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
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ro, Vlad Țepeș ) or Vlad Dracula (; ro, Vlad Drăculea ; 1428/311476/77), was List of rulers of Wallachia, Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often c ...
and Prince of the principality 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 so ...
. They were both sons of
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 Impa ...
and his wife, Princess Cneajna of Moldavia. In addition to Vlad III, Radu also had two older siblings,
Mircea II
Mircea II (1428–1447) was the Voivode, or prince, of Wallachia in 1442. He was the oldest son of Vlad II Dracul and brother of Vlad Țepeș and Radu the Handsome. He was the grandson of his namesake Mircea cel Bătrân.
Early life
Mircea w ...
and
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, ...
, both of whom would also briefly rule Wallachia.
Life with the Ottomans
In 1436, Vlad II Dracul ascended to the throne of Wallachia. He was ousted in 1442 by rival factions in league with Hungary, but secured Ottoman support for his return by agreeing to pay
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
to the Sultan and also send his two legitimate sons, Vlad III and Radu, to the Ottoman court, to serve as hostages of his loyalty.
The boys were taken to the various garrisons at
Edirne. Radu became an intimate friend and a favorite of the sultan's son,
Mehmed II
Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
. According to Latin translation of Byzantine chronicles Radu was Sultan’s lover and male concubine, and possibly, due to good looks and the amorous affairs with the sultan, Radu received a nickname "cel frumos" (the Beautiful). Their dangerously passionate relationships were described by a Greek chronicler
Laonikos Chalkokondyles
Laonikos Chalkokondyles, Latinized as Laonicus Chalcocondyles ( el, Λαόνικος Χαλκοκονδύλης, from λαός "people", νικᾶν "to be victorious", an anagram of Nikolaos which bears the same meaning; c. 1430 – c. 1470; ...
, who emphasized that the sultan 'nearly died at the boy's hands' when he tried to force himself upon the young prince. As the records report, the young Emperor (Mehmed) - wanting to have relations with the prince - called him to feasts and in one instance, passionately offering him a glass, he called him to the bedchamber. When the boy, not suspecting anything from the other came, the Emperor rushed to him; Radu resisted, not submitting to Mehmed's desire, and then the latter "kissed the boy against his will". Frightened, Radu then pulled out a dagger and cut Mehmed's thigh and ran away. It is further narrated, that while physicians took care of Mehmed's wound, the young boy climbed up a tree where he stayed hidden until the sultan left; he later descended from the tree and not long afterwards became the Emperor’s favorite.
Chalkokondyles {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009
Chalkokondyles or Chalcocondyles ( el, Χαλκοκονδύλης), also seen as Chalkokandeles (Χαλκοκαντήλης) or Charchandeles (Χαρχαντήλης), was a Greek noble family of Athens which was ...
adds that the sultan along with people of his nation had the custom of using favorite boys, and with such as Radu Mehmed "spends day and night together". In the beginning of the chronicle it was noted that the incident happened when Mehmed came to the throne and had to go against the state of
Caraman Caraman may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
* Caraman, Haute-Garonne, a commune in the Haute-Garonne department, France
* Saint-Félix-de-Caraman, the old name of Saint-Félix-Lauragais, a commune in the Haute-Garonne department, France
People
* Alexand ...
in 1451.
Vlad and Radu were later educated in logic, the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
and the Turkish and Persian language and literature. The boys' father,
Vlad 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 Impa ...
, with the support of the Ottomans, returned to Wallachia and took back his throne from Basarab II.
While Vlad was eventually released to take his place on the Wallachian throne in 1448 after his father was killed by
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
, Radu converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and was allowed into the Ottoman imperial court. Radu later participated alongside Mehmet II, now Sultan, in the Ottoman siege which eventually led to the
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
in 1453. Radu was allowed to live in the newly built
Topkapı Palace
The Topkapı Palace ( tr, Topkapı Sarayı; ota, طوپقپو سرايى, ṭopḳapu sarāyı, lit=cannon gate palace), or the Seraglio
A seraglio, serail, seray or saray (from fa, سرای, sarāy, palace, via Turkish and Italian) i ...
in Istanbul.
