I think, that this map will be interesting for bg_turk, and for all other turks and bulgarians in this forum...

A map of the distribution of the bulgarian turks in 1965 year (781 000 people):

I think, that today in Bularia are living approximately 740-750 000 bulgarian turks. According to the Census in Bulgaria in 2001 - 746 664.

One link with information for the turks between 1946-1992 (in bulgarian language) - http://demos.hit.bg/BT.htm

Edited by The Chargemaster

The website of The Natioal Statistical Institute of Bulgaria - http://www.nsi.bg - have english version too.

Two pages from this website:

Population by districts and ethnic group as of 1.03.2001 - http://www.nsi.bg/Census_e/Census_e.htm

Population by districts and religion group as of 1.03.2001 - http://www.nsi.bg/Census_e/Census_e.htm

Edited by The Chargemaster

Originally posted by The Chargemaster

It is interesting that the names of the towns are the Turkish ones. Today they are changed

Mestanli -> Momchilgrad

Egridere ->Ardino

Concerning the pomaks, they are distinct both from the Turks and the Bulgarians.

When pomaks are in mixed villages with Bulgarians, usually they emphasize their religion to differentiate from the Bulgarians, and when they are in mixed villages with Turks they emphasize their language to differentiate from the Turks.

A History of Oppression
The plight of the Bulgarian Pomaks
Shane Jacobs

The road south from Plovdiv into Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountains brings its travelers back into a time before the creation of Mercedes Benz and BMW. As the road twists higher into the foothills, Orthodox churches are replaced by the minarets of mosques. Modern luxury cars are replaced by outdated, smoke-spewing busses and mule carts.

Passing fields tended by women cloaked head-to-toe in multi-colored garments, you are enveloped in the transition from modern Bulgaria to the never-to-be-forgotten Ottoman centuries of the Turkish yoke. Suddenly, a strange twist confuses the transition: everyone is speaking Bulgarian-or a strange-sounding version of it-without a hint of a Turkish accent.

It comes as a surprise as you realize that the humble, hard-working inhabitants of these regions attend mosque rather than church. The lingua franca is Bulgarian rather than Turkish. The contradictions abound and create a piercing cognitive dissonance. They are not, in fact, Turkish, but Slavs. They are one of many remnants of the former Oriental occupiers. They are the Pomaks.

Uncertain origins

There is little more than speculation as to the origins of the Pomaks as an ethnicity. Bulgarians, Turks, and Greeks all consider them a component of their respective nations. Concentrated in the mountainous region of Thrace in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, the Pomaks share a linguistic and religious commonality. They are generally considered Slavic-speaking Muslims.

There are numerous theories as to the origins of the term Pomak. From the Greek perspective, the term originates from the ancient Greek word pomax (drinker) used to describe the known Thracian tradition of drinking.

Bulgarian historians have several theories. The first theory states that Pomak is derived from the term pomagach (helper) in connection to an alleged collaboration with the Ottoman government in order to maintain land rights. A second theory claims that the term comes from pomachamedanci (Islamicized). A third theory connects the colloquial Greek term, Achrjani, which is often used in reference to the Pomaks.

The word can be traced back to its old Slavonic root, aagarjani (infidels). Yet another theory maintains that it is a corruption of the phrase po m�ka (by pain [of death]), as Pomaks were Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Christians, who were allegedly forced to convert to Islam by the Turks during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. According to this tradition, refusal to convert meant summary execution.

The enemy within

Historically, the Pomaks have been considered undesirable or even outcasts within Bulgarian society. As several interpretations of their name suggest, they were seen as infidels and traitors to their fellow countrymen.

At the onset of the Turkish invasions (at the beginning of what Bulgarians still today refer to as the Turkish yoke), many landowners allegedly opted to accept the Islamic faith as a means to maintain ownership of their lands. It is also suggested that Pomak collaborators led the 1876 massacre in the mountain village of Batak, where nearly five thousand people were hacked to death or burnt alive. If these reports could be proven accurate, the terms aagarjani and pomagachi (infidels and helpers) would be understandably appropriate.

Regardless of the accuracy of the latter allegation, the events at Batak proved to the turning point for the Bulgarians and the Turkish yoke (Bousfield and Richardson, 1996). Appalled by such atrocities, Western journalists and governments began to focus on the Balkans as a hot spot for human rights issues. However, when the Communist party came to power shortly after the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the Pomaks continued to bear the brunt of their countrymen's onslaughts.

Ethnic disharmony

Bulgaria's animosity toward its Muslim minorities is fueled by a different source. Five centuries of Ottoman subjugation have done nothing but create a backlash of revenge and reprisal. Also, the Communist government justified its assimilatory methods by using the ethnic unrest in neighboring Yugoslavia as a precedent. Ethnic tensions between the Serbs and Albanians spawned fears that ethnic Turks and other Muslim factions would openly rebel in the economically and geographically isolated region of the southern Rhodopes.

Many ethnic Turks found that in Turkey, though it is held to be their native culture, they are not readily accepted in mainstream Turkish society. Dialectal differences reveal them as non-natives, and they are generally regarded, as in Bulgaria, as second-class citizens. The exodus to Turkey proved yet more difficult for the Pomaks. As ethnic Bulgarians, they tend to share more cultural traits and general way of life with Bulgarian Orthodox Christians.

Linguistically, however, in many Pomak villages, the languages spoken are various dialects of Bulgarian, heavily influenced by Turkish and Greek. Furthermore, though Muslims, the majority of Bulgaria's Pomaks speak little or no Turkish beyond the words that have entered their dialects over the course of the last five centuries. Thus, even among other minority populations, they are considered second class.

