Domestic policy of Michael IV Paphlagonian (1034 – 1041) in the context of internal political struggle in Byzantium

This article discusses the domestic policy of Emperor Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1034 – 1041), aimed at maintaining the power of the Paphlagonian dynasty. The subject of the article is the activities of the Paphlagonian dynasty in 1034 – 1041, aimed at maintaining power and integrating into the Byzantine elite. The object of the study is the information of Byzantine contemporaries - Michael Psellos, John Skylitsa, Kekavmen and Michael Attaliates. The methodological basis of the work, first of all, was the source analysis and historical and systemic approaches, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the internal policy of Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1034 – 1041) and his supporters in the context of the internal political struggle in the empire. The application of the prosopogarphic method made it possible to identify the characteristic features and motivation of a group of supporters of Michael IV – representatives of the Paphlagonian clan. In addition, qualitative and quantitative content analyzes played an important role in the analysis of sources. The main conclusion of the study is the assumption that despite numerous attempts, the Paphlagonian dynasty failed to create a solid foundation for maintaining power and integrate into the Byzantine elite. Representatives of the Byzantine elite during the reign of Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1034 – 1041) viewed the rule of the Paphlagonians as a situational and temporary rule that was acceptable only in the short term.

Byzantium, Paphlagonian dynasty, Paphlagonians, John the Orfanatrophos, Michael IV, Paphlagonian, power, Byzantine elite, dynasty, reign