The Protobulgari appear in history with the century. V d. C. At that time they formed the eastern part of the great people of the Huns, and lived scattered on the northern shores of the Black Sea, near the Sea of Azov and the river Kufis (now Kuban). But, although divided into many groups or hordes, they were already grouped into two major units: the state of the Kutriguri, which extended west of the river Don, north of the Black Sea and on the peninsula of Tauride (now Crimea); and that of the Utrigurs, east of the Don and the Sea of Azov, in the basin of the Kuban river.
According to topschoolsintheusa, the power of the Kutriguri had greatly increased after the collapse of the empire of Attila, so that they, towards the end of the century. V, began to attack the Byzantine empire, for the purpose of plunder, threatening the capital itself. In 540 they arrived in front of the city and at the same time as far as the Isthmus of Corinth; in 552 they threatened Thessaloniki; finally, in the winter of 558-559 under the leadership of the khān Zavergani, they carry out the most terrible of their assaults against the capital, which is saved only by the skill of Belisario. To make them harmless, Justinian I resorted to an expedient: he armed the Utrigurs against the Kutriguri, who, to be far from the Empire, lived in perfect agreement with it. And since then bloody struggles took place between the two brother peoples: which weakened to such an extent that when, towards 558, the Avars overthrew on Eastern Europe, the Utrigurs had to submit to the newcomers; and the Kutriguri, on the other hand, who had tried to resist, had destroyed their state and were dragged by the Avars to the west.
Weakened by the attack of the Avars, the Utrigurs were, immediately after, the target of the assaults of the so-called Turks of the west, towards the west; and in 567 they had to submit to khān Silgivula. But the submission did not last long: the Turkish power diminished after the death of Silgivula (576), the Bulgarian tribes and hordes rebelled, under the leadership of Zastana Organa, of the lineage of the Enni, who ruled from 582 to 584. Consolidation of the new state came under Kurt (Kubrat), grandson of Organa: the Kutriguri, remained on the northern shores of the Black Sea, were freed from the dominion of the Avars, all the Bulgarian hordes and other populations were united under one power. Then there was the ancient Magna Bulgaria, which stretched from the Dnieper River almost to the Caspian Sea, and which was on excellent terms with Byzantium, especially at the time of the Emperor Heraclius. The latter was helped several times by Kurt against the Persians and the Avars.
But upon Kurt’s death (642), his state was, according to custom, divided among his five children. Discord immediately broke out between them; and in this condition they were surprised by the invasion of a new strong Asian people: the Khazars. Resistance impossible. The eldest of the brothers, Bat Baian, having recognized the dominion of the Khazars, kept his possessions, in the region of the Kuban river and in the northern part of the Caucasus, where he formed the so-called Black Bulgaria. Conversely, the other brothers, not wanting to submit to the Khazars, were forced to abandon their homeland and scattered towards the west. One of them, Kotrag, passed the Don, went northwards, following the course of the Volga, and, after having subdued some Finnish tribes, founded the so-called kingdom of the Volga and the Kama which had Bolgary as its capital. These Bulgarians, called the Volga or Argentei, they disappeared towards the end of the century. XIV. Another brother, Kuber, passed through Pannonia, recognized himself as a vassal of the leader of the Avars, enlarged his horde with the Greek prisoners who were in the lands of the Avars and, together with them, moved (670-675) to the plain of Keramisi (Bitolia), but failed to create a new state. Finally, the last brother, Alzek, passed to Italy, settled near Ravenna and recognized the Greek power. But, after 663, he moved to the lands of the Lombard king Grimoaldo, who installed the Bulgarians in various places in Benevento, took away all effective authority from Alzek and simply appointed him his governor among the Bulgarians. he enlarged his horde with the Greek prisoners who were in the lands of the Avars and, together with them, moved (670-675) to the plain of Keramisi (Bitolia), but failed to create a new state. Finally, the last brother, Alzek, passed to Italy, settled near Ravenna and recognized the Greek power. But, after 663, he moved to the lands of the Lombard king Grimoaldo, who installed the Bulgarians in various places in Benevento, took away all effective authority from Alzek and simply appointed him his governor among the Bulgarians. he enlarged his horde with the Greek prisoners who were in the lands of the Avars and, together with them, moved (670-675) to the plain of Keramisi (Bitolia), but failed to create a new state. Finally, the last brother, Alzek, passed to Italy, settled near Ravenna and recognized the Greek power. But, after 663, he moved to the lands of the Lombard king Grimoaldo, who installed the Bulgarians in various places in Benevento, took away all effective authority from Alzek and simply appointed him his governor among the Bulgarians.
