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Chaka of Bulgaria

1250 – 1300

Bulgarian ruler

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About Chaka of Bulgaria

Lived 1250 – 1300 (aged 49–50). Chaka of Bulgaria was a politician.

Chaka (; died 1300) briefly reigned as tsar of Bulgaria, from 1299 to 1300. He was the son of the Mongol leader Nogai Khan by a wife named Alaka. Sometime after 1285 Chaka married a daughter of George Terter I of Bulgaria, named Elena. In the late 1290s, Chaka supported his father Nogai in a war against the legitimate khan of the Golden Horde, Toqta. Toqta defeated and killed Nogai in 1299.

Reign Chaka had led his supporters into Bulgaria, intimidated the regency for Ivan II into fleeing the capital, and imposed himself as ruler in Tărnovo in 1299. It is not completely certain whether he reigned as Emperor of Bulgaria or simply acted as the overlord of his brother-in-law Theodore Svetoslav. He is accepted as a ruler of Bulgaria by Bulgarian historiography.

Chaka did not long enjoy his new position of power, as the armies of Toqta followed him into Bulgaria and besieged Tărnovo. Theodore Svetoslav, who had been instrumental in Chaka's seizure of power, organized a plot in which Chaka was deposed and strangled in prison in 1300. His head was sent to Toqta, which in turn secured Theodore Svetoslav's position as the new emperor of Bulgaria. Theodore Svetoslav's cooperation contributed to the withdrawal of Mongol interference in Bulgaria.

Family It is not known if Chaka had children from Elena, the daughter of George I of Bulgaria. He had at least one son, Kara-Kishek, likely from a concubine. Kara-Kishek led a fragment of the Nogai Horde until sometime after 1301. After the death of Chaka, Kara Küçük fled the Horde with 3,000 Tatar horsemen and offered to take service with Shishman of Vidin.

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Important facts

Born
1250
Birth century
Occupation
Positions held
Emperor, King of Bulgaria

Family & relationships

Child
Kara Küçük
Parent
Alaka
Parent
Nogai Khan

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Chaka of Bulgaria's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Chaka of Bulgaria?

Bulgarian ruler

When was Chaka of Bulgaria born?

Chaka of Bulgaria was born in 1250.

When did Chaka of Bulgaria die?

Chaka of Bulgaria died on 17 February 1300 in Veliko Tarnovo.

What was Chaka of Bulgaria's occupation?

Chaka of Bulgaria was a politician.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Chaka of Bulgaria

· Wikidata: Q558653

· DBpedia: Chaka of Bulgaria

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chaka of Bulgaria. https://biography.guide/chaka-of-bulgaria/

MLA: "Chaka of Bulgaria." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chaka-of-bulgaria/.

Chicago: "Chaka of Bulgaria." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chaka-of-bulgaria/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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