Nomads, Past and Present Eric Halsey, "State Builders from the Steppe: A History of The First Bulgarian Empire" (This is RETHINK, 2025)
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Nov 13, 2025 
Eric Halsey, a historian and author living in Bulgaria since 2013, delves into the fascinating yet often overlooked story of the First Bulgarian Empire. He discusses how the Proto-Bulgarians established their identity and empire amidst chaos, their creation of the Cyrillic alphabet, and their defense against Arab invasions. Halsey explains the transition from nomadic to settled life, the empire's eventual fall due to internal strife and external pressures, and the lasting cultural legacies, including their impact on European history.
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Steppe State Evolved Into Enduring Medieval Power
- The First Bulgarian Empire (681–~11th century) illustrates a steppe people's transformation into a settled medieval Christian state.
- That process included creating Old Church Slavonic, the Cyrillic script, and a durable Bulgarian political identity.
Bulgaria's Overlooked Cultural Legacy
- The First Bulgarian Empire played a decisive cultural role by helping create Old Church Slavonic and the Cyrillic script.
- Those contributions later shaped Eastern Orthodox Slavic literacy for 250–300 million people.
Elite Integration Drove State Transformation
- Proto-Bulgarian elites initially ruled as a steppe cavalry aristocracy over mostly Slavic agrarian populations.
- Over centuries the elite integrated Slavs into aristocracy, adopted Byzantine models, and shifted to a settled hierarchical state.
