Dobrotitsa | |
|---|---|
 Monument to Dobrotitsa inDobrich (Bulgaria). | |
| Despot ofDobruja | |
| Reign | 1347 - 1386 |
| Predecessor | Balik |
| Successor | Ivanko |
| Born | 14th century |
| Died | 1386 |
| Issue | Ivanko |
Dobrotitsa (Bulgarian:Добротица,pronounced[doˈbrɔtit͡sɐ];Romanian:Dobrotici orDobrotiță;Τομπροτίτζας in contemporaneous Byzantine documents;[1]Dobrodicie in contemporaneous Genoese documents[2]) was aBulgarian noble, ruler of thede facto independentPrincipality of Karvuna and theKaliakra fortress from 1354 to 1379–1386.[3][4][5]
Dobrotitsa's ethnic origin is disputed, in consequence he is considered by some a Bulgarian[6] noble kindred of theTerter dynasty (from theCumanTerteroba clan),[7][8] to others aVlach,[9] and to others a Christianised Turk.[10] Venetian sources from the late 14th century refer to Dobrotitsa as a "despot of Bulgarians" (DESPOTUM BULGARORUM DOBROTICAM) and to his realm as "parts ofZagore (Bulgaria) subordinate to Dobrotitsa" (PARTES ZAGORAE SUBDITAS DOBROTICAE).[11]
In 1346, Dobrotitsa and his brotherTheodore were sent along with 1,000 soldiers by the Dobrujan rulerBalik (who may have been the third and eldest brother) to help theByzantine EmpressAnna of Savoy in thecivil war againstJohn VI Kantakouzenos, but were defeated byGeorge Phakrases. The following year, after the death of Balik, he became the ruler of Dobruja. In 1348 Dobrotitsa took over the fortress ofMidia and by 1356 managed to seize Kozyak (present-dayObzor) andEmona from the Byzantines.[12][13]
In 1366 EmperorIvan Alexander refused to allow the Byzantine emperorJohn V Palaiologos, who was returning home from Hungary, passage through Bulgaria. In order to force the Bulgarians, a relative of John V, CountAmadeus VI of Savoy, then leading his own theSavoyard crusade, attacked the Bulgarian coastal towns. In the fall of the same year Amadeo's navy capturedAnchialos,Mesembria, Emona and on 25 October he besieged the strong fortressVarna, where he was repulsed. As a result, Ivan Alexander gave the Byzantines safe conduct across Bulgaria and they kept the conquered towns.[14] In 1369 Dobrotitsa andVladislav I of Wallachia helped Ivan Alexander to defeat theHungarians andretake Vidin.[15] Out of gratitude, the Emperor gave Dobrotitsa Emona and Kozyak.[16] Later he built a navy inVarna which was engaged in actions as far asTrebizond. TheGenoese manuscripts write thathis navy was very strong albeit rather small and achieved successes against the Ottomans and Genoese.[2] He was succeeded by his son Ivanko in 1386.
The names of the region ofDobruja derives from the Turkish rendition of his name.[17] The city ofDobrich and two villages in northernBulgaria are also named after him.
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