View source for Kavkhan

{{Italic title}}
{{Short description|Commander-in-chief of the First Bulgarian Empire}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2022}}

The '''''kavkhan'''''{{efn|Also transliterated as '''''kaukhan'''''; according to some historians, such as [[Veselin Beshevliev|V. Beshevliev]],{{sfnp|Beshevliev|2008}} it should be read as '''''kapkhan''''' (from '''''[[qapghan]]''''', {{lit|conqueror}}).}} ({{langx|grc-x-medieval|καυχάνος}};{{efn|Most often recorded as {{lang|grc-x-byzant|καυχάνος}}, but {{lang|grc-x-byzant|καυκάνος}}, {{lang|grc-x-byzant|καπχάνης}}, {{lang|grc-x-byzant|κοπχάνων}} are also attested.{{sfnp|Moravcsik|1983|p=156}}}} {{langx|bg|кавха̀н}}{{efn|Alternatively, {{lang|bg|капхан}}.}}) was one of the most important officials in the [[First Bulgarian Empire]].

== Role and status ==
According to the generally accepted opinion, he was the second most important person in the state after the Bulgarian ruler. He had a number of responsibilities and concentrated huge power and authority. The ''kavkhan'' was a commander-in-chief of the [[Medieval Bulgarian Army|Bulgarian army]] and one of the primary diplomats in the state. He was a member of the '[[Bolyar]] Counsel' and one of the most important advisers to the Bulgarian ruler; the ''kavkhan'' was sometimes his regent or co-ruler. The ''kavkhan'' was a high magistrate and substitute to the ruler when the latter is absent from the capital. He is also attributed to have been a judge.

It is assumed that there was a prominent bolyar family in Bulgaria from which the ''kavkhan'' was chosen generation after generation - the so-called "''kavkhan'' [[Kinship|kin]]". The title was therefore hereditary and for life. According to most historians the title outlived the First Empire which was conquered by [[Basil II]] in 1018. The last person who had the prerogatives and responsibilities of a ''kavkhan'' was [[Georgi Voiteh]],{{sfnp|Moravcsik|1983|p=156}} an initiator of the uprising of [[Constantine Bodin|Peter III (Constantine Bodin)]] in 1072.

== History ==
During the reign of [[Samuel of Bulgaria|Samuil]] the ''kavkhan'' was Dometian, captured by the Byzantines and succeeded by his brother Teodor during the reign of [[Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria|Ivan Vladislav]].{{sfnp|Moravcsik|1983|p=156}}{{sfnp|Gyuzelev|2007|pp=79-80}}{{sfnp|Andreev|Lazarov|Pavlov|1994|pp=99-100}} During the [[Second Bulgarian Empire]] the title was not used.

Another famous ''kavkhan'' is [[Peter (diplomat)|Peter]] who carried out three missions in [[Rome]] and one in [[Constantinople]] during the reign of [[Boris I of Bulgaria|Boris I]]. The most prominent ''kavkhan'', as well as the one with most merits for Bulgaria was [[Isbul]]. He occupied that position during the reign of three [[Khan (title)|Khans]]: [[Omurtag of Bulgaria|Omurtag]] (814-831), [[Malamir of Bulgaria|Malamir]] (831-836) and his nephew [[Presian of Bulgaria|Presian]] (836-852). His merits include the reconstruction of [[Pliska]] as a beautiful capital during Omurtag and the completion of the new centralized state administration. He ordered an action to catch the [[Byzantine]] spies. He was among the main initiators of the [[Byzantine–Bulgarian Treaty of 815|30-year peace Treaty of 815]] which was very favourable and useful for Bulgaria. Isbul commanded the Bulgarian armies in successful campaigns against the Byzantines in southern [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]].

== See also ==
* [[Ichirgu-boila]]
* [[Qapaghan Qaghan|Qapghan Qaghan]]
* [[Khagan|Qaghan]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Andreev |first1=Jordan |last2=Lazarov |first2=Ivan |last3=Pavlov |first3=Plamen |script-title=bg:Кой кой е в Средновековна България |trans-title=Who's Who in Medieval Bulgaria |publisher=Prosveta |location=Sofia |year=1994 |isbn=954-01-0476-9 |oclc=32819542 |pages=99–100 |language=bg}}
* {{Cite book |last=Beshevliev |first=Veselin |author-link=Veselin Beshevliev |script-title=bg:Първобългарите: История, бит и култура |trans-title=The First Bulgarians: history, way of life and culture |publisher=Фондация "Българско историческо наследство" |location=Plovdiv |year=2008 |isbn=978-954-91983-2-4 |oclc=280553636 |language=bg}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gyuzelev |first=Vasil |author-link=Vasil Gyuzelev |script-title=bg:Кавханите и ичиргу боилите в българското канство-царство (VII-XI в.) |trans-title=The Kavkhans and the Ichirgu Boilas in the Bulgarian Khanate-Kingdom (7th-11th centuries) |publisher=Фондация "Българско историческо наследство" |location=Plovdiv |year=2007 |isbn=978-954-91983-1-7 |oclc=137262522 |pages=79–80 |language=bg}}
* {{Cite book |last=Moravcsik |first=G. |title=Byzantinoturcica II: Sprachreste der Türkvölker in den byzantinischen Quellen |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |year=1997 |orig-year=1983 |isbn=978-90-04-07132-2 |oclc=948110639 |pages= 156 |language=de |ref={{harvid|Moravcsik|1983}}}}
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{{Bulgarian Empire}}

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[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Bulgarian noble titles]]
[[Category:First Bulgarian Empire]]