The Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion was a revolt of the Vlachs and Bulgarians living in the Byzantine Empire, caused by a tax increase. It began at the turn of the year 1185/1186 and ended with the creation of the Second Bulgarian Empire, ruled by the Asen dynasty.

Nicetas Choniates tells us that Isaac II Angelus, in order to raise money for the wedding of the daughter of King Bela III of Hungary, levied a great tax on flocks and herds of the shepherds. This upset the Vlachs of the Haemus Mountains, who sent two leaders (Peter and Asen) to negotiate with the emperor, in Thrace, at Kypsella (now İpsala). They asked to be granted an Imperial Estate near Haemus, but being denied, they hinted of a revolt.

After their return, many Vlachs were unwilling to join the rebellion. In response, Peter and Asen built a prayer house dedicated to Saint Demetrius, hoping to gain the Saint's favor against the Byzantines. This convinced the Vlachs and Bulgarians to attack the Byzantine towns, seizing many prisoners and cattle. The following spring of 1186, the Byzantine Emperor started a counter-offensive, but it was not successful because, as Choniates tells us, the Vlachs remained hidden in places inaccessible to the Byzantine Army.

During the solar eclipse of 21 April 1186, the Byzantines attacked the rebels, who fled north of the Danube to contact the Cumans. In a symbolic gesture, Isaac II entered Peter's house and took the icon of Saint Demetrius, thus gaining the favors of the saint. Isaac II returned with his troops to the Costantinople to celebrate his victory.

When the Vlachs returned with their Cuman allies, the territories were not defended by any army and as such they gained not only their old territories, but the whole Moesia, unifying the Vlachs and the Bulgarians into one kingdom.

The Byzantine Emperor entrusted the fights against the Vlach, Bulgarian and Cuman rebels to his uncle, sebastokrator John, who gained several victories against the rebels. But John also wanted to be Emperor, after he rebelled, he was replaced with general John Cantacuzene, a good military strategist, but not familiar to the guerrilla tactics used by the rebels in the mountains. As such, his army got ambushed suffering heavy losses after he followed the rebels up in the mountains.

The third general in charge of fighting the rebels was Alexius Branas, who also betrayed the Emperor and went on to attack Constantinople. While the attack was deflected, the wars near Constantinople diverted the attention from the rebels and Isaac II was able to raise a new army only in September 1187. While the Byzantines did obtained a few minor victories before the starting of the winter, the Vlachs, helped by the Cumans and employing their nomad tactics still were in advantage.

In the spring of 1188, Emperor Isaac II tried to capture the fortress of Lovech, but it was not conquered not even after a three-months siege. The plains north of the Balkan Mountains were ruled by various Vlachs, Bulgarians and Cumans, but who all accepted the supreme authority of the brother Peter and Asen. The Emperor refused the peace proposal of Peter and Asen, wanting to crush them and set an example. However, Isaac's plan failed and the Asen brothers realised the opportunity to have an independent state.

References

• Stephenson, Paul (2000), "Byzantium's Balkan Frontier. A Political Study of the Northern Balkans, 900–1204", Cambridge University Press: pp. 289-300
• Wolff, R. L. (1949), "The Second Bulgarian Empire. Its origin and history to 1204", Speculum 24: 167-206.
• George Ostrogorsky, "History of the Byzantine State", Rutgers University Press, 1969.