Pagan was the ruler 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...

 767–768.

Pagan has been identified as a member of that faction of the Bulgarian aristocracy, which sought to establish peaceful relations with 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...

. After ascending the throne following the murder of his predecessor Toktu

Toktu of Bulgaria

Toktu was the ruler of Bulgaria 766–767.The Byzantine chronicler Patriarch Nikephoros records that Toktu was "a Bulgarian, and a brother of Bayan". Although this suggests that Bayan was a man of some importance, nothing more is definitely known about Toktu's basis of support...

, Pagan set out together with his court to attend negotiations with Emperor Constantine V

Constantine V

Constantine V was Byzantine emperor from 741 to 775; ); .-Early life:...

 Kopronymos somewhere in 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...

. In the heated talks the emperor represented himself as intent on keeping the peace in Bulgaria and upbraided the Bulgarians for their anarchy, and for deposing their former ruler Sabin

Sabin of Bulgaria

Sabin was the ruler of Bulgaria from 765 to 766.Some scholars think that Sabin was omitted from the Namelist of Bulgarian Rulers because he was a Slav, but his name could indicate Latin or even Iranian origins. He was related by marriage to Kormisosh, who was either a father-in-law or a...

, who lived as a refugee at the imperial court. The emperor nevertheless agreed to make peace, and Pagan returned home.

At this point Constantine V suddenly invaded Bulgaria and managed to penetrate across the mountains into the core area of the Bulgarian state, setting afire some settlements around the Bulgarian capital Pliska

Pliska

Pliska is the name of both the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria and a small town which was renamed after the historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began....

. Although Constantine V did not follow up his relatively successful invasion and returned home, Pagan faced the wrath of his subjects who accused him of credulity and inability to oppose the enemy. The monarch fled in the direction of Varna

Varna

Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...

, but was murdered by his servants.

The 17th century Volga Bulgar compilation Ja'far Tarikh (a work of disputed authenticity) represents Boyan (i.e., Pagan) as the son of the former ruler Bunek (i.e., Vinekh

Vinekh of Bulgaria

Vinekh was ruler of Bulgaria in the mid-8th century.According to the Namelist of Bulgarian Rulers, Vinekh reigned for 7 years and was a member of the Uokil clan . According to the chronology developed by Moskov, Vinekh would have reigned 754–762...

), and credits him with the expulsion of Sain (i.e., Sabin).