claimed all the former land of the Gepids and Lombards as their own. This led to an unsuccessful attempt to seize the city of Sirmium from Byzantium, which had previously retaken it from the Gepids. Most subsequent conflicts came as a result of raids by the Avars, or their subject Slavs, into the Balkan provinces of the Byzantine Empire.

The Avars usually raided the Balkans when the Byzantine Empire was distracted elsewhere, typically in its frequent wars with the Sassanid Empire in the East. As a result, they often raided without resistance for long periods of time, before Byzantine troops could be freed from other fronts to be sent on punitive expeditions. This happened during the 580s and 590s, where Byzantium was initially distracted in the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 572–591, but then followed up by a series of successful campaigns that pushed the Avars back.

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Avar Khaganate in the context of Barbarians in the Byzantine Empire

In the Byzantine Empire, the term "barbarians" (Greek: βάρβαρος) was used for several non-Greek people. The Byzantines regarded most neighbouring people as barbarians. The Bureau of Barbarians was a department of government dealing with matters relating to these "barbarians". In the Early Middle Ages in Europe, the term was applied to Huns, Goths, Pechenegs, Avars, Slavs, Bulgars, and others.

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Avar Khaganate in the context of Bayan I

Bayan I reigned as the first khagan of the Avar Khaganate between 562 and 602.

As the Göktürk Empire expanded westwards on the Eurasian Steppe during the 6th century, peoples such as the Avars (also known as the Pseudo-Avars, Obri, Abaroi and Varchonites) and the Bulgars migrated into Central and the Southeast Europe. Bayan I led the Avars (along with many Proto-Bulgarians) into Pannonia, where they established their khaganate from 568.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← First Bulgarian Empire ← Siege of Constantinople (626) ← Avar–Byzantine wars ← Barbarians in the Byzantine Empire ← Bayan I
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Eurasian nomads → Russian language → Rus' people → Greek language → Romanization of Greek → Byzantine Empire → Old Turkic language → Göktürks → Pannonian Basin → Central Europe → Eastern Europe → Danube basin → Avars (Caucasus) → Caucasus → Pontic–Caspian steppe → Avar–Byzantine wars → Slavic migrations to the Balkans →