Editing Bulgars (section)

=== Old Great Bulgaria ===
{{Main|Old Great Bulgaria}}
[[File:Bulgarians and Slavs VI-VII century.png|thumb|300px|The migration of the Bulgars after the fall of Old Great Bulgaria in the 7th century.]]

The Turk rule weakened sometime after 600, allowing the Avars to reestablish the control over the region.{{sfn|Bowersock, Brown, Grabar|1999|p=354}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=144}} As the [[Western Turkic Khaganate]] declined, finally collapsing in the middle of the 7th century, it was against Avar rule that the Bulgars, recorded as ''Onoğundur–Bulğars'', reappeared.{{sfn|Bowersock, Brown, Grabar|1999|p=354}}{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=244}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=145}} They revolted under their leader [[Kubrat]] (c. 635), who seems to have been prepared by [[Heraclius]] (610–641) against the Sasanian–Avar alliance. With his uncle [[Organa]] in 619, Kubrat had been baptized in Constantinople.{{sfn|Golden|1992|pp=244–245}}{{sfn|Bowersock, Brown, Grabar|1999|p=354}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=144}}<ref name="Great">{{cite book |author=D. Dimitrov |date=1987 |chapter="Old Great Bulgaria" |title=Prabylgarite po severnoto i zapadnoto Chernomorie |chapter-url=http://www.kroraina.com/p_bulgar/p_bulg5.htm |place=Varna}}</ref> He founded the [[Old Great Bulgaria]] (''Magna Bulgaria''{{sfn|Fiedler|2008|p=152}}), also known as ''Onoğundur–Bulğars'' state, or ''Patria Onoguria'' in the ''[[Ravenna Cosmography]]''.{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=245}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=144}}<ref name="Origin"/>

Little is known about Kubrat's activities. It is considered that Onogur Bulgars remained the only steppe tribes in good relations with the Byzantines.{{sfn|Fiedler|2008|p=152}} His date of death is placed between 650 and 663 AD.<ref>{{cite book |last=Somogyi |first= Péter |chapter=New remarks on the flow of Byzantine coins in Avaria and Walachia during the second half of the seventh century |title=The Other Europe in the Middle Ages: Avars, Bulgars, Khazars and Cumans |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_-G1L-9Zec0C |editor-last1=Curta |editor-first1=Florin |editor-link1=Florin Curta |editor-last2=Kovalev |editor-first2=Roman |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |page=104 |isbn=9789004163898}}</ref> According to Nikephoros I, Kubrat  instructed his five sons to "never separate their place of dwelling from one another, so that by being in concordance with one another, their power might thrive".{{sfn|Golden|1992|p=245}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=145}}

Subsequent events proved Old Great Bulgaria to be only a loose tribal union, as there emerged a rivalry between the [[Khazars]] and the Bulgars over Turk patrimony and dominance in the Pontic–Caspian steppe.{{sfn|Golden|1992|pp=236, 245}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=145}} Some historians consider the war an extension of the Western Turks struggle, between the ''Nushibi'' tribes and [[Ashina tribe|Ashina clan]], who led the Khazars, and the ''Duolu/Tu-lu'' tribes, which some scholars associated with the [[Dulo clan]], from which Kubrat and many Bulgar rulers originated.{{sfn|Golden|1992|pp=103, 236–237}}{{sfn|Golden|2011|p=144}} The Khazars were ultimately victorious and parts of the Bulgar union broke up.{{sfn|Bowersock, Brown, Grabar|1999|p=354}}