Salan

Salan or Zalan was, according to the Gesta Hungarorum, a Duke who ruled in the territory of present day Vojvodina in the 9th century. He ruled in the territory between Danube and Tisa rivers and capital city of his Dukedom was Titel.

He was vassal of Bulgaria, but we can’t say for sure was he of Bulgarian origin or from local Slavic population. It is possible that he was descendant of Great Kean, a Bulgarian ruler who conquered territory between Danube and Tisa.

His name might not be real. There is theory that his name means "the salt man", so it could be a name given to him by the authors of the chronicles, describing the role he had: supplying salt for his suzerain.

At the time of Hungarian conquest (in 896), Bulgarian Emperor Simeon came to the aid to Duke Salan and even the Byzantine Emperor sent auxiliary troops against the Hungarians. Hungarians defeated Bulgarians and Byzantines in the early 10th century and Dukedom of Salan fall under Hungarian rule.

See also