The Bulgarian government itself began to deal with its intercultural dilemma in 1948, when the Communist regime unleashed a number of assimilatory measures aimed at eliminating all minority ethnicities. These included the Turks, Roma, Armenians, Tatars and Pomaks.

A fake true identity

The first wave was the izselvane (resettlement) program designed to relocate the Pomak population from Bulgaria's southern border regions. The second major set of measures was aimed at the assimilation of the so-called "national consciousness." In this process, the Communist government forced all Bulgarian Muslims to change their names from Arabic-Islamic names to Slavic-Christian sounding names. This process came to be known as v�zroditelen protses (the process of rebirth). Yulian Konstantinov explains the Communists' rationale with the following:

The nation-state had to 'explain' to the Bulgarian Muslims who they really were and help them regain their 'true' identity. The underlying proposition is that the Bulgarian Muslims have 'forgotten' about the true facts, or have been 'misled'. In official discourse they are presented as people whose 'national consciousness has to be cleared up'. The Bulgarian Muslims are seen as living in some sort of communal oblivion and ignorance and they need to be helped to get out of this state. They have to be�'born again'-a phrase that set the official label of a whole process which�came to be known as The Process of Rebirth (vuzroditelen protses). [1]

The Communist government, to justify its attacks on the country's minority groups, commonly used the term "national consciousness" as if the existence of the nation and its people depended on ethnic and religious homogeneity.

Rather than create a means by which to encourage intercultural tolerance between the Communist State and its Muslim minority, Bulgaria attempted to destroy its various non-conforming groups by forcing them to change their names and abandon their religious beliefs.

The government hoped that by adopting conforming names, all non-ethnic Bulgarians would both abandon their former values and beliefs as well as unconditionally embrace the Bulgarian "national consciousness" and value system. This practice extended to other non-Christian minorities, as well. In 1984, the v�zroditelen process was also perpetrated upon the Turks and Roma.

In June 1948, the Communists began to remove people whom they considered disloyal to the Communist regime. Members of this group were generally put in prison or into labor camps, while their families were moved inland. The second and third waves, in November 1949 and between 1950-1951, were aimed at "less dangerous" members of the Pomak population.

The eventual movement of approximately 30,000 people was, in part, done in an attempt to insure the stability of the borders between Bulgaria and its traditional and Cold War foes, Greece and Turkey. As the southern border passed through the Rhodope Mountains, it proved difficult to protect.

Also, many of the Pomaks in the villages along the border had family in Pomak villages on the Greek side. As natives of the region, crossing the border regularly (both to graze animals and to maintain contact with relatives) was relatively easy. Such practices were viewed by the Communist regime as an unacceptable threat to national security. At this point they began their campaign to remove the perceived threat from the area.

As a result of the izselvane, small pockets of Pomak populations can be found today in the Balkan mountain range to the north of the Rhodopes in the Lovetch-Teteven region. Pomak villages in the region include Galata, Glogovo, Gradeshnitsa, and Babintsi. They can also be found in the Veliko Tărnovo region, as well as Razgrad, Shoumen, and Rouse to the northeast.

The demographic threat

During his years as Communist Party leader, Todor �ivkov did little to alleviate the cultural enmity felt toward Bulgaria's Muslims. Following his ascension to power in 1956, �ivkov made several passionate speeches summoning the nation to improve on the conditions of the country's Turkish language schools and to widen minority cultural activities. However, this appears to have been merely a fa�ade to bolster Bulgaria's image as an 'enlightened' nation.

By the late sixties, the Muslim birth rate rose sharply in comparison to that of the Bulgarians. Anxieties about a dramatic demographic shift ignited dormant trepidation toward the country's minorities. The demographic shift in question continued in this direction even into the eighties.

By 1984, the birth rate among the Muslim minorities was at 2.5 percent compared to the zero annual birth rate of the Bulgarians (Bousfield and Ricardson, 1996). [2] Another motivating factor for the forced assimilation was the rising Albanian population in present day Kosovo. Ethnic conflicts in the mid-eighties between Kosovar Muslims and Serb Orthodox Christians fueled fears that Bulgarian Muslims would also have pretensions for autonomy in the southeastern corner of the country.

Within this historical context began the name changing campaign of the Pomaks in the mid seventies and eighties. Failure to accept the Slavicized version of their Arabic names, Pomaks, Turks and Roma were either killed outright, sent to forced labor camps such as Belene on the Danube or deported. David Kaplan recounts one victim's tale:

It usually happened in the middle of the night. The rumble of army half-tracks and the blinding glare of searchlights would disturb the sleep of an ethnic Turkish village. Militiamen would then burst into every home and thrust a photocopied form in front of the man of the house, in which he was to write the new Bulgarian names of every member of his family. Those who refused or hesitated watched as their wives or daughters were raped by the militiamen. According to Amnesty International and Western diplomats, the militiamen beat up thousands and executed hundreds. Thousands more were imprisoned or driven into internal exile. [3]

Between ideals and reality

�ivkov's hard-line methods of resolving Bulgaria's ethnic dilemma nearly cast the country into anarchy and pandemonium. In and around the southern capital of Kardjali, where Muslim populations greatly outnumber Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, Turks and Pomaks alike protested the government's transgressions. Armed forces were deployed from Sofia to maintain peace in the region.

International attention to the injustices perpetrated on the country's Muslim minority resulted in Turkey opening its borders as an offer of asylum. Reports from the Turkish government state that, from May to August of 1989 alone, some 300,000 ethnic Turks crossed into Turkey. Unable to support the unexpected influx of people, however, Turkey eventually closed its borders in order to maintain the stability of its own infrastructure.

