Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
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{{Infobox Monarch | name =Ivan Alexander <br /> Иван Александър
| title =Tsar of Bulgaria
| image =[[Image:Ivan Alexander.jpg|250px|]]
| caption =Portrait of the tsar from the [[Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander]]
| reign =1331–[[February 17]] [[1371]]
| coronation =
| predecessor =[[Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria|Ivan Stefan]]
| successor =[[Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria|Ivan Šišman of Bulgaria]] <br /> [[Ivan Sratsimir of Bulgaria|Ivan Sracimir of Bulgaria]]
| consort =[[Theodora of Wallachia]] <br /> [[Sarah (Theodora)]]
| issue =''[[#Family|see below]]''
| royal house =[[Shishman|Šišman]]
| royal anthem =
| father =Sracimir of Krǎn
| mother =Petrica
| date of birth =
| place of birth =
| date of death ={{death date|1371|2|17|mf=y}}
| place of death =
| buried =
|}}
'''Ivan Alexander''' ({{lang-bg|Иван Александър}}, transliterated ''Ivan Aleksandǎr'';<ref>This article uses the [[United Nations]]-authorized [[scientific transliteration]] system to romanize [[Cyrillic alphabet#Bulgarian|Bulgarian Cyrillic]]. For details, see [[Romanization of Bulgarian]].</ref> {{pronounced|iˈvan alɛkˈsandɤr}}; original spelling: <small>ІѠАНЪ АЛЄѮАН<sup>д</sup>РЪ</small>),<ref>As spelled in the [[Medieval Bulgarian royal charters|Zograf and Orjahov Charters]]. {{cite book |title=Gramoti na bǎlgarskite care |last=Daskalova |first=Angelina |coauthors=Marija Rajkova |date=2005 |location=Sofia |language=Bulgarian |publisher=[[Bulgarian Academy of Sciences]] |pages=pp. 58–59 |isbn=954-322-034-4 }}</ref> also known as '''John Alexander''',<ref>For example in {{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-304933/John-Alexander |title=John Alexander (emperor of Bulgaria) |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Encyclopaedia Britannica]] Online |accessdate=2007-01-19 }}</ref> ruled as [[List of Bulgarian monarchs|Emperor]] (''[[Tsar]]'') of [[Bulgaria]] from 1331 to 1371,<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43">Lalkov, ''Rulers of Bulgaria'', pp. 42–43.</ref> during the [[Second Bulgarian Empire]]. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on [[February 17]] [[1371]]. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history. Ivan Alexander began his rule by dealing with internal problems and external threats from Bulgaria's neighbours, the [[Byzantine Empire]] and [[Serbian Empire|Serbia]], as well as leading his empire into a period of economic recovery and cultural and religious renaissance.<ref name="balgarite-2-1">''Bǎlgarite i Bǎlgarija'', 2.1</ref>
However, the emperor was later unable to cope with the mounting incursions of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] forces, [[Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages#Golden Era|Hungarian]] invasions from the northwest and the [[Black Death]].<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43" /> In an ill-fated attempt to combat these problems, he divided the country between his two sons,<ref name="delev">Delev, ''Istorija i civilizacija za 11. klas''</ref><ref name=castellan>{{cite book |title=Histoire des Balkans, XIVe-XXe siècle |last=Castellan |first=Georges |year=1999 |publisher=[[Fayard]] |location=[[Paris]] |id=ISBN 2213605262 |language=French |pages=p. 42}}</ref> thus forcing it to face the imminent Ottoman conquest weakened and divided.<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43" /><ref name=castellan/>
==Early rule==
Ivan Alexander was the son of the ''[[despotes|despotēs]]'' Sracimir of Krǎn by Petrica, a sister of [[Michael Shishman of Bulgaria|Michael Asen III of Bulgaria]].<ref name=bozilov>Božilov, ''Familijata na Asenevci'', pp. 192–235.</ref> Therefore, Ivan Alexander was a nephew of Michael Asen III.<ref name="balgarite-2-1" /><ref name="delev" /> Paternally, Ivan Alexander descended from the [[Asen dynasty]].<ref name="balgarite-2-1" /><ref name="delev" /> By 1330 Ivan Alexander was himself a ''despotēs'' and governed the city of [[Lovech|Loveč]]. Together with his father and his father-in-law [[Basarab I of Wallachia|Basarab]] of [[Wallachia]], Ivan Alexander fought in the [[Battle of Velbazhd|Battle of Velbǎžd]] against the Serbs at modern-day [[Kyustendil|Kjustendil]] in 1330, in which Bulgaria suffered defeat. The defeat, combined with the worsening relations with the Byzantine Empire, precipitated an internal crisis, which was exacerbated by an invasion of the Byzantines. A [[coup d'état]] drove [[Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria|Ivan Stefan]] out of the capital [[Veliko Tarnovo|Tǎrnovo]] in 1331, and the conspirators placed Ivan Alexander on the throne.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 273.</ref>
[[Image:Ival-ivanovo-mural.jpg|left|130px|thumb|Contemporary mural portrait of Ivan Alexander from the [[Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo]].]]