Personal life
Radu cel Frumos was a well-educated ruler who sought to advance the position of his countrymen within 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) ...
. His converting to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is disputed given his entering in
Ottoman service, and a large number of letters he wrote referring to himself as 'Christ-loving' and 'right-faithful'. According to the Serbian Janissary
Konstantin Mihailović
Konstantin Mihailović, also known as Constantine of Ostrovica, born in 1430, was a Serbian soldier and author of a memoir of his time as a Jannissary in the army of the Ottoman Empire. Mihailović was born in the village of Ostrovica, near Rud ...
Radu was a commander of the
Janissary
A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ( ...
; in the campaign against his brother Vlad III, Radu was at the head of 4000 horsemen. He is believed to have taken part in the operations that are collectively known as the
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
.
His wife was Maria Despina, considered to be a Serb or Albanian princess. His daughter was
Maria Voichița
Doamna Maria Voichița (1457 – 26 February 1511) was a Princess consort of Moldavia (1480–1511), daughter of Radu III the Handsome and a niece of Vlad the Impaler. She was regarded to have an influence upon the policy of her spouse, Princ ...
, who later married Prince
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
.
Struggles for the rule of Wallachia
![Writ of the Wallachian voivode Radu cel Frumos from 14 October 1465](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Writ_of_the_Wallachian_voivode_Radu_cel_Frumos_from_14_October_1465.jpg)
In November 1447,
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
launched an attack against Wallachia due to its alliance with the Ottomans by the treaties signed by Vlad II Dracul and his duplicity in
Varna Campaign (1444). Radu's father fled, but Mircea II was captured by
boyar
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Russian nobility, Russia, Boyars of Moldavia and Wallachia, Wallachia and ...
s from
Târgoviște
Târgoviște (, alternatively spelled ''Tîrgoviște''; german: Tergowisch) is a city and county seat in Dâmbovița County, Romania. It is situated north-west of Bucharest, on the right bank of the Ialomița River.
Târgoviște was one of the ...
and was blinded with a red-hot poker before being buried alive. A short time after their father was captured and killed by the forces of John Hunyadi, Vlad III was released in 1448 and was the Ottoman Turks' candidate for the throne of Wallachia, the first of a succession of times he would hold the throne, this first time for only a matter of months.
Radu's brother Vlad III later went on to take the throne from
Vladislav II in 1456 and began his second reign for which he was to become famous. Like his older brother Mircea II, Vlad III was an able military commander and now found himself opposing the Ottomans.
Radu, at the age of 22, became a leading figure at the Ottoman court. In 1461, Mehmed II began preparing to invade Wallachia. After consulting his astrologers, the thirty-year-old sultan resolved to personally lead the punitive expedition. His personal Janissary guard was larger than the entire army of Vlad III. Moreover, the sultan opted to reward Radu's ongoing loyalty by setting him on the throne of Wallachia in Vlad III's place.
In 1462, a massive Ottoman army marched against Wallachia, with Radu at the head of the Janissary. Vlad III retreated to
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 ...
. During his departure, he practised a
scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communi ...
policy, leaving nothing of importance to be used by the pursuing Ottoman army. When the Ottoman forces approached Târgoviște, they encountered over 20,000 of their kind
impaled by the forces of Vlad III, creating a "forest" of dead or dying bodies on stakes. This atrocious, gut-wrenching sight was too much even for them to bear therefore they returned to Ottoman forces to regroup.
Vlad III waged a
guerrilla campaign against the Ottoman forces commanded by the
Grand Vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
Mahmud Pasha in May 1462, pursuing them in their retreat as far as 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 , pa ...
. On 16 and 17 June, he again defeated a sizable Ottoman force in what has become known as
The Night Attack
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, which resulted in heavy casualties to the Ottoman army, as well as logistical losses.
