The ruling houses
Three families held the crown of the Second Bulgarian Empire: the Asens, who restored the state in 1185; the Terters, a Cuman boyar house, around 1300; and the Shishmanids of Vidin, who ruled until the Ottoman conquest. Each page tells the house's story and lists everyone in it.
The Asen dynasty
1185–1280 · 11 rulers
The Asens restored the Bulgarian state in 1185 and held its crown for most of the following century, from the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen through Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II to the tsars who married into the house; Božilov traces the fourteenth-century tsars to the same root.
The Terter dynasty
1280–1322 · 3 rulers
The Terters, a Cuman boyar family, held the Bulgarian throne in 1280–1292 and 1300–1323: George Terter I submitted to the Tatar khan Nogai, his son Theodore Svetoslav won back the Black Sea coast and made peace on his own terms, and George Terter II died after a year on the throne.
The Shishman dynasty
1323–1396 · 7 rulers
The Shishmanids, despots of Vidin who took the throne in 1323, were the last ruling house of medieval Bulgaria: Michael III Shishman fell at Velbazhd, Ivan Alexander reigned for forty years, and his sons ruled the two tsardoms of Tarnovo and Vidin until the Ottoman conquest.
Rulers of the three houses
Asen dynasty
- Peter IV (Theodore-Peter)1185–1197Together with his brother Asen I he led the 1185 uprising against Byzantium that founded the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Crowned tsar under the name Peter.
- Ivan Asen I1190–1196A leader of the 1185 uprising and founder of the Asen dynasty. Murdered in 1196 by the boyar Ivanko. Father of the future tsar Ivan Asen II.
- Kaloyan1197–1207The youngest of the three Asen brothers. Crushed the Latins at Adrianople (1205), capturing Emperor Baldwin I. Killed during the siege of Thessaloniki in 1207.
- Boril1207–1218Nephew of Kaloyan; seized the throne after his death, displacing the underage sons of Asen I. Overthrown in 1218 by Ivan Asen II.
- Ivan Asen II1218–1241The most powerful ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. After the victory at Klokotnitsa (1230) he destroyed Theodore Komnenos and extended his power from Adrianople to Durrës. First married the Hungarian princess Anna-Maria, then Irene Komnene.
- Kaliman Asen I1241–1246Underage son of Ivan Asen II and Anna-Maria of Hungary. Took the throne at age seven under a regency. Died in 1246 under unclear circumstances.
- Michael II Asen1246–1256Son of Ivan Asen II by Irene Komnene. Acceded as a minor; during his reign Bulgaria lost territory in the wars with Nicaea. Murdered in 1256 by his cousin Kaliman.
- Kaliman Asen II1256–1256Son of sebastokrator Alexander (brother of Ivan Asen II). Murdered his cousin Michael II Asen and seized the throne, but was deposed and killed within months.
- Mitso Asen1256–1257Son-in-law of Ivan Asen II through his marriage to the latter's daughter Maria. Pushed out by Constantine Tih, he withdrew to Byzantine domains; his son Ivan Asen III later briefly seized the throne.
- Constantine Tih Asen1257–1277A boyar of Serbian descent, elected tsar in 1257; he took the name Asen to tie himself to the dynasty through his marriage to Irene Laskarina. Killed in battle against the rebel Ivailo in 1277.
- Ivan Asen III1279–1280Son of Mitso and Maria Asenina, grandson of Ivan Asen II. Installed on the throne with Byzantine backing against Ivailo, but soon fled to Constantinople, leaving power to George Terter I.
Terter dynasty
- George Terter I1280–1292A boyar of Cuman origin, founder of the Terter dynasty. Took the throne after Ivan Asen III fled. Forced to acknowledge Tatar overlordship; abdicated in 1292.
- Theodore Svetoslav1300–1321Son of George Terter I. Restored the throne to the Terter dynasty, freed Bulgaria from Tatar dependence and stabilised the state. Married Theodora Palaiologina, daughter of the Byzantine co-emperor Michael IX.
- George Terter II1321–1322Son of Theodore Svetoslav, the last ruler of the Terter dynasty. Reigned barely a year and died childless in 1322, extinguishing the dynasty.
Shishman dynasty
- Michael III Shishman Asen1323–1330Despot of Vidin, son of Shishman of Vidin and an Asen princess; elected tsar in 1323 after the Terter line died out, founding the Shishman dynasty. Killed at the Battle of Velbazhd against the Serbs in 1330.
- Ivan Stefan1330–1331Son of Michael III Shishman and the Serbian princess Anna-Neda. Took the throne after Velbazhd but was deposed in 1331 by the boyar elite in favour of his cousin Ivan Alexander.
- Ivan Alexander1331–1371Nephew of Michael III Shishman, son of despot Sratsimir and Petritsa (Michael's sister). A long, culturally brilliant reign; but he ultimately divided the realm between his sons, weakening it before the Ottoman threat.
- Michael Asen IV1332–1355Eldest son of Ivan Alexander by his first marriage, proclaimed co-tsar and designated heir. Killed fighting the Ottomans around 1355, predeceasing his father.
- Ivan Asen IV1337–1349Son of Ivan Alexander by Theodora Basarab, raised to co-tsar. Killed in battle against the Ottomans in 1349.
- Ivan Sratsimir1356–1396Son of Ivan Alexander by his first marriage; received the Tsardom of Vidin as a separate appanage around 1356. Ruled Vidin until the Ottoman conquest in 1396; died in captivity.
- Ivan Shishman1371–1395Son of Ivan Alexander by his second marriage to Sara-Theodora. Last tsar of the Tarnovo realm; ruled a shrunken, besieged state that fell to the Ottomans in 1393–1395.