The new ruler set about consolidating his position by regaining territories recently lost to the Byzantine Empire. In 1331 Ivan Alexander campaigned around [[Edirne|Adrianople]] and reconquered northeastern [[Thrace]].<ref name="balgarite-2-1" /><ref name="delev" /> Meanwhile, [[Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia|Stefan Uroš IV Dušan]] deposed his father [[Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia|Stefan Uroš III Dečanski]] and became [[List of Serbian monarchs|Serbian king]] in 1331. This helped normalize the previously tense relations between the two countries. Ivan Alexander and Stefan Uroš IV Dušan concluded an alliance, which was cemented by the marriage of the Serbian king to [[Helena of Bulgaria]], a sister of Ivan Alexander, on [[Easter]] 1332.<ref name="balgarite-2-1" /><ref name="delev" /><ref name="fine-p274">Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 274.</ref>
At about the same time, Belaur, a brother of Michael Asen III, rebelled in [[Vidin]], probably in support of his deposed nephew Ivan Stefan's claim to the throne. The advance of the Byzantine Emperor [[Andronikos III Palaiologos]] against Bulgaria in the summer of 1332 protracted military operations against the rebels. The Byzantines overran Bulgarian-controlled northeastern Thrace, but Ivan Alexander rushed southward with a small army and swiftly caught up with Andronikos III at Rusokastro.<ref name="fine-p274" />
{{rquote|right|Nobody of our first tsars seems to us like this great tsar Ivan Alexander, in his military power he looks to us like a second ancient [[Alexander the Great]], in faith and piety he is a second [[Constantine I|Saint Constantine]]; he captured thus all his enemies, put them under his knees and established firm peace in the Universe.<ref>Originally from the [[Sofia Psalter]], folios 311a-312b. Adapted by Canev, ''Bǎlgarski hroniki'', pp. 459–460.</ref>|''Praise to Ivan Alexander''<ref>Full original text in [[History of the Bulgarian language|Middle Bulgarian]] available in {{cite journal |title=Bolgarskij "pěsnivec" 1337 goda. "Pohvala" i otryvok psaltyrnago teksta. |url=http://feb-web.ru/feb/izvest/1897/03/973-786.htm |last=Arhangelskij |first=A. S. |journal=Izvestija ORJAS [[Russian Academy of Sciences|IAN]] |date=1897 |language=Russian |accessdate=2007-02-11}}</ref> by an anonymous contemporary of the tsar}}
After giving the impression that he wished to negotiate, Ivan Alexander, reinforced by [[Mongols|Mongol]] cavalry, overwhelmed the smaller but better organized Byzantine army in the [[Battle of Rusokastro]].<ref name="delev" /> The contested cities surrendered to Ivan Alexander, while Andronikos III sought refuge within the walls of Rusokastro. The war ended with Ivan Alexander meeting Andronikos and agreeing a peace based on the ''[[status quo]]''. To seal the alliance, he betrothed his eldest son, Michael Asen IV, to Andronikos's daughter Maria (Eirene), the marriage eventually taking place in 1339.<ref name="delev" /><ref>Božilov, ''Familijata na Asenevci'', pp. 192–197.</ref> The Bulgarian emperor was now free to turn his attentions to Belaur, but it was not until 1336 or 1337 that the rebellion in the northwest was put down.<ref>Andreev, ''Bǎlgarija prez vtorata četvǎrt na XIV v.'', pp. 33–41.</ref>
In about 1332 Ivan Alexander had crowned his eldest son Michael Asen IV co-emperor, perhaps to safeguard possession of the throne by his own family. He followed up this traditional association with the coronation of his younger sons [[Ivan Sratsimir of Bulgaria|Ivan Sracimir]] and Ivan Asen IV in 1337. Ivan Alexander may have intended the creation of two younger co-emperors to establish immediate control over important cities and regions, as Ivan Sracimir was eventually based in Vidin, and Ivan Asen IV perhaps in [[Preslav]]. Nevertheless, this was a marked departure from Byzantine practice, in which younger sons of the sovereign were made ''despotēs'', whether they were charged with a territorial administration or not.<ref>Andreev, ''Bǎlgarija prez vtorata četvǎrt na XIV v.'', pp. 23–52.</ref>
==Relations with the Byzantine Empire==
{{see also|Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars}}
[[Image:Bulgaria Ivan Alexander (1331-1371).svg|right|thumb|350px|The Bulgarian lands during the reign of Ivan Alexander.<ref>Based on Lalkov, ''Rulers of Bulgaria''</ref>]]
