Constantin II Șerban (? – 1682) was
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
of
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
between 1654 and 1658,
illegitimate
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...
son to
Radu Şerban. According to
custom
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a r ...
, being born out of wedlock did not disqualify Constantin from becoming prince.
Reign
His rule saw the rebellion of the ''
seimeni'' mercenaries (1655). In order to deal with the issue, Constantin Şerban allied himself with the
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
n
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
George II Rákóczi, including himself in the latter's plans for emancipation from
Ottoman rule.
In 1657, the
Porte deposed him; Constantin Şerban went on to fight alongside Rákóczi, managing to upset Ottoman presence in
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
and briefly occupying the throne in
Iaşi, at two different moments (in 1659 and 1661).
Paul of Aleppo
Paul Za'im, known sometime also as Paul of Aleppo (Paul, Archdeacon of Aleppo) (1627–1669) was an Ottoman Syrian Orthodox clergyman and chronicler. Son of Patriarch Macarius III Ibn al-Za'im, Paul accompanied his father in his travels through ...
documents the derelict state of Wallachia during the Ottoman intervention, including an account of the
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...
population fleeing for the
Transylvanian Alps
The Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps; ro, Carpații Meridionali ; hu, Déli-Kárpátok) are a group of mountain ranges located in southern Romania. They cover the part of the Carpathian Mountains located between the Pr ...
("''where the Wallachians were accustomed to take refuge in time of need''").
In 1656, the Prince ordered the building of the
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
Metropolitan Cathedral (today:
Patriarchal), partly modeled on the
Curtea de Argeş Monastery – but larger and more austere. In his honour, the church was given the
patronage of
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
Saints
Constantine (his
namesake) and
Helena. In 1658, he set fire to the city, trying to prevent his adversary
Mihnea III from making use of its facilities.
See also
References
*
Gheorghe I. Brătianu
Gheorghe (George) I. Brătianu (January 28 1898 – April 23–27, 1953) was a Romanian politician and historian. A member of the Brătianu family and initially affiliated with the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Par ...
, ''Sfatul domnesc şi Adunarea Stărilor în Principatele Române'', Bucharest, 1995
*
Constantin C. Giurescu
Constantin C. Giurescu (; 26 October 1901 – 13 November 1977) was a Romanian historian, member of the Romanian Academy, and professor at the University of Bucharest.
Born in Focșani, son of historian Constantin Giurescu (historian), Constant ...
, ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'', Bucharest, 1966, p. 73-75
External links
Paul of Aleppo's account of Wallachia(in Romanian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serban, Constantin
Rulers of Wallachia
Rulers of Moldavia
Mutilated pretenders to the Wallachian throne
17th-century Romanian people
Year of death unknown
Rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia
Year of birth unknown
Craiovești