Since the closing of the border with Bulgaria, population movement in the area has become increasingly difficult. Despite this limited movement, is said that there are currently over one million Bulgarian Muslims living on Turkish soil.

hanecho_@hotmail.com" class="articlefinalauthor">Shane Jacobs, 28 May 2001

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• Archived articles about Bulgaria in CER
• Browse through the CER eBookstore for electronic books
• Buy English-language books on Bulgaria through CER
• Return to CER front page

Footnotes:

1. Konstantinov, Yulian, 1997. Three Pomak Stories. Sofia: Bulgarian Society for Regional Cultural Studies website. [back to text]

2. Kaplan, Robert D, 1994. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey through History. Vintage Books (a division of Random House, New York), pp. 214-215 [back to text]

3. Bousfield, Jonathan & Dan Richardson, 1996. Bulgaria: The Rough Guide. London: Penguin Groups. [back to text]

Source:
http://www.ce-review.org/01/19/jacobs19.html

Originally posted by The Chargemaster the methods of the forcible coversion to mohammedanism of these AUTHENTIC BULGARIANS.

The work begins with a well-informed discussion of the history of Bulgarian nationalism and its impact on Muslim minorities, then traces the history of Islam and Muslims in Bulgaria from the mid-14th century to the present. Eminov's treatment of the Ottoman period places significant developments of the era in historical perspective, emphasizing that although "The Ottoman period in Bulgaria was not a golden age of toleration and equality," it was not a centuries-long dark age of unrelieved cruelty toward Bulgarians either (p. 47). He deconstructs the myth of mass forced conversion, replacing it with a model of Islamization as a gradual and mainly individual process and also shows the traditional Bulgarian view of the devsirme (recruitment levy) system as "an unmitigated demographic disaster" to be "a gross exaggeration" (pp. 32-48).

Source:
http://home.olemiss.edu/~mldyer/balk/review2.html

There are generally three different theories on the spread of Islam in the Balkans. The first one suggests that the Ottoman conquest was followed by genocide over the indigenous populations and, thereafter, by an intensive colonization by Turks from Anatolia. (Zhelyazkova, 1997:14). Another thesis --supported by a number of nationalist Balkan writers-- suggests that Islam was spread in a coercive way. This thesis puts a lot of emphasis on the forceful recruitment of Christian boys (devshirme) to participate in the Ottoman janissary institution (14th-18th c.) (Mutafchieva, 1994:10). A third thesis suggests that conversion took place only on a voluntary principle, because non-Muslim subjects had economic incentives to do so. By adopting the new religion, they eliminated several restrictions discussed below (Jelavic, 1983:40). This thesis is supported by a substantial number of western scholars.

A process of �Islamization� took place during the Ottoman period. Part of the indigenous Slavs, Albanians and Roma were converted to Islam. The Ottoman state had a twofold interest in that process: first, to increase the loyalty of its subjects on its European territory and, second, to enlarge its army, which was required for its westward expansion. Islamization was enforced usually in two ways -- through coercion and through the offer of economic benefits. The first way is strongly emphasized by the national poetry and literature of the Balkan peoples. A special attention is paid to the military recruitment of Christian boys (devshirme) for the Ottoman janissary institution existing between the 14th and the 18th centuries. The second way of Islamization is a subject of a relative consensus among more open-minded historians, who call it also a �voluntary� one. They agree that a Christian had interest to convert to Islam, since with the conversion, he was relieved from the cizye tax and got a chance to join and grow in the administration and the army (Eminov, 1997:33-48; Mutafchieva, 1994:9-10; Zhelyazkova, 1997:14). In line with these arguments, another thesis suggests that the Ottomans were even more interested in retaining their Christian population precisely because of the higher taxation rate. Conversion was generally discouraged. However, it waes not always possible for the central authorities to monitor this, since Istanbul lost ever-greater control over the provinces and the provincial governors, which projected a strong tendency to impoverish the Christians through over-taxation (Fraenkel, 1999).

Source:
ttp://www.greekhelsinki.gr/pdf/cedime-se-macedonia-muslims .PDF



Edited by bg_turk

Arent Pomaks the descentants of Volga bulgars who settled down in bulgaria?

Also chargemaster, wich country would you sympatize? The one who give you rights to live with what you are or the one who's racistic towards you and did horrible things towards you in the near history?

Originally posted by DayI Arent Pomaks the descentants of Volga bulgars who settled down in bulgaria? Also chargemaster, wich country would you sympatize? The one who give you rights to live with what you are or the one who's racistic towards you and did horrible things towards you in the near history?

DayI I think there is no doubt that the Pomaks were originally Christian Slavs (I do not say Bulgarian because when the Selchuks first arrived the cocept of a Bulagrian nation was not defined). There is no doubt about this, what is  arguable is whether their conversion was forceful or voluntary. It is noteworthy that many of the pomaks were in fact against the establishment of a Christian Bulgarian state in 1878, and preferred to live as part of the Ottoman Empire, quite a few of them fled to Turkey and became assimilated there. I would say the difference between a Pomak and a Bulgarian is as great as that between a Bosniak and a Serb. They speak the Bulgarian language, but most of them do not define themselves as Bulgarians. They even had Islamic-Arabic names, which were changed, but now quite a few of them restored their original names. To date I have never seen a pomak who has called himself a Bulgarian, only Bulgarians insist on this kind of categorization. My dads best friend is actually a pomak, they are a great people,

Concerning Volga Bulgaria:
Volga Bulgarians are in no way related to the Pomaks. Someone correct me here if I am wrong, but Volga Bulgarians do not even speak a slavic language as their native one, unlike Pomaks who were originally slavs.