In the early 1340s relations with the Byzantine Empire temporarily deteriorated. Ivan Alexander demanded the extradition of his cousin Šišman, one of the sons of Michael Asen III, threatening the Byzantine government with war. Ivan Alexander's show of force backfired, as the Byzantines managed to see through his intentions and sent against him the fleet of their ally, the Turkish emir of [[Smyrna]] Umur Beg. Landing in the [[Danube Delta]], the Turks of Umur Beg pillaged the countryside and attacked nearby Bulgarian cities. Forced to restrain his demands, Ivan Alexander invaded the Byzantine Empire again at the end of 1341, claiming that he was summoned by the people of Adrianople.<ref>Bakalov, ''Istorija na Bǎlgarija'', "Esenta, 1341 g."</ref> However, Ivan Alexander's troops were defeated twice by Turkish allies of the Byzantines near the city.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', pp. 292–293.</ref>
In 1341–1347 the Byzantine Empire was plunged into a protracted civil war between the regency for Emperor [[John V Palaiologos]] under [[Anna of Savoy]] and his intended guardian [[John VI Kantakouzenos]]. The neighbours of the Byzantines took advantage of the civil war, and while Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia sided with John VI Kantakouzenos, Ivan Alexander backed John V Palaiologos and his regency.<ref name="delev" /> Although the two Balkan rulers picked opposite sides in the Byzantine civil war, they maintained their alliance with each other. As the price for Ivan Alexander's support, the regency for John V Palaiologos ceded him the city of Philippopolis ([[Plovdiv]]) and nine important fortresses in the [[Rhodope Mountains]] in 1344.<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43" /><ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 304.</ref> This peaceful turnover constituted the last major success of Ivan Alexander's foreign policy.
==Rise of Serbia and the Ottoman threat==
{{see also|Serbian Empire|Rise of the Ottoman Empire|Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars}}
[[Image:SilverCoinIvanAlexanderBulgaria1331-1371.jpg|thumb|left|Silver coin of Ivan Alexander, Bulgaria, 1331-1371.]]
During the same period, the Serbian king took advantage of the Byzantine civil war to take possession of what is now [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], and of most of [[Albania]] and northern [[Greece]]. In 1345 he began to call himself "Emperor of Serbs and Greeks", and in 1346 he was crowned as such by the newly created [[Patriarch of Serbia]].<ref name="delev" /> These actions, which the Byzantines received with indignation, appear to have been supported by Bulgaria, as the [[Patriarch of Bulgaria]] Simeon had participated in both the creation of a [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian patriarchate]] and the imperial coronation of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', pp. 309–310.</ref>
By the second half of the 1340s, little remained of Ivan Alexander's initial successes. John VI Kantakouzenos' Turkish allies pillaged parts of Bulgarian Thrace in 1346, 1347, 1349, 1352 and 1354, to which were added the ravages of the Black Death.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', pp. 322, 325, 328.</ref> The Bulgarians' attempts to repel the invaders met with repeated failure, and Ivan Alexander's third son and co-emperor, Ivan Asen IV, was killed in battle against the Turks in 1349, as was his older brother [[Michael Asen IV оf Bulgaria|Michael Asen IV]] in 1355 or a little earlier.<ref>Andreev, ''Bǎlgarija prez vtorata četvǎrt na XIV v.'', pp. 67–75.</ref>
By 1351 the Byzantine civil war was over, and John VI Kantakouzenos had realized the threat posed by the Ottomans to the [[Balkans|Balkan Peninsula]]. He appealed to the rulers of Serbia and Bulgaria for a united effort against the Turks and asked Ivan Alexander for money to construct warships,<ref name="delev" /><ref name="balgarite-2-2">''Bǎlgarite i Bǎlgarija'', 2.2</ref> but his appeals fell on deaf ears as his neighbours distrusted his intentions.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 325.</ref> A new attempt for cooperation between Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire followed in 1355,<ref>Bakalov, ''Istorija na Bǎlgarija'', "1355 g."</ref> after John VI Kantakouzenos had been forced to abdicate and John V Palaiologos had been established as supreme emperor. To cement the treaty, Ivan Alexander's daughter [[Keratsa of Bulgaria|Keraca Marija]]<ref name=srednovek>{{cite book |title=Istorija na srednovekovna Bǎlgarija VII-XIV vek (tom 1) |last=Božilov |first=Ivan |coauthors=Vasil Gjuzelev |year=2006 |publisher=Anubis |id=ISBN 9544262040 |language=Bulgarian }}</ref> was married off to the future Byzantine Emperor [[Andronikos IV Palaiologos]],<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43" /> but the alliance failed to produce concrete results.<ref>Božilov, ''Familijata na Asenevci'', pp. 218–224.</ref>
