Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

Romanian nationalists Romanian nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the identity and cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is Romanian ultranationalism. History Antecedents The predecessors of ...

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Doukas The House of Doukas ( pl. Doukai; , pl. , feminine form Doukaina; ), Latinized as Ducas, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, whose branches provided several notable generals and rulers to the Byzantine Empire in the 9th–11th centuries. A mat ...

Sturdza The House of Sturdza, Sturza or Stourdza () is the name of an old Moldavian noble family whose origins can be traced back to the 1540s. Members of the family played important political role in the history of Moldavia, Russia and later Romania. ...

Miron Costin Miron Costin (March 30, 1633 – 1691) was a Moldavian (Romanians, Romanian) political figure and chronicler. His main work, ''Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei

e la Aron Vodă încoace E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...

' (''The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

conspiracy headed by François Ernaut, while his grandfather, Dumitrașco Cuzea, had been hanged during the clampdown. As boyars, both the Cuzas and the Costins opposed the

Phanariote Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots (, , ) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is located, who traditionally occupied ...

regime and devised other schemes to emancipate Moldavia from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Ioniță was at the forefront of this fight in 1759, when he managed to contain the actions of

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. The ...

Ioan Teodor Callimachi John Theodore Callimachi (; 1690–1780) was List of rulers of Moldavia, Prince of Moldavia from 1758 to 1761. Early years Ioan was the second son of Teodor Calmăşul. Teodor, born Calmăşul, changed the family name to the Greek form Callima ...

and his courtier Iordaki Stavraki. He was deceived by the latter into leading a diplomatic mission into the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

, where he was briefly imprisoned. After the resulting uprising in his favor, Cuza managed to expel Stavraki from Moldavia. He was propelled to high office, serving for years as the Moldavian ''

Stolnic ''Stolnic'' was a '' boier'' (Romanian nobility) rank and the position at the court in the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The title approximately corresponds to seneschal and is borrowed from the Slavic title ''stolnik'' (from ...

''. In 1767, Cuza also had a standoff with

Grigore III Ghica Grigore III Ghica (1724 – 12 October 1777) was a prince of Moldavia and of Wallachia. Biography He was the son of Alexandru Matei Ghica, with the position of dragoman, who was beheaded by the Sublime Porte and nephew of Grigore II Ghica's b ...

, who finally agreed to grant him and other native boyars access to higher offices, and thus earned Cuza's enduring political support. He was ''

Paharnic The ''Paharnic'' (plural: ''Paharnici''; also known as ''Păharnic'', ''Paharnec'', or ''Păharnec''; Moldavian dialect: ''ceașnic'', , ''pakharnikos'', , ''paharnik'') was a Historical Romanian ranks and titles, historical Romanian rank, one of ...

'' before and during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768, returning as ''

Spatharios The ''spatharii'' or ''spatharioi'' (singular: ; , literally " spatha-bearer") were a class of Late Roman imperial bodyguards in the court in Constantinople in the 5th–6th centuries, later becoming a purely honorary dignity in the Byzantine Emp ...

'', or commander of the

Moldavian military forces Moldavia had a military force for much of its history as an independent and, later, autonomous principality subject to the Ottoman Empire (14th century-1859). Army Middle Ages Under the reign of Stephen the Great, all farmers and villagers had ...

, during Ghica's second and final reign. While conserving his standing in regional politics, Cuza built a large estate of his own, with clusters of villages in both

Fălciu County Fălciu County was an Administrative divisions of Moldavia, administrative division of Moldavia (until 1859), then a county (''Counties of Romania, judeṭ'') in Romania between 1859 and 1950. Its capital was the town of Huși. Another important t ...

and

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

. Cuza was finally executed, with Manolache Bogdan, after both were caught up in the intrigues against Prince

Constantine Mourouzis Prince Constantine Demetrius Mourouzis (, ; 1730 – 1 May 1787) was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family. A remarkable polyglot, he spoke five languages: Greek, Latin, French, Arabic and Turkish. In 1761, he ...

. He was survived by five sons. Through one of them, Ioniță was the great-grandfather of

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also Anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (prince) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as List of monarchs of Moldavia ...

, Romanian nationalist campaigner and ''

Domnitor ''Prince Domnitor'', in full ''Principe Domnitor'' (Romanian pl. ''Principi Domnitori'') was the official title of the ruler of Romania between 1862 and 1881. It was usually translated as "prince regnant" in English and most other languages, ...