The Volga Bulgarians are related to the original protoBulgars that established the first Bulgarian state in 681. At the same time another group settled around the Volga River and established Volga Bulgaria. Volga Bulgaria adopted Islam as its official relgion, whereas Balkan Bulgaria - Orthodox christianity.

Unfortunately Volga Bulgaria was destroyed by the Russian Empire. Today Russians refer to Bulgarians simply as Tatars and they are gradually being assimilated.

Originally posted by NikeBG DayI, with the last sentence I guess you mean Bulgaria and "some other state" in the same order, right?  And btw - no, Pomaks are not descendants of Volga Bulgarians. You probably mistake them with the Gagauzi, which have some "similarities" with the Pomaks - the Gagauzi are Turkish-speaking Christians (i.e. full oposite to the Pomaks, but they're definitely not Turkish though - call a Gagauz that he's a Turk and then you can just run). They call themselves "Eski-Bulgar" and believe that they're direct descendants of the old Bulgars, thus maybe you connect them with the Volga Bulgarians. Btw they're an interesting topic and maybe we could speak about them too!

Gagauz-Turkish is almost the same as Turkey's Turkish, i understand 99% of  gagauz language. Also they have a big "oghuz khan" statue in their capital of their autonomic state. Gagauz derives from "G�k-oghuz", here is more info about them:

