Mircea the Elder ( ro, Mircea cel Bătrân, ; c. 1355 – 31 January 1418) was the
Voivode 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 ...
from 1386 until his death in 1418. He was the son of
Radu I of Wallachia and brother of
Dan I of Wallachia, after whose death he inherited the throne.
During the reign of Mircea the Elder,
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 ...
controlled the largest area in its history, gaining
Dobruja in 1388, the
Banate of Severin
The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény ( hu, Szörényi bánság; ro, Banatul Severinului; la, Banatus Zewrinensis; bg, Северинско банство, ; sr, Северинска бановина, ) was a Hungarian political, mili ...
in 1388/9 and Podunavia (which is suspected to be the
Timok Valley). In addition, he was also granted the fiefdoms of
Amlaș () and
Făgăraș
Făgăraș (; german: Fogarasch, Fugreschmarkt, hu, Fogaras) is a city in central Romania, located in Brașov County. It lies on the Olt River and has a population of 28,330 as of 2011. It is situated in the historical region of Transylvania, and ...
() in
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 ...
.
The
byname
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
"elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandson
Mircea II ("Mircea the Younger"), although some historians believe the epithet was given to him as a sign of respect by later generations.
He is considered the most important Wallachian ruler during the Middle Ages and one of the great rulers of his era,
and starting in the 19th century
Romanian historiography has also referred to him as Mircea the Great (''Mircea cel Mare'').
Family
Mircea was the son of
voivode Radu I of Wallachia and his wife,
Doamna Calinichia, thus being a descendant of the
House of Basarab
The House of Basarab (also Bazarab or Bazaraad, ro, Basarab ) was a ruling family of debated Cuman origin, Terterids and Shishmanids) and the Wallachian dynasty (Basarabids). They also played an active role in Byzantium, Hungary and Serbia, wi ...
.
[Giurescu, pp.362] He was the father of
Michael I of Wallachia
Michael I ( ro, Mihail I), (? – August 1420) was Voivode of Wallachia from 1415 to 1420. He was the only legitimate son of Mircea I of Wallachia, who made him his co-ruler. Styled as prince from 1415, Michael became sole ruler after his fathe ...
,
Radu II of Wallachia
Radu II Praznaglava (Radu II Empty Head/in Old Slavic/), (? – 1428?) was a ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, ruling for 4 terms, each time preceded by Dan II, his rival for the throne, and each time succeeded by him. Of those 4 periods ...
,
Alexander I Aldea
Alexander I Aldea (1397 – December 1436) was a Voivode of Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geograp ...
and
Vlad II Dracul
Vlad II ( ro, Vlad al II-lea), also known as Vlad Dracul () or Vlad the Dragon (before 1395 – November 1447), was Voivode of Wallachia from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447. He is internationally known as the father of Vlad the Im ...
, and
grandfather
Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic ...
of
Mircea II,
Vlad Țepeș (Dracula),
Vlad Călugărul
Vlad IV Călugărul ("Vlad IV the Monk"; prior to 1425 – September 1495) was the Prince of Wallachia in 1481 and then from 1482 to 1495.
His father Vlad Dracul had previously held the throne, as had his brothers Mircea II and Radu the Handsome, ...
and
Radu cel Frumos
Radu III of Wallachia, commonly called Radu the Handsome or Radu the Fair ( ro, Radu cel Frumos; tr, Radu Bey; 1437/1439 — January 1475), was the younger brother of Vlad III and Prince of the principality of Wallachia. They were both sons of ...
, all of whom became rulers of Wallachia. Mircea II and Vlad Țepeș were both able military commanders (Vlad Țepeș became one of the most famous leaders in history, and is commonly believed to be the inspiration for the
novel ''
Dracula'' by
Bram Stoker).
Reign
Mircea's reign is often considered to have brought stability to Wallachia. Found in a volatile region of the world, this principality's borders constantly shifted, but during Mircea's rule,
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 ...
controlled the largest area in its history: from the
Southern Carpathians
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 ...
in the north to the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
in the south, and from today's
Iron Gates on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
in the west to the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
in the east.
[Giurescu, pp.363] Also Mircea's titles show his lands:
"I, in Christ God, the faithful and charitable God and the loving and self-sacrificing Christ, Io Mircea, the great ruler and lord of God's mercy and the gift of God, ruling and reigning over all the land of Ungrovlahia and the parts above the mountains, the Tartars, and Amlas and Fagaras, the Hertz, and the ruler of the Banat of Severin, and on both sides throughout Podunavia, even to the great sea and ruler of Dartor's fortress."
Mircea strengthened the power of the state and organized the different high offices, promoted economic development, increased the state's revenue, and minted silver money that enjoyed wide circulation not only inside the country but also in neighboring countries. He gave the merchants of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and
Lithuania trade privileges and renewed those his predecessors had given to the people of
Brașov
Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County.
