On Rulers' Titles and the Names of Balkan Peoples from the Middle Ages to Modern Times

Abstract

This paper deals with a neglected issue in historiography: the manner of naming people in the medieval multi-ethnic states on the example of Bulgari (Bulgarian), Bulgarini/ Bulgareis (Bulgarinians / Bulgareians, as well as with the practice of claiming rulers’ titles in the Middle Ages and with the name of Macedonians in medieval sources. The misinterpretation of legal state names (Bulgarian, Byzantine, Ottoman) as the race-related, ethnic designations of the Balkan peoples that were used until the creation of the modern nation-state is pointed out, as well the lack of studies on this issue.