Peter Delyan's Uprising

Peter Delyan's uprising took place in 1040–1041. It was undertaken by united Bulgarians in the Morava region and Macedonia against Byzantium. The immediate cause is considered to have been an increase in the taxes imposed on the Bulgarian population under Byzantine rule. The uprising was proclaimed in Belgrade and spread across the western Bulgarian lands, including Niš and Skopje, which lay within the Byzantine theme of Bulgaria.

The insurgents marched towards the former capitals of the First Bulgarian Empire, Ohrid and Skopje. Drawing the discontented population to their cause, they succeeded in defeating Emperor Michael IV near Thessaloniki.

After the defeat near Thessaloniki in the summer of 1041, Emperor Michael IV decided to launch another campaign against the rebels and, with the help of Varangian mercenaries, defeated them at the Battle of Ostrovo.

Peter Delyan's uprising ended in failure. Nevertheless, it is regarded as a very serious attempt to restore the Bulgarian state's independence.