According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a pop ...
. As a result, Mircea was able to afford increasing his military power. He fortified the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
citadels and strengthened "the great army" made up of townspeople and of free and dependent peasants. He also proved to be a great supporter for the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...
. Mircea the Elder is the first in the region to deal with slaves giving 300 gypsy dwellings to a monastery in 1388.
While organizing the country and its institutions, Mircea also formed a system of lasting alliances which enabled him to defend the independence of the country. Through the intermediary of
Petru Mușat, the prince of
Moldavia, he concluded a treaty of alliance with
Władysław II Jagiełło, king of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
in 1389. The treaty was renewed in 1404 and 1410. He maintained close relations with
Sigismund of Luxembourg, the king of Hungary, relying on their common interest in the struggle against
Ottoman expansion.
Conflicts with the Ottoman Empire
His interventions in support of the
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
ns south of the Danube who were fighting against the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
brought him into conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In 1394,
Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
crossed the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
river, leading 40,000 men, an impressive force at the time. Mircea had only about 10,000 men so he could not survive an open fight. He chose to fight what would now be called a
guerrilla war, by starving the opposing army and using small, localized attacks and retreats (a typical form of
asymmetric warfare). On October 10, 1394, the two armies finally clashed at the
Battle of Rovine
The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395. The Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea the Elder opposed the Ottoman invasion personally led by Sultan Bayezid I the Thunderbolt. The Turkish force heavily outnumbered the Wallachian troops ...
, which featured a forested and swampy terrain, thus preventing the
Ottomans from properly spreading their army; Mircea finally won the fierce battle and threw the
Ottomans out of the country.
This famous battle was later epically described by the poet
Mihai Eminescu in his ''Third Epistle''. However, Mircea had to retreat to Hungary, while the Turks installed
Vlad Uzurpatorul on the throne of Wallachia.
In 1396, Mircea participated in an anti-Ottoman crusade started by
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
's monarch. The crusade ended with the Ottoman victory at the
Battle of Nicopolis on September 25.
[ In the next year, 1397, Mircea, having defeated Vlad the Usurper with Hungarian help, stopped another Ottoman expedition that crossed the ]Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, and in 1400 he defeated yet another expedition of Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
crossing the country.
The defeat of Sultan Beyazid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted t ...
by Timur Lenk (Tamerlane) at Ankara in the summer of 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and Mircea took advantage of it to organize together with the Hungarian king a campaign against the Turks. In 1404 Mircea was thus able to impose his rule on Dobruja again. Moreover, Mircea took part in the struggles for the throne of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and enabled Musa to ascend that throne (for a brief reign). It was at this time that the prince reached the height of his power.
Towards the end of his reign, Mircea signed a treaty with the Ottomans; in return for a tribute of 3,000 gold pieces per year, the Ottomans desisted from making Wallachia a province ("pashalik").
Legacy
The "bravest and ablest of the Christian princes", as he was described by German historian Leunclavius
Johannes LeunclaviusOther name variants: Hans Lewenklaw, Löwenklau, Joannes Leunclavius, John Leunclavius (c. 1533/1541 – 1594) was a German historian and orientalist. He was an expert in Turkish history, republishing and annotating Ottoman sou ...
, ruled Wallachia for 32 years. Mircea was a ktetor, building among other monuments, the Cozia Monastery near Călimănești in ca. 1390. He had churches built after Serbian architectural styles, after the models of the Lazarica Church, Veluće, Naupara, and Kalenić monastery.
In popular culture
Mircea was played by Sergiu Nicolaescu
Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (; 13 April 1930 – 3 January 2013) was a Romanian film director, actor and politician.
He was best known for his historical films, such as '' Mihai Viteazul'' (1970, released in English both under the equivalent tit ...
in the 1989 film '' Mircea'', which was also directed by Nicolaescu.
See also
, -
Notes
References
* Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu
Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu ( 26 February 1838 – ) was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history.
Life
He was born Tadeu Hâjdeu in Cristineștii Hotinului (now Kerstentsi in Chernivtsi ...
, ''Istoria critică a românilor'', vol. I, Bucharest, 1875
* A. D. Xenopol, ''Istoria românilor din Dacia Traiană'', vol. I, Iași, 1889
* Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
, ''Studii și documente cu privire la istoria românilor'', vol. III, Bucharest, 1901
* 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 Românilor'', vol. I, Bucharest, 1938
*(in English) Dr. A.K. Brackob, ''Mircea the Old: Father of Wallachia, Grandfather of Dracula'', Buffalo U.S.A., 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mircea the Elder
14th-century Romanian people
Christians of the Battle of Nicopolis
Rulers of Wallachia
1350s births
1418 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
People of the Ottoman Interregnum