Пловдив (Филипопол) в пределите на средновековната българска държава (IХ в. – първото десетилетие на ХIII в.)
Plovdiv (Philipopolis) as a Part of the Medieval Bulgarian State (IX c. – the First Decade of XIII c.)

Summary/Abstract: In the beginning of IX c. Northern Thrace was an object of attacks of the Bulgarian rulers who attempted to widen the borders of their state. A Central city of that region was Philipopolis, the inclusion of which in the Bulgarian state, is ascribed by some authors to the marches of Khan Krum in Thrace, or it is believed it was annexed by a peace treaty during the reign of Khan Omurtag. Most probable seams the opinion published in the literature, that happened during the reign of Khan Malamir around 836. Most probably during Kniaz Boris, Philipopolis has passed again to the Byzantine Empire. As a result of the continuous and successful military campaigns lead by Czar Simeon Thrace, Macedonia, Epir, Thessalia and Albania were included within the wartime borders of Bulgaria. Philipopolis made no exception in that regard and was also included in the administrative borders of the state. It was included probably as a result of a voluntary surrender of the state, since there are no evidences of the fall of the city. During the rule of Czar Peter, the city probably went to the Byzantium again, close to the Bulgarian borders. The first rulers of the Asen dynasty always showed a life interest to the city, during their successful campaigns in Thrace. During the reign of Czar Kalojan the city was again included in the Bulgarian lands in 1203. The ceremony in Tarnovo in November 1204 for the unia signed with the Pope prevented Kalojan to go to Thrace and the Bulgarian garrison there fell to the knights of the Latin Empire, lead by Renie de Tri, who took the city during the same month. After the troops of Kalojan and the Kumans defeated the Crusaders army of the Emperor Baldouin I in April 1206, the previous Greek-Bulgarian unity was shaken, but Czar Kalojan again succeeded to impose his rule over Philipopolis during the summer of the same year with the co-operation of the non-Greek ethnicities, and mostly the Bulgarians in the city. When the Greek aristocracy managed to impose as a ruler of the city the notable Greek Alexi Aspiet, Czar Kalojan stormed and devastated the city.

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