 |
Ivan StefanBulgarian Tsar in 1330-1331
Country:
 Bulgaria |
Content:
Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria
Early Life and Reign as Co-RulerIvan Stephen was a Bulgarian king belonging to the Shishman dynasty. In 1323, his father, Michael Shishman, proclaimed him as his co-ruler. However, when Michael Shishman divorced Anna Neda and married Theodora Palaiologina to secure peace with Byzantium in 1324, Ivan Stephen and his family were exiled to a monastery.
Accession and Conflict with Byzantium
Upon his father's death in 1330, Serbian King Stephen III attempted to conquer Bulgaria. However, he faced resistance from the populace and was forced to support Ivan Stephen's claim to the Bulgarian throne. Meanwhile, Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos of Byzantium began a war against Bulgaria to reinstate the claims of his sister Theodora (Michael Shishman's widow) and her children.
Defeat and Exile
Ivan Stephen's losses in the war against Byzantium forced him to flee to Serbia. His cousin Ivan Alexander was then crowned as the new Bulgarian king. After Serbia made peace with Ivan Alexander, Ivan Stephen and his mother moved to Dubrovnik.
Later Life and Death
It is believed that Ivan Stephen died in Naples in 1343. The details surrounding his later life and the cause of his death remain shrouded in uncertainty.
