Kuber

Kuber was Bulgar leader who ruled over Srem as a vassal to the Avar Khagan. All of what we know comes from the "Miracles of St Demetrius". He ruled a mixed Christian population of Bulgars, ‘Romans’, Slavs and Germanic people [Hupchick] that had been transferred to the Srem region in Pannonia by the Avars 60 years earlier [Curta] [Fine] . He and his people revolted in 670s, and after defeating an Avar punitive attack, this group from around 70,000 people, [Средновековни градови и тврдини во Македониjа,(Скопjе, Македонска цивилизациjа, 1996) Иван Микулчик, стр. 71.] moved to Macedonia. The Byzantines called this people "Sermisianoi" (after their former settlement - Sirmium), as well as the "Keramisians" (after their new place: the Keramissian plain in Macedonia).

In Macedonia, they had contacts and possibly mixed with the "Dragovites" - a Slavic tribe in the region. [Curta] [Fine] Some of his people wanted to disperse to their respective various homelands. Since they were Christians, they were probably once imperial subjects that were captured by the Avars. Kuber asked the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IV to not allow the dispersal of his people, fearing that his power will decline. Rebuffed by the Emperor, he resolved to attack Thessaloniki, but failed. He probably made a few other sporadic attacks on the Byzantines.

Professor Vasil Zlatarski, a Bulgarian scholar, suggests that Kuber was the ‘unnamed son’ of Great Kubrat. Certainly, being a prominent prince would explain why the Avars gave hime rule, and his appearance in 670 chronologically fits the downfall of Old Bulgaria. He also suggests that Kuber's people represented a "second Balkan Bulgar ‘state’" in Macedonia, parallel to that of his brother's Asparukh realm in the north-eastern Balkans (modern northern Bulgaria). Whether he had established a state of sorts or not, nothing is mentioned of Kuber after the 680s, [Curta] but Asparukh's son, Tervel, in the beginning of the 8th century, is said to have cooperated with "his uncles" from Macedonia. [ Веселин Бешевлиев, "Първобългарски надписи", Издателство на Българската академия на науките, София, 1979, стр. 94 / "Protobulgarian inscriptions", Publishing house of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 1979, p. 94] His people were probably absorbed into the Slavs living in the area, well before Khan Presian expanded his Bulgarian Empire into Macedonia in the early 800s. [ The early medieval Balkans. Fine]

The prominent archaeologist from Republic of Macedonia Ivan Mikulchik revealed the presence not only of the Kuber group, but an entire Bulgar archaeological culture throughout Macedonia and eastern Albania [ Иван Микулчиќ, [http://www.kroraina.com/macedon/mik_3_2.html "Средновековни градови и тврдини во Македониjа"] , Скопjе, "Македонска цивилизациjа", 1996, стр. 29-33 / "Medieval towns and strongholds in Macedonia", Skopje, Publishing house "Macedonian civilization", 1996, p. 29-33, in Macedonian] . He describes the traces of Bulgars in this region, which consist of typical fortresses, burials, various products of metallurgy and pottery (including [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/06/eusb/hob_17.190.1674-1712.htm treasure] with supposed Bulgar origin or ownership), lead seals, minted from Kuber, amulets, etc. However, part of this could actually represent traces of Avar presence. Known to have raided as far south as Macedonia, material culture of the Avars was very similar to the Bulgars. [ Curta]

Honour

Kuber Peak in Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Kuber.

References

1.cite book
last = Curta
first = Florin
title = Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250.
publisher = Cambridge Medieval Textbooks
year = 2006
isbn = 0-521-81539-8

2.cite book
last = Fine, Jr
first = John V.A
title = The early Medieval Balkans; A critical survery from the sixth to the late twelfth century
publisher = The University of Michigan Press
year = 1991
isbn = 0-472-08149-7

3.cite book
last = Hupchik
first = Dennis P
title = The Balkans. From Constantinople to Communism.
publisher = Palgrave MacMillan
year = 2002
isbn = 1-4039-6417-3

4. Иван Микулчиќ, "Средновековни градови и тврдини во Македониjа", Скопjе, "Македонска цивилизациjа", 1996 (Macedonian); part of the book [http://www.kroraina.com/macedon/mikul.html here] .