Kubrat

Kubrat

Kubrat was a leader of the Onogur-Bulgars. Around the year 632, he created a group called Old Great Bulgaria. His name might mean "to gather" or "wolf" in Turkic languages. Kubrat helped unite many groups under one rule, making Old Great Bulgaria important in history. Today, people remember him for his role in early Bulgarian history. For more about a town with a similar name, see Kubrat (town).

Origin

Kubrat was known as Kurt in the Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans. He was part of the Dulo clan. He ruled for 60 years after Gostunus from the Ermi clan.

The Bulgars were nomadic people who spoke a Turkic language. They were part of a group called the Hunnic confederation in the 5th century. After the leader Attila died, these tribes moved east into the area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Some western Bulgar tribes joined the Avar Khaganate, while the eastern Bulgars became part of the Western Turkic Khaganate by the end of the 6th century.

Different writers described Kubrat in various ways. Theophanes the Confessor called him "king of the Onogundur Huns." Patriarch Nikephoros I referred to him as "lord of the Onuğundur" and "ruler of the Onuğundur–Bulğars." John of Nikiu named him "chief of the Huns." Scholars have described him differently as well.

History

Kubrat grew up in the royal palace of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. He led the Onogur-Bulgars and helped form a group of tribes called Old Great Bulgaria around the year 632. Kubrat fought against the Avars and made an agreement with the Byzantine leader Heraclius.

Kubrat told his five sons to stay together to stay strong. But after he passed away, the group split apart because of disagreements and pressure from the Khazars to the east.

Kubrat's death

The Pereshchepina Treasure was found in 1912 near Poltava by local people. The treasure has many gold and silver pieces from a time when many groups of people were moving around. Some rings helped experts think this might be where Kubrat was buried. The treasure shows a link between the Bulgars and the Byzantines, as some pieces look like they were made by Byzantine craftsmen.

Experts think Kubrat may have died between 650 and 665 AD, based on old records and evidence.

Legacy

Kubrat has inspired many places and works. A hill named Kubrat Knoll on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, is named for him. In the 1981 Bulgarian movie Aszparuh, an actor named Vasil Mihaylov played Kubrat. Kubrat's special mark, called a tamga, is used in the logo of a Bulgarian political group named Morality, Unity, Honour.