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| Important rulers: | Important rulers: | ||
| * ], voivode on the east side of the ], 1247-1277, | |||
| * ], voivode on west side of the Olt river, at ], c.a.1247 | |||
| * ], c.a.1277-c.a.1290 | |||
| * ], c.a.1290-c.a.1310 | |||
| * ], about ] - ] | * ], about ] - ] | ||
| * ] or Vlaicu-Voda,1364-c.a.1377 | |||
| * ] (Mircea the Old), 1386-1418 | |||
| * ] (Vlad the Impaler), 1448, 1456-1462, 1476 | |||
| * ], 1512-1521 | |||
| * ] (Michael the Brave), 1593 - 1601 | |||
| * ], ] - ] | * ], ] - ] | ||
Revision as of 15:44, 5 December 2002
Wallachia was a principality in eastern Europe from the late middle ages until the mid-19th century.
The capital city changed over time, from Curtea de Arges to Targoviste and finally Bucharest.
History
Beginning with the tenth century, Byzantine, Slave and Hungarian sources, and later - Occidental sources - mention the existence of statal entities of romanian populations - led by a leader known as kneaz or voyevod - at first in Transylvania and Dobrogea (Dobrudja), then in the twelfth-thirteenth century in the territories east and south of the Carpathian Mountains. A specific characteristic of the romanian history in the Middle Age, until the Modern Period, is that they lived in 3 adjacent, but autonomous principates - Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania.
In the fourteenth century, along with the decline of the neighboring empires (Poles, Hungarians, Tatars) several feudal states were formed in the south and the east of the Carpathian Mountains - Wallachia under Basarab I (around 1360) and Moldavia under Bogdan I (around 1359).
In the second half of the fourteenth century, a new threat appears - The Ottoman Empire. After having first step in Europe in 1354, the Ottoman turks reached the sout of the Danube in 1396.
Alone or allied with the Christian neighbouring countries, rather in alliance with the other two romanian principates, voyevods Mircea cel Batran (1386-1418) and Vlad Tepes (1456-1462) of Wallachia and Stefan cel Mare (1457-1504), voyevod of Moldavia and Iancu de Hunedoara, prince of Transylvania fought many defensive battles against the Ottomans, not allowing them to expand in the Central Europe.
As the whole Balcan Peninsula became turkish territory, Constatinople fallen to Mahomed II in 1453, the romanian pricipates had to accept the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire for more than 3 centuries - though there were a few attempts to gain the independence (Mihai Viteazu in 1600 managed to unite for a short period of time all the 3 principates).
Must be mentioned the fact that the tribute paid to the Turks allowed Wallachia (and Moldavia too) to maintain its own statal entity, its own politics and its own military and administrative structures.
Important rulers:
- Litovoi, voivode on the east side of the Olt river, 1247-1277,
- Seneslau, voivode on west side of the Olt river, at Arges, c.a.1247
- Barbat, c.a.1277-c.a.1290
- Tihomir, c.a.1290-c.a.1310
- Basarab I, about 1310 - 1352
- Vladislav I or Vlaicu-Voda,1364-c.a.1377
- Mircea cel Batrin (Mircea the Old), 1386-1418
- Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), 1448, 1456-1462, 1476
- Neagoe Basarab, 1512-1521
- Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave), 1593 - 1601
In 1859, Wallachia voted to unite with Moldavia to form the state of Romania, under the rule of Alexander John Cuza.
Geography
Situated north of the Danube and south of the Carpathian Mountains. principate Its neighbours were the Ottoman Empire to the south, Transylvania to the north-west and Moldavia to the north-east.