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Ivan SratsimirBulgarian Tsar in 1356-1396
Date of Birth: 01.01.1324
Country:  Bulgaria |
Content:
- Early Life and Ascension
- Independent Rule of Vidin
- Hungarian Occupation and Restoration
- Turkish Expansion and Conquest
- Family and Legacy
- - Doroteya, who married the Bosnian Ban Tvrtko I.
Early Life and Ascension
Ivan Sratsimir was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria. In 1356, he was crowned as Tsar of Vidin, a region that encompassed present-day northwestern Bulgaria and part of Serbia.
Independent Rule of Vidin
After the coronation of his brother, Ivan Shishman, as Emperor of Bulgaria, Ivan Sratsimir established the Principality of Vidin as an independent state. He ruled independently, administering the region and developing its political and cultural landscape.
Hungarian Occupation and Restoration
In 1365, the Hungarian King Louis I invaded and occupied the Principality of Vidin, taking Ivan Sratsimir prisoner. However, in 1369, the principality was restored with the assistance of Ivan Alexander, Vladislav I of Wallachia, and Dobrotitsa of Dobruja. Ivan Sratsimir resumed his rule as an independent sovereign.
Turkish Expansion and Conquest
Ivan Shishman, Ivan Sratsimir's brother, faced Ottoman attacks in the early years of his reign. In 1371-1372, he successfully repelled an invasion by ceding territory to the Ottomans. However, in 1393-1394, the Turks captured Tarnovo, the capital of Ivan Shishman's empire, and deposed him.
In 1396, the Principality of Vidin was subdued by the Ottomans. Ivan Sratsimir's son and co-ruler, Konstantin II Asen, became a vassal of the Turkish sultan and ruled as the last Tsar of both Vidin and Bulgaria until 1422.
Family and Legacy
Ivan Sratsimir had two marriages, but the details of his first marriage are unknown. His second wife was Anna, the daughter of Wallachian Prince Nicolae Alexandru. Together, they had two children:
- Doroteya, who married the Bosnian Ban Tvrtko I.
- Konstantin, who inherited the throne of Vidin and ruled as a Turkish vassal until 1422.
