STAMBOLOV, STEFAN (1854-1895), Bulgarian states man, was born on Jan. 31, 1854, at Trnovo, the ancient Bulgarian capital, where his father kept a small inn. Under Turkish rule it was impossible to obtain a liberal education in Bulgaria, and young Stambolov, after attending the communal school in his native town, was apprenticed to a tailor. During the politico-religious agitation which preceded the establishment of the Bulgarian ex archate in 1870, a number of Bulgarian youths were sent to Russia to be educated at the expense of the Imperial government ; among them was Stambolov, who was entered at the seminary of Odessa in order to prepare for the priesthood. He was expelled for his asso ciation with Nihilists, and, making his way to Rumania, he entered into close relations with the Bulgarian revolutionary committees at Bucharest, Giurgevo and Galatz. In 1875, though only twenty years of age, he led an insurrectionary movement at Nova Zagora in Bulgaria, and in the following year organized another rising at Orekhovitza. In the autumn of 1876 he took part as a volunteer in the Serbian campaign against Turkey, and subsequently joined the Bulgarian irregular contingent with the Russian army in the war of 1877-78. After the signature of the Berlin Treaty in 1878 Stambolov settled at Trnovo, where he set up as a lawyer, and was soon elected deputy for his native town in the Sobranye, of which he became president in 1884. The revolution of Philip popolis, which brought about the union of Bulgaria with eastern Rumelia, took place on Sept. 18, 1885, and it was largely owing to Stambolov's advice that Prince Alexander decided to identify himself with the movement. War with Serbia followed, and Stam bolov served as an ordinary soldier in the Bulgarian army.
After the abduction of Prince Alexander (q.v.) (Aug. 21, 1886) Stambolov, who was then at Trnovo, established a loyal govern ment at Trnovo, issued a manifesto to the nation, nominated his brother-in-law, General Mutkurov, commander-in-chief of the army, and invited the prince to return to Bulgaria. These meas ures resulted in the downfall of the provisional government set up by the Russophil party at Sofia. On the abdication of Prince Alexander (Sept. 8) Stambolov became head of a council of regency, with Mutkurov and Karavelov as his colleagues ; the lat ter, however, soon made way for Jivkov, a friend and fellow townsman of the first regent. Stambolov frustrated the mission of General Kaulbars, whom the Tsar despatched as special commis sioner to Bulgaria; suppressed a rising organized by Nabokov, a Russian officer, at Burgas; quelled military revolts at Silistria and Rustchuk; held elections for the Grand Sobranye, despite the interdict of Russia, and eventually secured the election of Prince Ferdinand of Coburg to the vacant throne (July 7, 1887). Under the newly-elected ruler he became prime minister and minister of the interior, and continued in office for nearly seven years.
The aim of his foreign policy was to obtain the recognition of Prince Ferdinand, and to win the support of the Triple Alliance and Great Britain against Russian interference in Bulgaria. He gained the confidence of the Sultan, and obtained concessions for the Bulgarian episcopate in Macedonia (see MACEDONIA). With
the assistance of Austria-Hungary and Great Britain he negotiated large foreign loans which enabled him to develop the military strength of Bulgaria. He was still the despot. Major Panitza, after a conspiracy, was shot at Sofia in four political oppo nents were hanged at Sofia in the following year, and Karavelov was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
His mood was emphasized by the assassination of his colleague, Beltchev, in 1891, and of Dr. Vlkovitch, the Bulgarian repre sentative at Constantinople, in 1892, and eventually proved intol erable to Prince Ferdinand, who made him resign in May He was now exposed to the vengeance of his enemies. On July 5, 1895, he was attacked and barbarously mutilated by a band of Macedonian assassins in the streets of Sofia, and succumbed to his injuries three days later. His funeral was interrupted by disgrace ful riots, and an effort was made to perpetrate an outrage on his remains. No attempt was made to arrest his murderers ; two per sons, however, arraigned for the crime in 1896, were subjected to almost nominal penalties. ( J. D. B.; X.) STAMFORD., a town of Lincolnshire, partly in Northampton shire. Pop. It formerly possessed 14 parish churches, but now has only six. There are some remains of the 7th century Benedictine monastery of St. Leonard's and a west gate of the Carmelite monastery (1291). To the south of Stam ford, in Northamptonshire, is Burghley house, the seat of the marquis of Exeter, a fine quadrangular mansion dating from 1587, containing a noteworthy art collection.
Apart from the tradition preserved by Henry of Huntingdon that the Saxons here defeated the Picts and Scots in 449, Stam ford (Staunford) is a place of great antiquity. The Danes built a fort here on the north bank of the Welland, round which a town existed when in 922 King Edward fortified the opposite side of the stream. It passed again into Danish hands and was one of the five boroughs recaptured by Edmund Aetheling in 941. The priory of St. Leonard was a cell of Durham, and a charter of Edgar dated 972 mentions a market and a mint. In the reign of Edward the Confessor Stamford was a royal borough governed by 12 lawmen. The Norman castle, built before 1086, was thrice besieged by Henry II., but only yielded in 1153. Henry III. gave the town a charter in 1256.
Stamford was known for its monastic schools, and in 1333 was chosen as the headquarters of the students who seceded from Oxford, and an Early Decorated gateway remains of Brasenose Hall. The attempt to establish a regular university was prohibited by royal authority. The defeat of the Yorkists here was followed by the decay of the castle in the reign of Richard III., and the history of the place later centred round the family of Cecil.
See E. C. Mackenzie-Walcott, Memorials of Stamford, Past and present (1867) ; J. Drakard, The History of Stamford in the County of Lincoln, comprising its ancient progressive and modern state (1822) ; C. Nevinson, History of Stamford (1879) ; Victoria County History; Lincoln.