==Further stability problems and external conflicts==
[[Image:Coin Ivan Alexander with Michael Asen IV.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Coin depicting Ivan Alexander with one of his sons, co-emperor Michael Asen IV ''(right)'']]
At home Ivan Alexander compromised the internal stability of his realm by divorcing his first wife [[Theodora of Wallachia]] (in about 1349) and marrying a converted [[Jew]], also named [[Sarah (Theodora)|Theodora]].<ref name="delev" /> The new marriage produced new sons, whom Ivan Alexander proceeded to crown co-emperors, Ivan Šišman in about 1356 and Ivan Asen V by 1359. Ivan Alexander's last surviving son from his first marriage, the co-emperor Ivan Sracimir, became effectively independent around 1356;<ref name="delev" /> and Ivan Alexander's control over other powerful vassals, such as the rulers of [[Wallachia]] and [[Dobruja]], who pursued their own foreign policies, was hardly stronger.<ref name="fine-p366">Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 366.</ref>
From the middle of the 14th century, Bulgaria fell prey to the aspirations of the [[Angevin]] king [[Louis I of Hungary]], who annexed [[Moldavia]] in 1352 and established a vassal principality there, before conquering Vidin in 1365,<ref name="delev" /><ref name="balgarite-2-2" /> and taking Ivan Sratsimir and his family into captivity.<ref name="delev" /><ref name="fine-p366" />
In the meantime Bulgarians and Byzantines had clashed again in 1364. In 1366, when Emperor John V Palaiologos was returning from his trip to the west, the Bulgarians refused to let him pass through Bulgaria. This stance backfired, as another Byzantine ally, Count [[Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy|Amadeus VI of Savoy]], captured several Bulgarian maritime cities in retaliation, including Ankhialos ([[Pomorie]]) and Mesembria ([[Nesebar|Nesebǎr]]), though he failed to take [[Varna]]. Outmanoeuvred, Ivan Alexander was forced to make peace.<ref> Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 367.</ref>
The captured cities were turned over to the Byzantine Empire, while Emperor John V Palaiologos paid the sum of 180,000 [[Italian coin florin|florins]] to Ivan Alexander.<ref name="delev" /> The Bulgarian emperor used this sum and territorial concessions to induce his at least ''[[de jure]]'' vassals [[Dobrotitsa|Dobrotica]] of Dobruja<ref>Bakalov, ''Istorija na Bǎlgarija'', "Dobrotica (neizv.–okolo 1385)"</ref> and [[Vladislav I of Wallachia]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Političeska geografija na srednovekovnata bǎlgarska dǎržava 2 (1186–1396) |last=Koledarov |first=Petǎr |publisher=[[Bulgarian Academy of Sciences]] |year=1989 |pages=pp. 13–25, 102 |language=Bulgarian }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Dako-romǎnite i tjahnata slavjanska pismenost. Novi vlaho-bǎlgarski gramoti ot Brašov |volume=2 |url=http://www.promacedonia.org/lm/index.html |last=Miletič |first=Ljubomir |journal=Sbornik za narodni umotvorenija, nauka i knižnina |issue=13 |location=Sofia |year=1896 |pages=p. 47 |language=Bulgarian |accessdate=2007-02-11 }}</ref> to reconquer Vidin from the Hungarians.<ref>Bakalov, ''Istorija na Bǎlgarija'', "Esenta, 1369 g."</ref> The war was successful, and Ivan Sracimir was reinstalled in Vidin in 1369, although the Hungarian king forced him to acknowledge his overlordship.<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', pp. 367–368.</ref>
The relatively successful resolution of the crisis in the northwest did nothing to help recover the losses in the southeast. To make matters worse, in 1369 (the date is disputed), the Ottoman Turks under [[Murad I]] conquered Adrianople (in [[1363]]) and made it the effective capital of their expanding state. At the same time, they also captured the Bulgarian cities of Philippopolis and Boruj ([[Stara Zagora]]).<ref>Tjutjundžiev and Pavlov, ''Bǎlgarskata dǎržava i osmanskata ekspanzija''</ref> As Bulgaria and the Serbian princes in Macedonia prepared for united action against the Turks, Ivan Alexander died on [[February 17]] [[1371]].<ref>Fine, ''Late Medieval Balkans'', p. 368.</ref> He was succeeded by his sons Ivan Sracimir in Vidin<ref name="balgarite-2-2" /> and Ivan Šišman in Tǎrnovo,<ref name="balgarite-2-2" /> while the rulers of Dobruja and Wallachia achieved further independence.
