Bolokhovians

Bolokhovians, Bolokhoveni, also Bolokhovens (

Prince of Halych and Volhynia, between 1231 and 1257. After the Mongols sacked Kiev in 1240, the Bolokhovians supplied them with troops, but the Bolokhovian princes fled to Poland

. The Bolokhovians disappeared after Daniel defeated them in 1257.

Etymology

Bolokhovian Land [hr; ru; uk]", according to Alexandru V. Boldur.^[1]

Romanian scholars suggest that the name "Bolokhoveni" may have derived from Voloch, the East Slavic term for Romanians, or Vlachs.^[2] If this theory is correct, the Bolokhoveni were Romanians living in the western regions of Kievan Rus'.^[3] However this theory is contradicted by archaeological evidence, which indicates that the Bolokhovian material culture resembled that of its contemporaries in the western parts of Kievan Rus'.^[4] Furthermore, it is documented that the Bolokhovian princes had family ties with boyars of the Principality of Halych.^[5]

The ethnonym seems to be connected to the name Bolokhovo, an early medieval settlement that the

Hypatian Chronicle – an accurate source of the history of Kievan Rus' – mentioned around 1150.^[6]^[7] According to historian Victor Spinei, this town may have been the same town as Borokhov, which was recorded by the same chronicle in 1172.^[8] Alternatively, Spinei states, Bolokhovo may be the same town as Bolechow (now Bolekhiv, Ukraine), which was mentioned as the "town called 'the Vlachs'" in a Polish charter from 1472.^[8]

Geography

In sharp contrast to Boldur's view, Martin Dimnik identifies the Bolokhovian Land as a small region to the north of the uppermost course of the river Bug.^[9]

The Hypatian Chronicle refers to the "

Sluch rivers.^[7]

On the other hand, historian Alexandru V. Boldur believes that the Bolokhovian Land was located between the

Dnieper rivers.^[12] He also says that the Bolokhoveni were located southeast of the present-day town of Ushitsa (Romanian: Ușița).^[12]

According to Niketas Choniates's chronicle, "the Vlachs, who had heard rumors" of the escape of Andronikos Komnenus (a rebellious cousin of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I), captured him in 1164 at the borders of Halych.^[citation needed]

History

The Hypatian Chronicle first refers to "Bolokhovian princes" when documenting a war between Daniil Romanovich,

Iziaslav, Prince of Novgorod-Seversk, requested their release, they referred to Bolokhovian princes as their "brothers".^[16]

After the

Vasilko Romanovich, promised to give Duke Bolesław I many gifts.^[13]

The

Mongol invasion of Rus' did not end the conflicts among the local rulers.^[18] The Bolokhovian princes supported Rostislav Mikhailovich when he besieged Bakota, a major town held by Daniil Romanovich's officials, in 1241.^[18] In revenge for the attack, Daniil Romanovich invaded and pillaged the Bolokhovian Land^[19] and destroyed their fortified towns.^[2] Archaeological research at Gubin and Kudin, two supposedly Bolokhovian towns, shows that the town walls were dug up by Daniil's army.^[20] However, no corpses or traces of fire were found, implying that Daniil took the towns' inhabitants to his own principality.^[20] Their defeat by Daniil's troops in 1257 was the last recorded event of the history of the Bolokhovians.^[2]

References

^ Spinei 1986, p. 111.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Spinei 1986, p. 57.
^ Spinei 2009, p. 161.
^ Spinei 2009, pp. 161–162.
^ Spinei 2009, p. 162.
^ Spinei 1986, pp. 14, 57–58.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bolokhovians". Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. 2001. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b Spinei 1986, p. 58.
^ Dimnik 1981, p. 335.
^ Spinei 1986, pp. 31, 57.
^ ^a ^b Dimnik 1981, pp. 117–118 (note 80).
^ ^a ^b Boldur 1992, p. 111.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Dimnik 1981, p. 118.
^ Dimnik 1981, p. 98.
^ Dimnik 1981, pp. 98–99 (note 18).
^ Dimnik 1981, pp. 32 (note 55), 99 (note 18).
^ Dimnik 1981, pp. 108, 117–118 (note 80).
^ ^a ^b Dimnik 1981, p. 116.
^ Dimnik 1981, p. 117.
^ ^a ^b Dimnik 1981, p. 119 (note 83).

Sources

Boldur, Alexandru V. (1992). Istoria Basarabiei [History of Bessarabia] (in Romanian). Editura V. Frunza.
ISBN 978-5-85886-027-3
.

Dimnik, Martin (1981). Mikhail, Prince of Chernigov and Grand Prince of Kiev, 1224–1246. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.
ISBN 0-88844-052-9
.

Spinei, Victor (1986). Moldavia in the 11th–14th Centuries. Editura Academiei Republicii Socialiste Româna.

Spinei, Victor (2009). The Romanians and the Turkic Nomads North of the Danube Delta from the Tenth to the Mid-Thirteenth century. Koninklijke Brill NV.
ISBN 978-90-04-17536-5
.