{{Short description|Tsar of Bulgaria from 1292 to 1298}} {{Infobox monarch | name = Smilets | succession = [[Tsar of Bulgaria]] | predecessor = [[George I of Bulgaria]] | successor = [[Ivan II of Bulgaria]] | image = | caption = | reign = 1292–1298 | spouse = [[Smiltsena Palaiologina]] | issue = [[Marina Smilets of Bulgaria]]<br/>[[Teodora of Bulgaria, Queen of Serbia]]<br/>[[Ivan II of Bulgaria]] | royal house = [[Smilets dynasty]] | father = | mother = | death_date = 1298 | death_place = | buried = }} '''Smilets''' ({{langx|bg|Смилец}}) reigned as [[tsar of Bulgaria]] from 1292 to 1298.
==Life== Although Smilets is credited with being descended "from the noblest family of the Bulgarians", his antecedents are completely unknown. Judging by the landholdings of Smilets’ brothers Radoslav and Vojsil, the family held extensive lands between the [[Balkan Mountains]] and [[Sredna Gora]]. [[Image:Coat of arms of Smilets.png|thumb|left|130px|Coat of arms of Smilets]]
Before ascending the throne replacing [[George I of Bulgaria|George I]] in 1292, Smilets had married daughter of the ''[[sebastokrator|sebastokratōr]]'' [[Constantine Palaiologos (half-brother of Michael VIII)|Constantine Palaiologos]], a half-brother of Emperor [[Michael VIII Palaiologos]]. Apart from the information that Smilets became emperor of Bulgaria according to the wishes of [[Nogai Khan]], we know nothing of the circumstances of Smilec's accession. Smilets was crowned by Patriarch [[Joachim III of Bulgaria|Joachim III]]. Joachim was executed for treason in 1300 by emperor [[Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria|Theodore Svetoslav]], George I's son, and historian [[John Van Antwerp Fine Jr.]] theorizes that the alleged treachery might be linked to the obscure period when Smilets overthrew George Terter I.<ref>{{harvnb|Fine|1987|p=228}}</ref>
The reign of Smilets has been considered the height of Mongol overlordship in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, Mongol raids may have continued, as in 1297 and 1298. Since these raids pillaged parts of [[Thrace]] (then entirely in Byzantine hands), perhaps Bulgaria was not one of their objectives. In fact, in spite of the usually pro-Byzantine policy of Nogai, Smilets was quickly involved in an unsuccessful war against the [[Byzantine Empire]] at the beginning of his reign.
About 1296/1297 Smilets married his daughter [[Theodora Smilets of Bulgaria|Theodora]] to the future [[Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)|Serbian King]] [[Stefan Dečanski]], and this union produced Serbian king [[Stefan Dušan]].
In 1298 Smilets disappears from the pages of history, apparently after the beginning of [[Chaka of Bulgaria|Chaka's]] invasion. Smilets may have been killed by Chaka or died of natural causes while the enemy advanced against him. Smilets was briefly succeeded by his son [[Ivan II of Bulgaria|Ivan II]].
[[Smilets Point]] in [[Antarctica]] is named after Smilets of Bulgaria.
==Family== Smilec was married to an unnamed Byzantine princess, daughter of ''sebastokratōr'' [[Constantine Palaiologos (half-brother of Michael VIII)|Constantine Palaiologos]]. She was called just ''[[Smiltsena Palaiologina|Smiltsena]]'' ({{langx|bg|Смилцена}}; ''the wife of Smilets''). By her he had at least three children: # [[Ivan II of Bulgaria|Ivan II]], who succeeded as emperor of Bulgaria 1298–1299/1300 # [[Teodora of Bulgaria, Queen of Serbia]] # [[Marina Smilets of Bulgaria|Marina]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite book | title = The Late Medieval Balkans, A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest | last = Fine | first = J. | chapter = | year = 1987 | publisher = [[University of Michigan Press]] | location = | isbn = 0-472-10079-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/latemedievalbalk00fine }}
==External links== *[http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mladjov/files/bulgarian_rulers.pdf Detailed list of Bulgarian rulers]
{{s-start}} {{s-bef|before=[[George I of Bulgaria|George Terter I]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Tsar of Bulgaria]]|years=1292–1298}} {{s-aft|after=[[Ivan II of Bulgaria|Ivan II]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Bulgarian monarchs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smilets Of Bulgaria}} [[Category:13th-century births]] [[Category:1298 deaths]] [[Category:13th-century Bulgarian tsars]] [[Category:Bulgarian people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars]] [[Category:Smilets dynasty]]