Gagauz

Here is the list of the Bulgarian kings,

In alphabetical order: Bagain � Lower noble rank, the so called �fed people� of the khan, used by the khan�s authority for restriction of the boils influence. The backbone of the armoured cavalry {2}; Lower officers (this title has many variations such as biri-bagain, batir-bagain, bagir-bagain, bagatur-bagain) {2}; Title from the time of the First Bulgarian state. It�s met in the Bulgarian inscriptions from the IX century. It signifies a commander or a leader of a small military detachment. The bagains are bolyars, which stand lower than the boils. {3}; Bagatur - (Turkic) � literally �brave man�. Title, given by the Bulgars to the representatives of the aristocracy, which have glorified themselves in battles. {1}; It literally means a brave champion, a hero. It was used as a lower noble rank, again under the khan�s auspices, basis of the unarmoured cavalry or the horse archers. {2}; A warrior caste, the heavily armed horsemen, the core of the army (as an analogy with the western knights and the Japanese samurais) {2}; A title from the ruling system from the time of the First Bulgarian state. Given mainly for military merits. Used in the Bulgarian inscriptions usually in combination with other titles. {3}; Bagatur-boila-kolober - (Bulgar) � High post in the early-medieval Bulgarian state, which signifies a military leader, belonging to the class of the boils, who showed courage in battles. {1}; Boila-tarkan (vulias-tarkan) - (Bulgar) � Title, given in the Bulgarian Khanate to a governor of a big border region. {1}; Bulgar title. It was given in the First Bulgarian state to the second son of the ruler. Together with the class belonging, it shows also ranking position, as the title tarkan signifies that its bearer is performing the duties of a deputy of the ruler in a particular region. {3}; Boils (bolyars) - (Bulgar) � General name for the higher class of the Bulgarian aristocracy. It passed from medieval Bulgaria to other Slavic states (Serbia, Russia) and in the XIV-XV century also in Walachia and Moldavia. {1}; High noble rank, usually these families were 100 and every boil family governed one region of the khanate. After Kniaz Boris, who killed 52 boil families, these families decreased and gradually decayed. {2}; Bulgar title, equal to the Slavic �bolyarin�. Given to representatives of the ruling feudal class in the time of the First Bulgarian state. In some sources it�s mentioned in combination with other titles and shows the class position of the official person. From other sources: The title means �notable�, �high-ranked� and shows belonging to the highest class of the Bulgarian aristocracy. It�s a hereditary title. {3}; Bori-tarkan - (Bulgar) � An official title of a governor of a region in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. {1}; Commander of the heavily armoured cavalry, in later time a commandant of an �aul� (fortress) {2}; Bulgar title from the First Bulgarian state. Familiar is bori-tarkan Radislav, who welcomed the disciples of Cyril and Methodius after they were expelled from Velikomoravia. {3}; Chigot � (Bulgar) � literally �sword-bearer�. A warrior from the bodyguard unit of the early-medieval Bulgarian khans and tsars. {1}; Great boils � There were 4 great boils (�veliki boili� on Bulgarian) according to Fadlan, respectively 6 of them according to K. Porfirogenet � most probably their number was increased with the enhancing of the state. After the conversion the 4 of them were probably increased to 6, as by obvious reasons the khana-boila-kolober fell off. It could be presumed that the three new ones were the minik (head of the royal stables) and two, which bore the title sampsis (at the council in 869-870 there were two with this title � Pressian and Alexius Hunol). {2}; 6 high counselors of the khan, they sit on his right side. {2}; Ichirgu-bagain � Bulgar title from the time of the First Bulgarian state. It is mentioned for the first time in the second half of the IX century when it was given to an unknown military leader. {3}; Ichirgu-boila (churgubilia) - (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state, governor of its �interior region�. It held the third place in the state�s hierarchy after the ruler and the kavhan. {1}; First and most important boil, taking care of the interior of the khanate. {2}; There are reports that he carried out internal political missions, as well as taking care of administering of regions. {2}; Bulgar title from the time of the First Bulgarian state. It is know in Slavic translation as �churgobilia�. It�s mentioned in the beginning of the IX century. It was given to the closest persons to the Bulgarian ruler, which performed the duty of governing the inner fortresses of the capital. Except military, the bearers of this title performed also juridical functions and took part in diplomatic missions. At the time of Khan Krum (803-814) this title was given to the bolyar Tsok and in the first half of the X century � the bolyar Mostich. {3}; Ichirgu-kolober � Bulgar military title from the time of the First Bulgarian state. It is mentioned in one of Omurtag�s inscriptions. {3}; Kanasubigi, Iuvigi Khan � Title of the Bulgarian rulers in the first half of the IX century. The name corresponds to the Slavic words �velik� (great), �preslaven� (most glorious). It is mentioned in memorial inscriptions from the time of Khan Omurtag (814-831), Khan Malamir (831-836) and Khan Pressian (836-852). {3}; Kanartikin (Kana-irthituin) � (Bulgar) � Title of the heir to the crown of the Bulgarian khan, also used after the conversion. {1}; The first-born son of the khan and the future successor to the throne. {2}; The eldest tarkan (it�s not a title of the heir to the throne by rule, but most probably it was given at the moment of the delegating of the heir (as for example Kniaz Kiril of Preslav was a regent of Simeon II, but regent is not the title of the kniaz�s brother)) {2}; Title of the Bulgarian heir to the crown in the period of the First Bulgarian state. {3}; Kana-bagatur - (Bulgar) � Official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. {1}; Kana-boila-kolober � (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. It is presumed that it was given to a military commander, whose detachment enters first in a fight with the enemy. {1}; Kandidat � Title in the First Bulgarian state, member of the personal guard of the ruler, institution, borrowed from Byzantium. From the time of Khan Omurtag it is known the kandidat Turdacis. {3}; Kavhan - (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. Its bearer was the first assistant in the ruler�s governing and held the second place in the hierarchy. {1}; The highest title after the khan�s. First deputy and assistant. In a time of war he commanded the armies in the khan�s absence. This title is preserved until 1018. {2}; Bulgar title, given to representatives of the most notable Bulgar families. It was transferred also hereditary. Its bearer performed important administrative functions (usually as a governor of a region). In war times he was given command of parts of the khan�s army. In the time of Khan Omurtag (814-831) kavhan was now the second person in the state after the ruler. More familiar names, which bore this title, were Iratais (by Khan Krum), Isbul (by Omurtag, Malamir and Pressian), Todor (by Tsar Simeon I), Dometian (by Tsar Samuil) and others. {3}; Khagan - (Turkic) � Title of supreme leader among the Turkic nations. Equal by importance to �great khan� (�iuvigi khan�), which was the title of the Bulgarian rulers in the pagan period. {1}; Khan � The ruler of medieval Bulgaria. This title was until 864, replaced with the title kniaz and in 927 with tsar. {2}; Ruler, monarch. Originally the title signified a chief of a tribe. Later � a kniaz�s (prince) title and subsequently � ruler�s title of many eastern nations (Tatars and others). The power of the khan was given by heritage to the first-born son. His authority was unlimited. It was considered to have a divine origin. The Bulgar rulers kept the title until 864 (until the conversion to Christianity). Replaced with the title tsar. From other sources: In the latest researches it�s considered that the title is �kan� (from �kun�/�кън� � blood) � a leader of blood relatives. In line with this it�s now also considered