THE SLAVONIC PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 946, 6 July 1877, Page 3

THE SLAVONIC PROVINCES.

[prom the press.] Bulgaria. It is difficult to obtain correct information of most of the Slavonic provinces. The difficulty is greater in the case of Bulgaria than in that of any other province. It has scarcely any history of its own in modern times : and the origin of its present population is somewhat uncertain. While one writer (Gibbon) describes its original population, of which the present are the descendants, as Slavonian, another is equally as confident that they were not of that family. We shall endeavour to indicate the successive occupants of the soil, after first defining its boundaries. Bulgaria is situated on the south bank of the Danube, and runs back to the Balkan mountains on the south, which separate it from the province of Roumelia. On |the west is Serna, while its eastern boundary is the Black Sea. Dobrudscha, a part of which is now occupied by the Russian army, is the north-eastern corner of the province, and is described as a flat dreary territory, with scarcely an interesting feature in it. A railway runs across it from Rustchuk, on the Danube, to Yarna, on the Black Sea. Within these boundaries there is a population of about 1,200,000 people. In estimating the population we are without the necessary information to enable us to speak with exactness. The census seems to be unknown, and estimates are made by travellers from such uncertain data as they can obtain.

Originally, in the fourth century, the countries north and south of the Danube were occupied by the Sarmatians or Slavonians. About the year 331, they drove back the Dacians of the Roman empire, who were subjected by the Emperor Trajan in the first century, and occupied the country lying between the Carpathian mountains and the Danube, now known as Roumania and Bessarabia, besides that lying beyond the southern bank of the river.

They, in their turn, were attacked by a more powerful people —the Huns—who drove them entirely across the Danube to join their brethren on the north side. Tire Huns, who now took possession of the tract of land' to the north of the Balkan, were'called Bulgarians, and they gave their name to the territory ; it was formerly called Moesia. Here they became a great power, and in 559 an army of Bulgarians over-ran the northern provinces of the Roman empire, and advanced as far as Constantinople, threatening its existence. The decaying empire, however, “ put on a spurt,” and under the leadership of Belisarius defeated the Bulgarians, who thereupon retired to their own province, ravaging parts of the Empire as they withdrew. After this, the Avars, a Tartar tribe, overcame the Bulgarians. This was in the sixth century. But in the next century, in 634, they, with the help of the Slavonians — probably the Serbi described in our first paper, who in this century wore invited by Heraclius to drive out the Avars from the province of Macedonia—throw off the yoke of the Avars, and re-established their kingdom. The present inhabitants of Bulgaria are the descendants of these Huns and Slavonians. It is thus seen that they cannot be described either as Slavonians, according to Gibbon, or Huns ; they are the result of the commingling of the two nations or tribes. As the Huns were a part of the family of the Turks, it appears that the Bulgarians are closely allied by blood to their present rulers, the Osmanli Turks, who rule in Constantinople.

The kingdom formed by the Huns and Slavs in 670 did not long retain its power, for within ten years they were seriously defeated

by Theodoric the Ostrogoth, and for nearly a century and a half nothing is known of them. But in the ninth century they emerge as a very powerful people, dictating terms to the rulers of the Roman Empire; one of whom, Nicephorus, led an army into their country to subdue them. The Emperor was slain and his army almost exterminated. Eor some time the head of the Emperor, encased in gold, was used at their feasts ; but before the close of the century, according to some, the Bulgarians became Christians, and were much softened in manners. According to Gibbon’s History (edited by Milman and Smith) they were Mahommedans in the tenth century and even attempted to convert the Czar of Russia, Vladimir, to Mahommedanism. It would appear, however, that this statement is not entirely correct, for in the same century their most powerful monarch was Simeon, who had been brought up as a monk. And although Mahommcdanism is now much more tolerant than either Romanism or Russianism, yet it was not so in the tenth century. Had the Bulgarians been Mahommedans in that century, it is not likely that a monk woidd have ascended their throne. Under Simeon the kingdom became extremely powerful, and its borders were extended in the west to the confines of Servia, which was entirely subjugated by Simeon. He governed Bulgaria for upwards of forty years, and besieged Constantinople, whose Emperor gratified him by conferring upon him the high-sounding title of Basileus. But this greatness was short-lived, for no sooner had Simeon died than, first, Servia attained its freedom, then, towards the close of the century, Basil ll.—the Slayer of the Bulgarians—overthrew them, and made a terrible example of them. It is said that, having taken 15,000 captives, he put out the eyes of all except 150, who were spared the infliction in order that they might lead their unfortunate brethren in companies of 100 to the cruel Emperor’s presence. Eor nearly two centuries Bulgaria remained subject to the Greek Empire, until in the end of the twelfth century, under Calo-John, it x’evolted, and attained its independence. This it retained until in the middle of the fourteenth century it became subject to Hungary, 'from whom it was wrested by the Osmanli Turks in 1392, under whose rule it has continued until the present day. During the continental wars of Napoleon Bulgaria was continually embroiled in the disturbances of that period, without, however, taking the side of Russia, for bands of volunteers attacked the Austrian posts in Servia. It was by these volunteers uniting with the Janissaries that the Servian massacre of 1801, already referred to, was effected. In 1812, at the treaty of Bucharest, Bulgaria, with Servia, was formally placed under the sovereignty of the Porte.

During the Russian and Turkish war which closed with the treaty of Adrianople, 1829, Bulgaria is said to have welcomed the Russians as deliverers; but they could not be induced to take up arms. Still they are by no means satisfied with Tuikish rule; and many attempts have been made to throw it off—one of which was by the formation of one of the secret societies (referred to in Mr Disraeli’s celebrated speech) in the neighborhood of Ternov. As its members were betrayed, and many of its leaders were put to death, it accomplished nothing. But in 1838 an insurrection broke out, relying upon the help of Sorvia, which was then governed by Milosch. As he did not assist them, nothing was achieved, except a few unimportant municipal reforms. An English traveller describes the inhabitants of Bulgaria as “ simple, kind, and affectionate.” Their dress and character he thus describes: —“ The Bulgarians were distinguished by caps of brown sheepskin; jackets of cloth made of wool undyed of dark brown sheep, which their wives spin and weave ; white cloth trousers, and sandals of brown leather drawn under the sole, and laced with thongs under the instep. They carried neither pistol nor yatigan, nor any other weapon of offence ; but they were still more distinguished by their countenance and demeanor. The first is open, artless, and benevolent; and the second is so kind and cordial that everyone we met seemed to welcome us as friends.” Another writer describes them as “ industrious, persevering, and temperate.” The country is fertile —one of the most fertile in Europe. It is, indeed, the granary of the Turkish Empire. It is to be feared that the terrible war, inaugurated by the peace-loving Czar, will have the effect of desolating one of the most fertile spots in Europe ; for it appears that the bulk of the fighting between the two Powers will take place in the province of Bulgaria. The Turkish head-quarters are at Shumla, which is connected with the line of rail running from Rustchuk to Yarna by a short branch line. As the three places just named, and Silistria, contain nearly 250,000 Turkish soldiers, the policy of Turkey is obvious. Unable to effectively defend the long line of the Danube ; but able in a short time to concentrate at Shumla those divisions of her army which lie at Rustchuk and Yarna by means of the railway referred to, it is probable that the corps at Silistria will be ordered to fall back to the head-quarters. At Shumla the great battle of the campaign will then be fought. Should Turkey be defeated, which is not at all certain, she will then defend the passes of the Balkan which protect the province of Roumelia, and are the gateways to Constantinople itself.