To him the local merchant from Ragusa Pavel Đorđević writes: Lord Theodore Ballina is a first noble in Nicopolis sandzak, which enjoys great influence among Christians in this country because of its noble origin and dignity.

Turks watch it in your mouth what you say, and pashas respect him very much and he consulted him on every important issue.Except Theodore, the uprising was organized by religious leaders, as well as public figures and merchants.

These included the Archbishop of Tarnovo Dionysus Rali, Pavle Đorđević and the Sorkočević brothers, with the bishops Theophanes of Lovech, Jeremiah of Rousse, Spyridon of Shumen and Methodius of Thrace and other high-ranking religious figures also taking part in the organization.

[1][better source needed] The invasion of Wallachian forces under Michael the Brave in the northern Bulgarian lands in the autumn of 1598 provided good conditions for the uprising, as the fellow Christian army would support the insurrection according to the plan.

One descendant (may be Theodore Balina)[clarification needed] of the medieval Shishman dynasty was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria (as Ivan Shishman II) and Tarnovo was briefly liberated, with about 12,000 people gathering.