that it�s not equal to the title khagan, meaning khan of the khans. The Bulgarian ruler bears the title khan, as in the inscriptions from the VII-IX century it is �kanasubigi� � great khan. An older thesis exists, which spells out the title as �kana su bigi� � the kana master of forces. In the foreign sources the Bulgarian ruler is mentioned as �archon�, �igimon�, �rex�, �kirios�, which are translated as kniaz, chief, master. The title �kanasubigi� disappears from the inscriptions after Khan Malamir. After the acceptance of the Christianity by Khan Boris the title of the Bulgarian ruler is replaced with the title kniaz, coming from the Indo-European �kuneng� � tribal chief, elder. The power of the khan is practically unlimited, as he has the functions of a military leader, lawgiver, judge and high priest. The power itself is viewed as given to him by God, for which signifies the phrase �ek teu archon� � put by God, but in the sense put by heaven � a formula met also among the Turkic nations. According to the sources, the power by the Bulgarians is transferred by birth, i.e. by heritage and by the right of the first-born son. But in the Bulgarian history there are a number of examples, in which these rules were not followed. {3}; Kolober � The priest society. Many ranks exist also of this title, but unfortunately there is no accurate data for their ranking. They sit on the left side of the khan. {2}; Komit � [Note: This title was put to use in the time of Khan Omurtag, i.e. after the establishment of Danubian Bulgaria] Title, given to regional governors from the IX to the XI century. Borrowed from Byzantium at the time of Khan Omurtag (814-831). Its bearer combined both the administrative and the military power in his entrusted region � komitat. Better known bearers of this title are: Taridin � governor of the Bregalnitsa region, Dameta � of the Devol region, Dristur � of the Struma region, and Nikola � of the Sredets region. {3}; Kopan � Bulgar title, given to high military commanders, close associates of the khan. A bearer of this title in the time of Khan Omurtag (814-831) was Okors. {3}; Minik - (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian khanate (tsardom). Its bearer took care for the ruler�s stables and commanded the cavalry. {1}; Oglu-tarkan (olgu-tarkan) - (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state of a governor of a big region. {1}; Bulgar title, given in the time of the First Bulgarian state to the highest dignitaries. {3}; Sampsis � At the council in 869-870 there were two with this title � Pressian and Alexius Hunol. {2}; Bulgar title, given to representatives of the Bulgar aristocracy, performing diplomatic and other missions. {3}; Shaman - (Turkic) � Priest in the pagan religions of the Turkic-nomadic nations, also by the Bulgars. {1}; Tarkan - (Bulgar) � High official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. Its bearer was usually a governor of a border region. {1}; Commander of 1 000 horsemen (�thousander�) {2}; The high officers (this title has many variations like bori-tarkan, tumen-tarkan, tarkan; probably every one of them was responsible for a definite number of sabers) {2}; Bulgar military title, given mainly to representatives of the high capital aristocracy. It�s usually met combined with another title: bori-tarkan, zhupan-tarkan, oglu-tarkan etc. {3}; Tumen-tarkan � Commander of a tumen (10 000 horsemen) {2}; Zera-Tarkan - (Bulgar) � Governor of a border region in the early-medieval Bulgarian state. {1}; Official title of persons with military functions on the First Bulgarian state. Known is zera-tarkan Onegavon, who drowned in the river Tissa. {3}; Zhupan-tarkan - (Bulgar) � Official title in the early-medieval Bulgarian khanate (tsardom) of a governor of a Slavic region. {1}; The zhupan � K. Porfirogenet says that this was an elder by the Serbs. Therefore, the zhupan-tarkan is most probably an elder, who was approved by the khan to administrate his tribe (something like a vassal). {2}; Bulgar military title. According to the existing in the First Bulgarian state military hierarchy, it was placed second after the boila-tarkan. Known bearer of this title was Okhsun, who�s mentioned in one of Omurtag�s inscriptions. {3}; High (administrative/official) ranking (the khan and the great boils): 1. Khan (khagan, kanasubigi) 2. Kavhan 3. Ichirgu-boila 4. Kana-boila-kolober (falls away after the Christianization) 5. Kanartikin 6. Minik 7. 2 Sampsises Lower (military) ranking: 1. Boila-tarkan 2. Zhupan-tarkan 3. � Bibliography legend (secondary sources): {1} � History textbook for 11th grade by publishing house �Anubis� {2} � Internet (Military-historical forum �Boina Slava �) {3} � Electronic encyclopedia �History of Bulgaria� by publishing house �Sirma� ================================================== = Old Bulgar dignities According to Petur Dobrev the Bulgars come to this side of the Danube with a developed state structure, in which there are 37 dignities. At least those are we know of, but they may have been more. We draw information about them from different stone inscriptions, in which Bulgarian officials are mentioned, as well as from foreign chroniclers. Unfortunately, their titles were written on Greek or with Greek letters and in the worst case they were translated according to their Byzantine correspondences. Thus for example the komits appear � throught the Byzantine influence (from Latin �comes�) and the kandidats (spatarius or protospatarius). In other cases there are difficulties to determine whether it is a name or a title. For example, the title boritarkan of the governor of Belgrade, who welcomed the disciples of Cyril and Methodius coming from Velikomoravia to Bulgaria, is written by Teophilakt of Ohrid as a personal name � Boritarkan. In another case it is not clear if �tortuna pile zhoapan� is a title or is it the �pile zhoapan Tortuna�. Despite these difficulties with a great accuracy could be restored the names and meaning of these 37 titles or dignities (ranks). It is also not completely clear if they are offices, classes, military ranks or combinations of the three. Their numeration is given by Beshevliev. The explanation of the titles is of Petur Dobrev. Inscription № 59 of kanasubigi Omurtag: �Kanasubigi Omurtag: the kopan Korsis was my �fed man�. When he went to the army, he drowned in the river Dniepr. He was from the Chakarar family.� Inscription № 60 of kanasubigi Omurtag: �Kanasubigi Omurtag: the zera tarkan Negavon was my �fed man�. When he went to the army, he drowned in the river Tissa. He was from the Kubiar family.� Inscription № 64 of kanasubigi Omurtag: �Kanasubigi Omurtag. The bagatur bagain Slavnas was my �fed man� and when he got ill he died.� Inscription № 66 of kanasubigi Omurtag: �Kanasubigi Omurtag: the kandidat Turdachis was my �fed man�. He died inside.� (Kandidat is a Byzantine title, given to spatariuses and protospatariuses.) Inscription № 58 of kanasubigi Malamir: �Kanasubigi Malamir, from God ruler. His old boila, kavhan Isbul, made this fountain and gave it to the ruler. And the ruler gave to the Bulgarians a lot of food and drink and to the boils and the bagains he gave large gifts. May God honour the ruler from God to live together with kavhan Isbul many years.� The Hambarli inscription № 47 of kanasubigi Krum: �...I made my brother, and the strategus Leon to be his subordinate. From Beroia � Dultroini is first for the right side the ichirgu boila Tuk, and the strateguses Vardan and Iani to be his subordinates. For the left side of my sarakt [sarakt was the name for the Bulgarian state], for Anhialo, Debelt, Sozopol, Ranuli [Bulgarian fortresses and cities] chief is Iratais, the boila kavhan, and Kordil and Grigora his subordinated strateguses.� Inscription № 13 of kanasubigi Malamir: �(Kanasubigi Malamir) from God ruler. My grandfather Krum found with us these works� My father the ruler Omurtag, as concluding a 30 years peace, lived well with the Greeks. And I lived well, but the Greeks devastated our lands and the ruler Malamir, who ruled together with kavhan Isbul, went to war with the Greeks and destroyed the fortress of Provat and the fortress of Burdizon in the lands of the Greeks and acquired all glory. And he came to Philipopolis and the Greeks fled. And then kavhan Isbul, together with the glorified ruler made a meeting with Philipopolians.