==Culture and religion==
{{see also|Architecture of the Tarnovo Artistic School}}
[[Image:Ioal backovo.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Contemporary donor's fresco of Ivan Alexander from the [[Bachkovo Monastery]] [[ossuary]]]]
During Ivan Alexander's rule, the Second Bulgarian Empire entered a period of cultural renaissance, which is sometimes referred to as the "Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture",<ref>{{cite book
|url= http://www.pravoslavieto.com/manastiri/bulgarskite_manastiri.htm |title=Bǎlgarski manastiri |accessdate=2007-01-19 | year=1974 | location=Sofia |last=Čavrǎkov |first=Georgi |publisher=Nauka i izkustvo |language=Bulgarian}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Religion in Bulgaria after 1989 |url=http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=B7ABEB3F-8650-4798-8CC2-649B6E6C24F2 |last=Kǎnev |first=Petǎr |pages=p. 81 |issue=1 |year=2002 |journal=South-East Europe Review }}</ref> the original one being the rule of [[Simeon I of Bulgaria|Simeon the Great]].<ref>
{{cite book | url = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/
| title = Bǎlgarite i Bǎlgarija | publisher = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Trud, Sirma | chapter = 1.2.3 "Zlaten vek" na bǎlgarskata kultura | chapterurl = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/66.html
| year = 2005 | language = Bulgarian }}</ref> A large number of Bulgarian monasteries and churches were constructed or renovated on the order of Ivan Alexander.<ref name="lalkov-pp42-43" /><ref>''Sinodik na Car Boril'', additions from the 13th and 14th century, cited in Canev, ''Bǎlgarski hroniki'', p. 456.</ref> Mural portraits of him as a donor can be seen in the [[Bachkovo Monastery]]'s ossuary and in the [[Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo]].<ref name=izobr>
{{cite web | url = http://ald-bg.narod.ru/zarIoAl.html | title = Izobraženijata na Ivan Aleksandǎr ot XIV vek. | language = Bulgarian | accessdate = 2007-01-19 }}</ref> Donor's deeds of Ivan Alexander prove that the monasteries of the Holy Mother of God Eleoussa and St Nicholas in Nesebǎr were reconstructed during that period,<ref name="delev" /><ref name=izobr/> as was the St Nicholas monastery near [[Pernik]], according to a [[Hilandar]] monastery deed.<ref name=izobr/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.infotel.bg/rubrics/manastir/p1.htm |title = Manastiri |publisher = Infotel.bg | language = Bulgarian |accessdate = 2007-01-19}}</ref> In addition, the tsar also initiated the construction of the [[Dragalevtsi|Dragalevci]] and [[Kilifarevo]] monasteries.<ref name="delev" />
Literary activity also flourished during the reign of Ivan Alexander. Several important literary works were created in the period, such as the [[History of the Bulgarian language|Middle Bulgarian]] translation of the [[Constantine Manasses|Manasses Chronicle]] (1344–1345), currently preserved in the [[Vatican Secret Archives]] in [[Rome]],<ref name="delev" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Njakoi pametnici na starobǎlgarskata knižnina |publisher=Kosmos |year=1963 |language = Bulgarian |accessdate=2007-01-19 |last = Gjuzelev |first = Vasil |url=http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:t2Oxx-RppRgJ:kosmos.pass.as/static/kosmos/1963/07/pg_0042.htm }}</ref> the richly illustrated [[Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander]] (1355–1356), now exhibited in the [[British Library]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/euromanuscripts/bulggosp.html |title=Gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander |publisher=British Library |accessdate=2006-03-25 }}</ref> the [[Tomić Psalter]] (1360), today in [[Moscow]],<ref name="delev" /> and the [[Sofia Psalter]] (1337).