After Mehmed II suffered losses from The Night Attack, Radu and his loyalists campaigned on the Danubian plains for support to replace his brother. It was not difficult to convince them; he only had to promise the boyars that he would restore their privileges and assure the defectors from Vlad III's camp that they would not be punished. But above and beyond this, he preached of a lasting peace, a gentle reign, and no revenge for any past wrongdoings. Radu sent envoys to the Saxon cities hardest hit by Vlad III, tempting them with old-fashioned advantageous trade regulations and vouching for the sanctity of their families. His good nature attracted instant allies, including inhabitants of Bucharest and Târgoviște, who had enough of the cruelty of his brother.
Radu chased Vlad III to his castle north of
Curtea de Argeș
Curtea de Argeș () is a municipality in Romania on the left bank of the river Argeș, where it flows through a valley of the Southern Carpathians (the Făgăraș Mountains), on the railway from Pitești to the Turnu Roșu Pass. It is part of ...
and, finally, out of Romania itself, which was incorporated under Ottoman control. Taking advantage of their fortune the Ottomans strengthened their commercial presence in the Danube against any Hungarian influence and intervention in the region.
Meanwhile, his brother Vlad III, due to his harsh policies towards the boyars (whose power struggles he blamed for the state of the realm), was betrayed by them. Vlad III travelled to Hungary to ask for help from his former ally,
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...
. But instead of receiving help he found himself arrested and thrown into the dungeon over false charges of treason.
After the victorious campaign north of the Danube, the Ottomans placed the young Radu (then 26 years of age) as the
Bey
Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...
of Wallachia. Soon after, the Janissary under his command began attacks and raids on Vlad III's mountain stronghold on the
Argeș River,
Poenari Castle
Poenari Castle (), also known as Poenari Citadel (''Cetatea Poenari'' in Romanian language, Romanian), is a ruined castle in Romania which was a home of Vlad the Impaler. at the Wayback Machine The citadel is situated high atop a mountain and ac ...
. During his reign the Ottoman
Sipahi
''Sipahi'' ( ota, سپاهی, translit=sipâhi, label=Persian, ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuks, and later the Ottoman Empire, including the land grant-holding (''timar'') provincial ''Timariots, timarli s ...
's gained a strong foothold in the south of the country.
In 7 March 1471, Radu fought the Battle of Soci against Stephen III, his future son-in-law, for possession of Chilia (now
Kiliya
Kiliia or Kilia ( uk, Кілія́, translit=Kiliia, ; ro, Chilia Nouă) is a town in Izmail Raion, Odesa Oblast of southwestern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Kiliia urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Kiliia is located in t ...
in Ukraine). Slavo-Romanian chronicles relate that Stephen III had a "war with Radu voivode for Soci". Stephen III's relationships with Radu were hostile. He invaded Wallachia on several occasions during Radu's reign, dethroning him four times in response to Radu's vassalage.
[Stephen the Great and Balkan Nationalism: Moldova and Eastern European History. Jonathan Eagles. I.B.Tauris, 25 October 2013]
In 1473, following an agreement with the Ottomans,
Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân
Basarab III cel Bătrân ("the Old"), also known as Laiotă Basarab or Basarab Laiotă (? – 22 December 1480) was Voivode of the principality of Wallachia in the 1470s, repeating the achievement of Dan II in being elected by the boyars as ...
(Basarab Laiotă the Old) took over the throne. Between 1473 and 1475 Radu briefly returned twice to the throne.
Death
The approximate date of his death is between 1475 and 1477. Different sources relate various dates.
See also
*
Mihnea Turcitul
Mihnea II Turcitul ("Mihnea the Turned-Turk"; July 1564 – October 1601) was Prince (Voivode) of Wallachia between September 1577 and July 1583, and again from April 1585 to May 1591.
The only son of Alexandru II Mircea and Ecaterina Salvares ...
*
Ilie II Rareș
Ilie II Rareş (also referred to as Iliaş; 1531 – January 1562) was Prince of Moldavia between 1546 and 1551.
He succeeded his much more accomplished father Petru IV Rareş on September 3, 1546, when he was aged only 15, and proceeded to rul ...
References
, -
External links
*
Wallachian Rulers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radu 03 The Fair
1437 births
1475 deaths
House of Drăculești
Rulers of Wallachia
Converts to Islam from Eastern Orthodoxy
Military personnel of the Ottoman Empire
Janissaries
15th-century Romanian people