Kubrat

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Kubrat (Template:Langx; Template:Langx {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) was the ruler of the Onogur–Bulgars, credited with establishing the confederation of Old Great Bulgaria in Template:Circa 632.<ref>Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250, Florin Curta, Cambridge University Press, 2006, Template:ISBN, p. 78.</ref> His name derived from the Turkic words qobrat — "to gather", or qurt, i.e. "wolf".Template:Cref2

OriginEdit

In the Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans Kubrat is mentioned as Kurt ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), being a member of the Dulo clan and reigning for 60 years having succeeded Gostun of the Ermi clan.

Bulgars were Turkic nomadic people,Template:Sfn who participated in the 5th-century Hunnic confederation. Upon Attila's death, the tribes that later formed the Bulgars had retreated east into the Black Sea-Caspian Steppe. The western Bulgar tribes joined the Avar Khaganate, while the eastern Bulgars came under the Western Turkic Khaganate by the end of the 6th century.Template:Sfn

Theophanes the Confessor called him "king of the Onogundur Huns".Template:Sfn Patriarch Nikephoros I (758–828) called Kubrat "lord of the Onuğundur"Template:Sfn and "ruler of the Onuğundur–Bulğars".Template:Sfn John of Nikiu (Template:Floruit 696) called him "chief of the Huns".Template:Sfn D. Hupchick identified Kubrat as "Onogur",Template:Sfn P. Golden as "Oğuro-Bulğar",Template:Sfn H. J. Kim as "Bulgar Hunnic/Hunnic Bulgar".Template:Sfn According to H. J. Kim the Onogundur/Onogur were evidently part of the Bulgar confederation.Template:Sfn

HistoryEdit

File:Old Great Bulgaria and migration of Bulgarians.png

Old Great Bulgaria and migration of Bulgars

Kubrat spent his early life at the Byzantine Empire imperial palace in Constantinople. As the 7th-century Byzantine historian John of Nikiu narrates:

This project is concerned with Kubratos, chief of the HunsTemplate:Sic, the nephew of Organa, who was baptized in the city of Constantinople, and received into the Christian community in his childhood and had grown up in the imperial palace. And between him and the elder Heraclius great affection and peace had prevailed, and after Heraclius's death he had shown his affection to his sons and his wife Martina because of the kindness [Heraclius] had shown him. And after he had been baptized with life-giving baptism he overcame all the barbarians and heathens through Virtue of holy baptism. Now touching him it is said that he supported the interests of the children of Heraclius and opposed those of Constantine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Whether he was a child or a young adult during his time in Constantinople is unclear. The exact time of this event is also unknown but probably coincided with the reign of Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641). His or Organa's conversion to Christianity is placed circa 619 AD.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn It seems that young Kubrat was part of the pre-planned coalition, initiated by Heraclius or Organa, against the Sasanian–Avar alliance.Template:Sfn This coincides with other alliances by Heraclius with steppe peoples, all in the interest of saving Constantinople.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Kubrat, in 635, according to Nikephoros I, "ruler of the Onoğundur–Bulğars, successfully revolted against the Avars and concluded a treaty with Heraclius".Template:Sfn The state Old Great Bulgaria (Magna BulgariaTemplate:Sfn) was formed. Kubrat died "when Konstantinos was in the West", somewhere during the reign of Constans II (641–668).Template:Sfn

According to Nikephoros I, Kubrat instructed his five sons (Batbayan, Kotrag, Asparukh, two others unmentioned are considered to be Kuber and Alcek Template:Sfn) to "never separate their place of dwelling from one another, so that by being in concordance with one another, their power might thrive".Template:Sfn Template:Sfn However, the loose tribal union broke up under internal tensions and especially Khazars pressure from the East.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn

Kubrat's deathEdit

The Pereshchepina Treasure was discovered in 1912 by Ukrainian peasants in the vicinity of Poltava, in village Malo Pereshchepyne.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn It consists of diverse gold and silver objects of total weight of over 50 kg from the migration period, including three rings with monograms, which led scholars to identify the site as Kubrat's grave.Template:Sfn Template:Sfn The ring A was inscribed in Greek XOBPATOY and ring C was inscribed XOBPATOY ПATPIKIOY,Template:Sfn indicating the dignity of Patrikios (Patrician) that he had achieved in the Byzantine world.Template:Sfn The treasure indicates close relation between the Bulgars and Byzantines, e.g. the bracelets were influenced or made by a Byzantine goldsmith.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The first treasure coins were issued after 629, by Heraclius, and the last c. 650 AD, by Constans II, which can be associated with the upcoming Khazar conquest.Template:Sfn

Kubrat is mentioned in the Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans, according which his birth is given the sign of the ox (shegor vechem) in the Bulgar calendar. It also says his rule was 60 years.Template:Sfn Presuming lifespan is meant, this would place his death in 653 or 665 AD.Template:Sfn Thus, the date of Kubrat's death according historical and archaeological sources is placed between 650 and 665 AD.Template:Sfn Correspondingly his birth could have been between 590 and 615 if Somogyi's theory is correct.