George II of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
George Terter II reigned as emperor (tsar
) of Bulgaria
1321–1322. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was born not long before 1307.
George Terter II was the son of Theodore Svetoslav
and Euphrosyne, and was named after his paternal grandfather George Terter I
. It is possible that he was associated as co-emperor by his father in 1321, but the sources are unclear. After his father's death in 1321, the new ruler became actively involved in the civil war in the Byzantine Empire
, where the throne was contested between Andronikos II Palaiologos
and his grandson Andronikos III Palaiologos
. Taking advantage of the situation, George Terter II invaded Byzantine Thrace
and, encountering little, if any, resistance, conquered the major city of Philippopolis (Plovdiv
) and part of the surrounding area in 1322. A Bulgarian garrison was installed under the command of a general named Ivan the Russian
, while a court scribe praised George Terter II as a "possessor of the Bulgarian and the Greek sceptre". A new campaign during the same year brought the subjugation of several fortresses around Adrianople, but the Bulgarians were now turned back and defeated by Andronikos III. The Byzantine emperor was preparing for an invasion of Bulgaria, when he heard the news that George Terter II had died, apparently of natural causes.
George Terter II died as a young man and did not have any known offspring. He was succeeded by his distant cousin Michael Asen III, now commonly called Michael Shishman.
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
) of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
1321–1322. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was born not long before 1307.
George Terter II was the son of Theodore Svetoslav
Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria
Theodore Svetoslav ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322. The date of his birth is unknown. He was a wise and capable ruler who brought stability and relative prosperity to the Bulgarian Empire after two decades of constant Mongol intervention in the internal issues of the Empire...
and Euphrosyne, and was named after his paternal grandfather George Terter I
George I of Bulgaria
George Terter I ruled as emperor of Bulgaria 1280-1292. The date of his birth is unknown, and he died in 1308/1309.The reign of George Terter I represents a continuation of Bulgaria's precipitous decline during the second half of the 13th century...
. It is possible that he was associated as co-emperor by his father in 1321, but the sources are unclear. After his father's death in 1321, the new ruler became actively involved in the civil war in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, where the throne was contested between Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos
Andronikos II Palaiologos , Latinized as Andronicus II Palaeologus, was Byzantine emperor from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of Michael VIII Palaiologos and Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina, grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes...
and his grandson Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia...
. Taking advantage of the situation, George Terter II invaded Byzantine Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and, encountering little, if any, resistance, conquered the major city of Philippopolis (Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
) and part of the surrounding area in 1322. A Bulgarian garrison was installed under the command of a general named Ivan the Russian
Ivan the Russian
Ivan the Russian was a 14th-century Bulgarian military leader of Russian origin who served Bulgarian tsars Michael Shishman and Ivan Alexander...
, while a court scribe praised George Terter II as a "possessor of the Bulgarian and the Greek sceptre". A new campaign during the same year brought the subjugation of several fortresses around Adrianople, but the Bulgarians were now turned back and defeated by Andronikos III. The Byzantine emperor was preparing for an invasion of Bulgaria, when he heard the news that George Terter II had died, apparently of natural causes.
George Terter II died as a young man and did not have any known offspring. He was succeeded by his distant cousin Michael Asen III, now commonly called Michael Shishman.