МОНАХЪТ КНЯЗ - ВЛАДЕТЕЛСКИЯТ СТАТУТ НА СВ. КНЯЗ БОРИС ОТ 889 ДО 907 Г.
THE MONK KING - THE REIGNING STATUS OF ST BORIS-MIKHAIL FROM 889 TO 907

Summary/Abstract: The article studies the reigning status of St Boris-Mikhail (reigned 852-907) after he became monk in 889. The author challenges the traditional view that he king fully retired from power, and argues that he rather remained in a position of senior co-ruler (supra-ruler), delegating the power, successively, to his two sons, while retaining the supreme power over the junior rulers themselves – in case they deviated from his policy. The 18 final years of the life of the Monk-King can thus be divided into three major periods: 1. He put on the throne as junior co-ruler his son Vladimir (889-893). 2. Then he deposed him, and assumed full power as sole ruler for a few weeks or months in 893-894 – a rule including the momentous Great Council, which introduced the Slavonic language (and alphabet) in the Bulgarian Church. 3. At the Council St. Boris put on the throne his son Simeon, and remained as supra-ruler till his death in 907. The reigning status of St Boris during the whole period is proved by several arguments: monk Mikhail kept his “royal garments”, and easily deposed Vladimir; then he was the only person having a (reigning) status to call the Great Council, and to delegate the power to his other son Simeon; in front of the Great Council he warned Simeon that he would be deposed too, if he deviated from true Christianity; the recently discovered unique lead seals of “Monk Mikhail, who had become, by God, Prince of Bulgaria”; the title of king (rex) by which he is mentioned by Regino as of 896; the Bulgarians that were defeated by the Magyars (896) turned to him for leadership, and obeyed his orders; he is titled as ‘tsar’ and founder of a monastery in 905; he is titled as ‘knyaz’ (prince) upon his death in 907.

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