Vladimir Monomach (Barbarian Empire)

"...Vladimir shared many talents with his father, but was additionally a great warrior, a formidable general and an ambitious ruler. When Vsevolod re-married and Vladimir was recalled home to Pereyaslavl from his domain, he grew worried over his inheritance. After a falling-out in the princely family, he left for Vidin to serve as Basil Skleros’ demestikos and ultimately, adopted heir. In the face of Byzantine collapse and probing Sejuk invasion of Greece itself, the Bulgarian army headed by Vladimir was invited into Constantinople to protect it by the people and the garrison. Avoiding open conflict over the crown with Greeks loyal to Emperors Nikephoros Botanteiates and his Mouzakioi successors, he nonetheless maintained control over the Imperial capital as it was cut off from Rhodes by the Seljuks. Using his new authority as the ruler of fabled Tsargrad, he unified the Rus under his nominal lordship, and fought a successful campaign against the Turks in Crimea. He punished his brother Matvei’s rebellion with military intervention and established his domains in Pereyaslavl and Vidin as Imperial Cities with an administration based on written law, the first such establishment in the history of Rus. He married several times, producing several strong contenders to the throne, but like his father, he left his domain in the hands of the oldest. His last marriage was to the daughter of the last Botanteiates emperor, a sign that he was moving towards claiming the Imperial diadem openly. However, he died before much came of this attempt. His reign saw the establishments of monastic and ecclesiastical micro-principalities under the authority of the ruler of Constantinople throughout many border regions – the Oka, the Crimea and the Steppes, and also the borderlands with the Seljuks, which were useful in immediate administration and Christianization of the region but caused problems for several later rulers; the first such ruler was his sister, St.Irene, abbess of Oleshye..."