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Informacionen bjuletin na BAN |issue=89 |last=Miltenova |first=Anisava |publisher=Bulgarian Academy of Sciences |location=Sofia |date=June 2005 |url=http://www.bas.bg/basnews/bulletin/Bul89.pdf |language=Bulgarian |pages=p. 24 |issn=1312-5311 |accessdate=2007-02-11 |format={{dead link|date=June 2008}} – <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3AMiltenova+intitle%3AInformacionen+bjuletin+na+BAN&as_publication=&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup> }}</ref>
Ivan Alexander's rule was also marked by efforts to strengthen the position of the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] by pursuing [[heresy|heretics]] and Jews.<ref name=jewish>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/bulgaria.html |title=The Virtual Jewish History Tour Bulgaria |publisher=Jewish Virtual Library |accessdate=2007-01-19 }}</ref> He organized two anti-heretical church councils, in 1350 and 1359–1360,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://synpress-classic.dveri.bg/09-2003/patriarsi.htm |title=Bǎlgarskite patriarsi prez Srednovekovieto |last=Karamihaleva |first=Aleksandra |publisher=Cǎrkoven vestnik |accessdate=2007-01-19 |language=Bulgarian }}</ref> that condemned various sects<ref name="delev" /><ref name=jewish/> such as the [[Bogomilism|Bogomils]], the [[Adamites]] and the [[Judaizers]].<ref name="delev" /><ref>Canev, ''Bǎlgarski hroniki'', p. 457.</ref>
The spiritual practice of [[hesychasm]], a form of incantatory prayer, deeply influenced certain areas of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] world of the 14th century. A notable Bulgarian representative of the movement during Ivan Alexander's reign was [[Theodosius of Tarnovo|Theodosius of Tǎrnovo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pravoslavieto.com/life/11.27_sv_Teofosij_Turnovski.htm |title=Sv. prepodobni Teodosij Tǎrnovski |publisher=Pravoslavieto.com |accessdate=2007-01-19 |language=Bulgarian }}</ref>
During this time, the Bulgarian Empire had trade relations with the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] maritime powers [[Republic of Venice|Venice]], [[Republic of Genoa|Genoa]] and [[Republic of Ragusa|Ragusa]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Bǎlgarska enciklopedija A-JA – treto osǎvremeneno izdanie |publisher=Trud, Sirma |chapter=Ivan Aleksandǎr Asen (?–1371) |year=2005 |location=Sofia |id=ISBN 9545285192 |language=Bulgarian }}</ref> In 1353, Ivan Alexander issued a charter allowing Venetian merchants to buy and sell goods throughout Bulgaria after [[Doge of Venice|Doge]] [[Andrea Dandolo]] assured him they would observe the prior treaties between the two countries.<ref>Bakalov, ''Istorija na Bǎlgarija'', "Venecianska gramota"</ref>
In modern times, the rule of Ivan Alexander inspired Bulgarian national writer [[Ivan Vazov]] to write the [[novelette]] ''Ivan-Aleksandǎr''<ref name=slovoto>{{cite web |url=http://www.slovo.bg/showbio.php3?ID=14 |title=Biografični beležki – Ivan Vazov |publisher=Slovoto |language=Bulgarian |accessdate=2007-01-19 }}</ref> and the [[drama]] ''Kǎm propast'' (''Towards an Abyss''),<ref name=slovoto/> in both of which the tsar is the main character.
