Kubrat
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Kubrat (also Kurt, Kovrat, Kobrat, Kuvrat, Kubert, Korbat, Qobrat, Khudbard, Kuvarog, Krovat Kurbat and even Bashtu) was an early Bulgar ruler.
A later legend describes Kubrat as a descendant of Attila the Hun. Actually, he was of the house of Dulo, Dub or Duba.
Kubrat was endorsed by Khan Sibir as the first king of the Onogurs. Under his and his son Bayan's rule, Bulgaria grew to stretch from the Danube to the Volga rivers. In 619 CE he arrived as hostage in Constantinople and was soon baptized. His maternal uncle Organa (also Organ or Ornag) acted as regent over his tribe the Unogundur until he was old enough to rule. Kubrat established peace with the Byzantine Empire, due to his respect for Byzantine culture.
After Kubrat's death, Bezmer (also called Bezmes Bayan and Batbayan) inherited his rule, but soon other relatives led factions of the once great empire in secession. The first, called Kotrag after the tribes he led, moved up the Volga and found the state of Great Bulgaria. Then Ultzindur or Balkor led a rebel Kuber tribe into Pannonia only to break away and move south. Asparukh, moved southwest from what later became Ukraine with his horde to join these Bulgars south of the Danube and eventually founded the state of Bulgaria there. Emnetzur, who was based in Pannonia sought refuge from the ensuing chaos for his Altsikurs in the west with the Lombards.
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Preceded by: Gostun |
List of Bulgarian monarchs |
Succeeded by: Batbayan |