� Inscription №14 of kanasubigi Pressian at Philippi: �Pressian of God ruler of the many Bulgarians sent kavhan Isbul, by giving him an army, the ichirgu boila and the kana boila kolober. And the kavhan at the Smolians�� Inscription № 69 of kanasubigi Malamir: �Kanasubigi Malamir: Chepa, bagatur boila kolober was my �fed man�. He got ill and died inside.� Konstantin Bagrianorodni [�Mantle-born�?] writes in �For the governing� for the war of Boris-Mikhail I with the Serbs: �The Serbs inflicted upon him such a defeat that they captured and chained his son Vladimir and twelve great boils�, but in his work �For the ceremonies� he writes only for six great boils. Inscription № 48 from the village of Narush of tsar Simeon: �In the year 6412 (904) from the Creation of the world, indiktion 7, a border between the Bulgarians and the Romeans by the from God ruler of the Bulgarians Simeon, olgu tarkana Teodor and komita Dristar.� From these inscriptions and from other data the assumption could be made that boils and bagains are honorary titles, showing the belonging to a certain class. The classes were probably four � ordinary Bulgarians, bagains, boils and kolobers. At least thus are numbered the first three in the above quoted inscription № 58 of Malamir. The kolobers were probably a priest class, but this assumption is based only upon the chronicler Teophilakt Simokata, who writes for one Avar priest, called on Greek βοοκολοβρα ς, translated by Ivan Venedikov as bu-kolober. Bu from the root boi (boila), which according to him means �family of kolobers�. To this uncertain assumption we could not give a confirmation from the Bulgarian stone inscriptions, because there the title kolober is given in a military or neutral context. This however does not exclude the priestly functions. It is possible that the kolobers were not a separate class, but a part of the bagain and boil ones. The offices are in the same time military-administrative and political. The kavhan was the first substitute of the kanasubigi, co-ruler, as in the case with kavhan Isbul and is commanding the left part of the army, as with Krum. In the inscription he is called the boila kavhan. Probably the title boila shows the belonging to the class or rank of nobility, while kavhan � the office of a first substitute of kanasubigi. The ighirgu boila is next in rank after the kavhan, commanding the right wing of the army, and sometimes he�s also a diplomatic delegate. Thus, for example, the ichirgu boila Stazis, who wrote in the Chividalsko Gospel the names of the members of kniaz Boris�s family, so that they would be mentioned in prayers, was sent by kniaz Boris in Rome to the Pope. The tarkans are probably governors, military and administrative. The boritarkan is chief of a city. According to P. Dobrev it comes from the Iranian boru (borui) � fortress and tarkan (chief or judge) in the East-Iranian languages. For the olgu tarkan it is known only that he�s higher than komita, maybe a regional/provincial governor over several komitats. Zhoapan tarkan is with a rank of governor � he rules an independent region/province. Known are also zeratarkans, kalu tarkans and kulu tarkans. Samuchii ( самъчий ) is a secretay of kanasubigi. There is one mentioned Eskhach [Есхач] in service of kniaz Boris. Kopan is probably a military office, chigot � sword-bearer. The bagaturs are lower military ranks. Some consider them as an analogue of the knights. There are after all kana boila kolober and bagatur boila kolober. If for the first one it could be considered to be the personal priest of the khan from the class of the boils, then for the second one it could hardly be explained the title bagatur, if it�s given to lower warriors. Some researchers believe that the dignity ichirgu is given to officials in service in the inner region/province of the state, while iuk is for those from the outer regions (komitats). And from there are the iuk-boil and the ichirgu-boil, ichirgu bagain and ichirgu kolober. The heir to the throne is called kanartikin, while the second son is boila tarkan. Kanasubigi is the title of the ruler. Because it is written on Greek as καναςυβίγ&a mp;# 953; the possible pronounciations are many: kanasiubigi and kanas iubigi, kanasubigi or kana siuvigi. According to Ivan Venedikov, unlike the Russian-Slavic kniaz, in Bulgarian the name is kunaz (къназ ( кънїз ). It could even be assumed that kniaz is a derivative from kanasubigi � through kanas � kunaz � kniaz. ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 1. Kanasubigi Emperor 2. Kanartikin Heir to the throne 3. Kavhan First substitute of the khan, co-ruler 4. Boila kavhan 5. Ichirgu boil Probably minister for foreign affairs and commandant of the capital 6. Chitkoi ichirgu boil 7. Ichirgu kolober 8. Ichigu bagain 9. Kana boila kolober 10. Kana tarkan 11. Boil 12. Iuk boil 13. Boila tarkan The second son of the ruler 14. Boila chigat 15. Bagatur 16. Bagatur boila kolober High priest 17. Bagatur kana 18. Bagatur bagain 19. Bagain 20. Setit bagain 21. Iuk bagain 22. Biri bagain 23. Tarkan 24. Boritarkan Chief of fortress 25. Zera 26. Zeratarkan 27. Olgutarkan Governor of a region including komitats 28. Kalutarkan 29. Kulutarkan 30. Zhoapan tarkan Governor of a big region 31. Zhoapan 32. Tortuna pile zhoapan Military deputy for the region � elder zhoapan 33. Chitkoimir 34. Kormuchii [кормъчий] Superior 35. Chigot (chigat) 36. Samuchii [самъчий] Secretary of the khan 37. Kopan 38. Imnik ================================================= List of Bulgar names and the original titles of their bearers [Note that I haven�t included those names, which I believe to be of Slavic or Greek origing] Alzek (son of Kubrat) Asparukh (Isperikh, Ispor) (680-700) (son of Kubrat, establisher of Danubian Bulgaria) Bayan (Bezmer, Batbayan, Boyan) (first-born son of Kubrat, khan of Old Great Bulgaria) Boris (852-889) (khan (later kniaz) of Bulgaria, Christian name - Mikhail) Chepa (bagatur boila kolober from the time of Malamir) Dizeng (regent of Omurtag) Dometa (komita) Dristar (komita) Dukum (regent of Omurtag) Eskhach (secretary at the time of Boris I) Grigora (subordinate to the boila kavhan in the time of Krum) Iani (subordinate to the ichirgu boila in the time of Krum) Iratais (boila kavhan at the time of Krum) Isbul (kavhan at the times of Omurtag, Malamir and Pressian) Kardam (777-802) (khan of Bulgaria) Kordil (subordinate to the boila kavhan in the time of Krum) Kormesiy (721-738) (khan of Bulgaria) Kormisosh (753-756) (khan of Bulgaria) Korsis (Okors) (kopan from the time of Omurtag) Kotrag (son of Kubrat, establisher of Volga Bulgaria) Krum (802-814) (khan of Bulgaria) Kuber (son of Kubrat, establisher of the Macedonian Bulgaria) Kubrat (Kurt, Kuvrat, Krovat) (632-663-668) (Leader of the Onogundurs (610s-632) and establisher of Old Great Bulgaria) Malamir (831-836) (khan of Bulgaria) Okhsun (zhupan-tarkan from the time of Omurtag) Omurtag (814-831) (khan of Bulgaria) Onegavon (zera-tarkan) Pagan (767-768) (khan of Bulgaria) Pressian (836-852) (khan of Bulgaria) Rassate (889-893) (kniaz of Bulgaria, Christian name � Vladimir) Sabin (765-766) (khan of Bulgaria) Sevar (738-753) (khan of Bulgaria) Slavnas (bagatur bagain from the time of Omurtag) Stazis (ichirgu boila at the time of Boris I) Taridin (komita) Telec (762-765) (khan of Bulgaria) Telerig (768-777) (khan of Bulgaria) Tervel (700-721) (khan of Bulgaria) Toktu (766-767) (khan of Bulgaria) Tsog (regent of Omurtag) Tuk (ichirgu boila at the time of Krum) Turdacis (kandidat from the time of Omurtag) Umor (766) (khan of Bulgaria) Vardan (subordinate to the ichirgu boila in the time of Krum) Vinekh (756-762) (khan of Bulgaria) According to Wikipedia: Kutrigur (western Bulgar tribe) leaders: Kutrigur (490s-510s) Khinialon (Chinialus) (540s-551) Sinnion (Synion) (551-550s) Zabergan (550s-582) Gostun (582-584) Utigur (eastern Bulgar tribe) leaders: Uturgur (490s-510s) Grod (520-528) Mugel (528-530) Sandilch (Sandil) (540s-560s) Onogundur (federation of Kutrigurs and Utigurs) leaders: Houdbaad (Hudbaad, Khudbard) (c.581-c.600) Organa (Organ, Ornag; uncle and regent over the Onogundurs (617-630) of Kubrat) From other sources (from the times the raiding period): Buzan (Bulgar chieftain around 488) Bulger and Drong (Bulgar leaders around 538) Odolgan (around 546)