A piece of a garment signed by Ivan Alexander and interwoven with gold was discovered in a noble's grave near [[Pirot]] in the 1970s; today it is preserved in the [[National Museum of Serbia]] in [[Belgrade]]. It is the first find of its kind, demonstrating a medieval tradition attested in writing according to which Orthodox rulers would present their most eminent dignitaries with a piece of a garment they had worn.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://bgarmy.eamci.bg/Scripts/isapiVWB.dll/doc?THEMEID=14930 |title=Otkrita e unikalna zlatotkana dreha na Car Ivan Aleksandǎr |last=Beniševa |first=Daniela |publisher=Bǎlgarska armija |date=2002-11-18 |accessdate=2007-02-03 |language=Bulgarian}}</ref>
==Family==
By his first wife Theodora of Wallachia (nun Teofana), a daughter of Basarab of Wallachia, Ivan Alexander had several children, including Ivan Sracimir, who ruled as emperor of Bulgaria in Vidin 1356–1397, associated emperors Michael Asen IV (co-ruled c. 1332–1354/5) and Ivan Asen IV (co-ruled 1337–1349), and a daughter called Thamar (Kera Tamara), who was married first to the ''despotēs'' Constantine (Konstantin), and then to Sultan [[Murad I]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Southeastern Europe Under Ottoman Rule, 1354–1804 |last=Sugar |first=Pete |year=1983 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |pages=p. 16 |id=ISBN 0295960337}}</ref> of the Ottoman Empire.<ref name=bozilov/>
By his second wife Sarah-Theodora, Ivan Alexander had several other children, which included Keraca Marija, who married the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Ivan Šišman, who succeeded as emperor of Bulgaria in Tǎrnovo 1371–1396, Ivan Asen V, associated as emperor of Bulgaria by 1359–1388?, as well as two daughters named Desislava and Vasilisa.<ref name=bozilov/>
<div style="float: centre; width: 100%" class="NavFrame"><div style="background: #ccddcc; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #667766" class="NavHead">'''Family tree of Ivan Alexander<ref name=bozilov/><ref name=srednovek/>'''
</div>
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{| width="100%" style="text-align: center; border-collapse: collapse;" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0"
|-
| colspan="1" |
| colspan="4" | Sracimir of Krǎn
| colspan="4" | Petrica
| colspan="1" |
|-
| colspan="3" style="border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="4" style="border-bottom: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="3" style="border-left: solid black 1px;" |
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="2" style="border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="3" | 2
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| colspan="3" | [[Theodora of Wallachia]]
| colspan="4" | <big>'''Ivan Alexander'''</big><br /><small>(d. 1371, ruled 1331–1371)</small>
| colspan="3" | [[Sarah (Theodora)]]
|-
| colspan="5" style="border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="5" |
|- style="text-align: left;"
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 1
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 1
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 1
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 1
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 2
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 2
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 2
| style="width: 10%; border-right: solid black 1px; border-top: solid black 1px; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 2
| style="width: 10%; padding-left: 0.5em;" | 2
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| colspan="2" style="border-right: solid black 1px;" | [[Michael Asen IV оf Bulgaria|Michael Asen IV]]
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right: solid black 1px;" | Thamar (Kera Tamara)
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right; solid black 1px;" | '''[[Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria|Ivan Šišman]]'''<br /><small>(b. 1350–1351, d. 1395,<br /> ruled 1371–1395)</small>
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right; solid black 1px;" | Ivan Asen V
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px;" | Vasilisa
|-
| colspan="2" style="border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right: solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right; solid black 1px;" |
| colspan="2" style="border-left: solid black 1px; border-right; solid black 1px;" |
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|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| |
| colspan="2" | Ivan Asen IV
| colspan="2" | '''[[Ivan Sratsimir of Bulgaria|Ivan Sracimir]]'''<br /><small>(b. c. 1324, d. c. 1397,<br /> ruled 1356–1397)</small>
| colspan="2" | [[Keratsa of Bulgaria|Keraca Marija]]<br /><small>(b. 1348, d. 1390)<small/>
| colspan="2" | Desislava
| |
|-
|}
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==Timeline==
<div style="float: centre; width: 100%" class="NavFrame"><div style="background: #ccddcc; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #667766" class="NavHead">'''Timeline of Ivan Alexander's life'''</div>
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{{Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria timeline}}
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==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==References==
* {{cite book
| last = Andreev
| first = Jordan
| coauthors = Ivan Lazarov, Plamen Pavlov
| year = 1999
| title = Koj koj e v srednovekovna Bǎlgarija
| location = [[Sofia]]
| publisher = Petǎr Beron
| edition = 2nd edition
| language = Bulgarian
| id = ISBN 954-402-047-0
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Andreev
| first = Jordan
| year = 1993
| title = Bǎlgarija prez vtorata četvǎrt na XIV v.
