Sevar of Bulgaria

Sevar (Bulgarian: Севар) was a ruler of Bulgaria in the 8th century.

The Nominalia of the Bulgarian khans, states that he belonged to the royal Dulo clan and ruled for 15 years. According to the chronology developed by Moskov, Sevar would have reigned 721–737. Other chronologies place his reign in 738–754, but cannot be reconciled with the testimony of the "Namelist". According to historians as Steven Runciman and David Marshall Lang Sevar is the last ruler of the Dulo dynasty, with him died out the lineage of Attila the Hun.^[1][2]

It has been suggested that his name is derived from Persian Ziwar (adornment).^[3] Although initially a female name, it could also serve as a component of male names, as suggested by Chuvash pre-Christian name Aksĕver.^[3]

It is possible that his reign was peaceful, because the Byzantine chronicles do not report any events on the Empire’s northern borders from that period. Although this is an argument from silence, it is a plausible assumption. Sevar Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Sevar of Bulgaria.

Literature

• Mosko Moskov, Imennik na bălgarskite hanove (novo tălkuvane), Sofia 1988.
• Jordan Andreev, Ivan Lazarov, Plamen Pavlov, Koj koj e v srednovekovna Bălgarija, Sofia 1999.
• (primary source), Bahši Iman, Džagfar Tarihy, vol. III, Orenburg 1997.

References