Tsar Ivaylo

Ivaylo, also known as Kordokouba, was tsar of Bulgaria in 1278–1279. The nicknames Lachanas and Bardokva, given to him by Byzantine authors, associate his name with food—cabbage and lettuce. These epithets are linked to the fact that Ivaylo ate mainly wild vegetables.

Ivaylo’s uprising began in the spring of 1277 because of constant Tatar invasions, which had driven the Bulgarian population to despair. Tsar Constantine Tikh Asen proved unable to defend his state and subjects, giving Ivaylo the opportunity to lead popular discontent and launch a rebellion.

Ivaylo defeated the Tatars of the Golden Horde in the summer of 1277, after which many people acknowledged his authority and recognised him as tsar. At the end of 1277, a battle took place between Ivaylo and Constantine Tikh Asen. It ended in the complete defeat of the royal army and the tsar’s death.

The Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos then saw an opportunity to exploit Bulgaria’s situation. He supported Ivan Asen III, a son of Tsar Mitso Asen, proclaiming him tsar and marrying him to his daughter Irene Palaiologina. Tsaritsa Maria, Constantine Tikh Asen’s wife, offered Ivaylo marriage and the crown. As a result, he became the legitimate Bulgarian tsar in the spring of 1278.

The war continued, however, and the peasants gradually began to desert Ivaylo. Ultimately, he became entangled in diplomacy with the Tatar khan Nogai, taking his side in the hope of assistance. The Byzantine emperor exploited the situation and persuaded Nogai to order Ivaylo’s execution. Ivaylo went to the Danube Delta, where he was killed by the Tatars. His period of rule thus ended in 1279.