| location = [[Veliko Tarnovo|Veliko Tǎrnovo]]
| publisher = Sv. Kliment Ohridski
| language = Bulgarian
| id = [[OCLC]] [http://worldcat.org/oclc/69163573 69163573]
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Angelov
| first = Petǎr
| title = Bǎlgaro-srǎbskite otnošenija pri caruvaneto na Ivan Aleksandǎr (1331-1371) i Stefan Dušan (1331-1355
| publisher = Sofia University Press
| location = Sofia
| year = 1982
| language = Bulgarian
| origyear = 1978
}}
* {{cite book
|last = Bakalov
|first = Georgi
|coauthors = Milen Kumanov
|title = Elektronno izdanie – Istorija na Bǎlgarija
|publisher = Trud, Sirma
|year = 2003
|location = Sofia
|id = ISBN 9844830679
|language = Bulgarian
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Božilov
| first = Ivan
| year = 1985
| title = Familijata na Asenevci (1186–1460)
| location = Sofia
| publisher = [[Bulgarian Academy of Sciences]]
| language = Bulgarian
| id = OCLC [http://worldcat.org/oclc/14378091 14378091]
}}
* {{cite book
| title = Bǎlgarski hroniki
| last = Canev
| first = Stefan
| chapter = 11 Kǎm propast. Car Ivan Aleksandǎr, Momčil
| publisher = Trud, Žanet 45
| language = Bulgarian
| year = 2006
| location = Sofia, [[Plovdiv]]
| id = ISBN 954-528-610-5
}}
* {{cite book |
| title = Istorija i civilizacija za 11. klas
| last = Delev
| first = Petǎr
| coauthors = Valeri Kacunov, Plamen Mitev, Evgenija Kalinova, Iskra Baeva, Bojan Dobrev
| chapter = 19 Bǎlgarija pri Car Ivan Aleksandǎr
| year = 2006
| language = Bulgarian
| publisher = Trud, Sirma
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Fine, Jr.
| first = John V.A.
| year = 1987
| title = The Late Medieval Balkans
| publisher = [[University of Michigan]] Press
| location = [[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]]
| id = ISBN 0-472-08260-4
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Lalkov
|first=Milčo
|title=Rulers of Bulgaria
|chapterurl=http://www.bulgaria.com/history/rulers/alexander.html
|chapter=Tsar Ivan Alexander (1331–1371)
|publisher=Kibea
|id=ISBN 954-474-098-8
|year=1997
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Tjutjundžiev
| first = Ivan
| coauthors = Plamen Pavlov
| year = 1992
| title = Bǎlgarskata dǎržava i osmanskata ekspanzija 1369–1422
| location = Veliko Tǎrnovo
| language = Bulgarian
| id = OCLC [http://worldcat.org/oclc/29671645 29671645]
}}
* {{cite book
| url = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/
| title = Bǎlgarite i Bǎlgarija
| publisher = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Trud, Sirma
| chapter = 2.1 Sǎzdavane i utvǎrždavane na Vtorata bǎlgarska dǎržava. Vǎzstanovenata dǎržavnost
| chapterurl = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/136.html
| year = 2005
| language = Bulgarian
}}
* {{cite book
| url = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/
| title = Bǎlgarite i Bǎlgarija
| publisher = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Trud, Sirma
| chapter = 2.2 Balkansko kǎsogledstvo. Opitǎt da se oceljava poedinično
| chapterurl = http://www.mfa.government.bg/history_of_Bulgaria/11.html
| year = 2005
| language = Bulgarian
}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria}}
*[http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mladjov/files/bulgarian_rulers.pdf Detailed list of Bulgarian rulers]
*[http://ald-bg.narod.ru/zarIoAl.html Images of Tsar Ivan Alexander from the 14th century]
{{Bulgarian monarchs}}
{{start box}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria|Ivan Stefan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Bulgarian monarchs|Emperor of Bulgaria]]|years=1331–1371}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ivan Sratsimir of Bulgaria|Ivan Sracimir]] and [[Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria|Ivan Šišman]]}}
{{end}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Ivan Alexander
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=John Alexander; Иван Александър (Bulgarian); Ivan Aleksandǎr (transliteration)
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Tsar of Bulgaria
|DATE OF BIRTH=late 13th or early 14th century
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Bulgaria]]
|DATE OF DEATH=[[17 February]] [[1371]]
|PLACE OF DEATH=Bulgaria
}}
[[Category:Bulgarian monarchs]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:1371 deaths]]
[[bg:Иван Александър]]
[[de:Iwan Alexander]]
[[el:Ιβάν Αλεξάντερ]]
[[fr:Ivan Alexandre de Bulgarie]]
[[he:איבן אלכסנדר]]
[[it:Ivan Alessandro di Bulgaria]]
[[pl:Iwan Aleksander]]
[[ro:Ioan Alexandru al Bulgariei]]
[[ru:Иоанн-Александр]]
[[sk:Ivan Alexander]]
[[sr:Јован Александар]]
[[sv:Ivan Alexander av Bulgarien]]