The Asen dynasty ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280.

The origins of the dynasty are still a source of much controversy. The nickname of Ivan Asen I , "Belgun" and the name of the dynasty are clearly of Turkic (most likely Cuman origin), hence some historians have described the dynasty to be of Cuman or of mixed, Cuman-Bulgarian, stock. "Asen" is close to the Ashina clan of Eurasian rulers. A number of medieval sources, however, regard the first three rulers of the dynasty, Teodor (I) Peter (II) , Ivan Asen I and Kaloyan, to be of Vlach origin. In their own administrative documents and correspondence, the three rulers viewed themselves as descendants and successors of the Bulgarian Tsars Samuil, Peter I and Simeon I, and the state they founded as a continuation of the First Bulgarian Empire.

Earlier rulers from the Asen dynasty (particularly Kaloyan) referred to themselves as "Emperors of Bulgarians and Vlachs". Later rulers, especially the successful Ivan Asen II, styled themselves "Tsars of Bulgarians and Greeks".

List of rulers from the Asen dynasty

See also

• History of Bulgaria
• List of Bulgarian monarchs