First Tarnovo uprising

In 1592, the next Austro-Turkish war began , which lasted until 1606. The Austrian Habsburgs attempted to create a broad anti-Ottoman Christian coalition which included vassal Ottoman rulers of Wallachia , Moldova and Semigradiye . In order to help the advance of the troops, the Austrians instigated the uprisings in the border region with the Ottoman Empire Banat . In the autumn of 1594, the combined forces led by the Wallachian Prince Mihai the Brave attacked Ottoman fortresses on the Danube . Together with the troops of Mihai acted cavalry in 4000 volunteers under the command of Delhi Marco and Baba Novak . The cavalry devastated the cities and villages near Pleven and Nikopol in northern Bulgaria. Simultaneously, the troops of Mihai the Brave reached Adrianople , burning Turkish settlements along the way. Together with these actions coordinated with Vienna , rebel actions against the oppressors erupt in many other places in the Balkans . In the spring of 1595, 2000 Haiduks attacked Sofia , and in the next 1596 partisan actions took place in the area between Sofia and Nish .

Austrian and papal agents attracted Bulgarian traders in the area of ​​Tarnovo, among whom were the people of Dubrovnik. The actions of their uprising was prepared by the Austrian agent Jovani Marini . The conspiracy included Todor Balin from Nikopol, Tirnovsky ruler Dionysius Raly and Dubrovnik merchant Pavel Jordich. The Levech bishop Teofan , the metropolitans of Rushchuk - Jeremiah, the Shumen - Spiridon and the Thracian - Metody, as well as the Dubrovnik brothers, the merchants of Sorkočević, were brought into the plot.

The territory of the proposed uprising was divided into several areas. Todor Balin operated in the area from Nikopol to the Balkan Mountains . Peter Dzhordich worked on the preparation of an uprising in the region of Varna , Shumen and Plovdiv , and the brothers Sorkochevich in Tarnovo and Rushchuk . Dubrovnik traders and Balin moved around the country without arousing suspicion from the authorities and could discuss the matter with many people.

The organizers of the uprising counted on the help of the Semigrad prince Sigismund of Batory and the Austrian emperor Rudolph II . The latter promised to send in aid from 4,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry, after the start of the uprising.

The reason for the uprising was the re-advance of the Wallachian troops of Mihai the Brave in northern Bulgaria. Mihai defeated Ottoman units sent against him under Nikopol and advanced deep into the enemy’s territory. After destroying Vidin , Svishtov , Oryahovo , Vratsa , Pleven and more than 2,000 villages between the Danube and Sofia, destroying the Turks on the way to Silistra .

The Bulgarians began an uprising in Tyrnovo, where they gathered under the banner of 12,000 people. The conspirators proclaimed the Bulgarian or Tsar Shishman III a direct or imaginary descendant of the Shishman dynasty. The uprising quickly spread to other areas, but the Ottoman authorities managed to brutally suppress it. After the defeat of his leaders fled to Wallachia . Following them, fearing the revenge of the Turks, from 16,000 to 50-60 thousand Bulgarian families fled to Wallachia according to various data.

The Austrian emperor did not send the promised military assistance, and the uprising had to rely only on its own strength. This circumstance was one of the main reasons for the uprising.

There is little information about the uprising. According to indirect data, we can conclude that the territory of the uprising covered the districts of Sofia, Ohrid and Niš . Despite the defeat, Catholic propaganda in Bulgaria in the coming years was intensified. The activities of the Bulgarians Peter Bogdan and Peter Parchovic became an example of this trend in papal foreign policy.

• Rise of Constantine and Fruzhina
• Second Tarnovo uprising