lol iranic? how's that? Is there any relation in language of old bulgars, i didnt saw any iranic tribe using bagatur as name, or Tumen as military ranking, or khagan, or even didnt heard of a Iranic tribe with name volga-bulgar let beside bulgar means mixing in old Turkic and current Uyghur Turkic language.

A interesting info to read,

Turkic background examined Turkic invaders have been coming to Azerbaijan for centuries, but it remains unclear if all or most settled and remained in Azerbaijan (as opposed to other parts of the Caucasus and Southwest Asia) or simply came and went over the ages, until one group, the Oghuz remained in large enough numbers to alter the region. Morphological factors of the Azeri people in isolated rural areas appears quite similar to some nearby Turkic peoples, especially with regards to the Turkmen and Turks of Turkey. According to Caucasus Albanian historian Moses Kalankatly, in the period between 191-200 CE, hordes of Barsil and Khazar Turks crossed the Kura river into what is today known as Azerbaijan. Other noted historians include Tabari, who describes in detail various incursions into Azerbaijan by Ural-Altaic tribes (Huns and Khazars) in the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Tabari also states that by the mid-6th century, there was a significant Turkish presence in Azerbaijan and other adjacent regions. Kalankatly also states that in the year 629, the army of the Gokturks as well as a series Khazar Turkic tribes entered Azerbaijan and declared the land to be the "eternal possession" of the Turks. Byzantine sources of the mid-6th century refer to the "settlement of Khazar Turks" in the left bank of the Kura river and Kalankatly makes reference to a "Hun state" on the left bank of the Kura River in the 7th century. According to Professor Peter B. Golden, "In the course of the seventh century, the two major tribal unions emerged in Azerbaijan under the Turk banner: the Khazars and the Bulgars...the Khazars formed the bulk of the Turk forces used by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-640) in his counter-offensive against the Sasanids (rulers) in Azerbaijan". A pre-Islamic Turkic presence in Azerbaijan is evident in literature after the Islamic conquest of the region, in an era that was famous for its historical, geographical and scientific analyzations of the world by Muslim scholars. According to the 7th century work of Ubeid ibn Shariyya al-Jurhumi, the Muslim Caliph Mueviyyen (661-680) was told that Azerbaijan "has long been a land of Turks. Having gathered over there, they have mixed with one another and become integrated." It must also be noted that the famous "Book of Dede Korkut" which is the epic of the Oghuz Turks (considered by Azeris to be their primary ancestors) was written in central-Asia in the 6th and 7th centuries. What should be noted is that the demographics and social conditions are difficult to ascertain under 'Turkic' rule. Many question remain difficult to answer including whether the Turkic tribes replaced the peoples who lived in Azerbaijan before their arrival or simply mixed with them?