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Tzar Peter I of Bulgaria (927-969), the son of Tzar Simeon the Great of Bulgaria, was married to Maria Irena, the granddaughter of Byzantine Emperor Romanus I Lecapenus. He ruled for over 40 years and was succeeded by their son Boris II.

Peter I's reign is usually considered a period of decline, but this is largely due to the less frequent notices about Bulgaria in Byzantine chronicles - a natural consequence of the peaceful relations which reigned between the two countries in his time.

Under Peter I the Christianization of the country went even further, which led to religious dissent in the face of the Bogomil heresy and to social tensions between high clergy and laity, as described by Peter's contemporary Cosmas Presbyter.

To keep peace with the Byzantine Empire, Peter married the grand-daughter of Romanus Lecapenus and signed a thirty-year peace treaty under the acknowledged title of Tsar. Two of Peter's brothers, Michal and John tried to overthrow him. His youngest brother had the Turkic name of Baiannes and allegedly practiced shamanism. Losing the Serb lands early in his reign, he was unable to handle Bulgaria's external enemies, the Pechenegs repeatedly raided and plundered Dobrudja.

Transylvania was lost to the Magyars and the South Carpathians became the northern border of the state. In the same time, a Bulgarian religious mission was the first one successful in converting Magyar princes. In 966, Peter concluded an alliance with the Magyars directed against Byzantium and this provoked major response.

Near the end of his reign, Boris and Roman, his sons, were taken hostage in Constantinople. In 968, Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev attacked Bulgaria's northeastern border, encouraged to do so by Emperor Nicephorus Phocas. Peter's army suffered a defeat in Dobrudja, and the Russians took eighty fortresses. Tsar Peter I took monastic vows and passed away in January 969. His country would be invaded again by Svyatoslav, in 970, and conquered by Emperor John Tzimisces, in 971.

Soon after his death, Peter was canonized as a saint by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

info by Wikipedia