'' of the

United Principalities The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (), commonly called United Principalities or Wallachia and Moldavia, was the personal union of the Moldavia, Principality of Moldavia and the Wallachia, Principality of Wallachia. The union was ...

. His reign saw several rapprochements between the Cuzas and the Mourouzis, all of which created controversy and returned focus on Ioniță's rebellion. Another one of Ioniță's sons was the great-grandfather of

A. C. Cuza Alexandru C. Cuza (8 November 1857 – 3 November 1947), also known as A. C. Cuza, was a Romanian far-right politician and economist. Early life Cuza was born in Iași into a family of mixed Armenian-Greek origins. He was the grandson of Moldav ...

, the antisemitic doctrinaire.

Biography

Origins

Ioniță Cuza's ethnic origins and ancestry are largely uncertain, subject to several competing theories. Some early hypotheses, centered on the name's resonance, have proposed that the Cuzas were

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

or

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

rs. Historian N. Stoicescu believes that they were possibly

ethnic Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Albania, Anatolia, parts of Italy and Egypt, and to a lesser extent, other countries surrounding the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. They also fo ...

. According to genealogist Ștefan S. Gorovei, Ioniță's ancestry is entirely local and can be traced back to January 1588, with the first mention of a "Cozea" from Roșiori. This figure, identified by Gorovei as the Cuza patriarch, made lucrative land deals in other parts of

Neamț County Neamț County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. The county takes its name from the Neamț River. Demographics Population In 2011, it had a population of 470,766 ...

, leaving a fortune to his sons. One of these may be Toader Cuza, who is shown to be engaged in commercial exchanges with the boyar Toader Jora. Another genealogist, Gheorghe G. Bezviconi, proposes that the Joras and the Cuzas had a common ancestor, the ''

Vornic Vornic was a historical rank for an official in charge of justice and internal affairs. He was overseeing the Royal Court. It originated in the Slovak '' nádvorník''. In the 16th century in Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrilli ...

'' Băisan. The family may have branched out into

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

at an early stage, with records showing them as founders and owners of the village Cozești. Unusually among Moldavian boyars, the Cuzas seem not to have adopted a coat of arms of their own. A tierced per ''

fess In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ', Old French ', and -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... ', and charge on a coat of arms">Latin ' ...

'' shield is attributed to them by heraldists such as

Mateiu Caragiale Mateiu Ion Caragiale (; – 17 January 1936), also credited as Matei or Matheiu, or in the antiquated version Mateiŭ,Sorin Antohi"Romania and the Balkans. From Geocultural Bovarism to Ethnic Ontology" in ''Tr@nsit online'', Institut für die Wi ...

and Emanoil Hagi-Moscu, but is presumed by historian Sorin Iftimi to be a late-19th-century invention. The first Cuza to reach high office may have been a '' Vistier'' Coza, serving in the 1630s. According to Stoicescu, he was father of the better-known Dumitrașco Cuza (or Cuzea). Contrarily, Gorovei argues that there is "no certain connection" between the ''Vistier'' and Dumitrașco, who was the known heir of Toader Cuza. It is also known that Dumitrașco married Safta, daughter of Toader Jora and sister-in-law of the Great ''Vornic'' Ioan Sturza (of the Greek Sturdzas). One period writ describes him as the son of Safta Jora. This dynastic arrangement also made Cuza a relative of the powerful

Doukas The House of Doukas ( pl. Doukai; , pl. , feminine form Doukaina; ), Latinized as Ducas, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, whose branches provided several notable generals and rulers to the Byzantine Empire in the 9th–11th centuries. A mat ...

and brought him a large dowry, including 15 estates in Moldavia-proper and Bessarabia. He had a steady climb at the court, being first mentioned in June 1677 as '' Comis'' for Prince

Antonie Ruset Antonie Ruset or Antonie Rosetti (c. 1615 – 1685) ruled from November 10, 1675 to November 1678 in the Principality of Moldova. Life He came from an ancient family of Greek origin. Ruset ordered on March 29, 1677, the relocation of the seat o ...

, granted ownership of Vlăicenii village in recognition for his service. He became ''Spatharios'' in 1679, under

George Ducas George Ducas ( – 31 March 1685) was the prince (List of monarchs of Moldavia, voivode) of Moldavia (1665–1666, 1668–1672, 1678–1684) and the List of Wallachian rulers, prince of Wallachia (1674–1678). He also served as the hetman of ...

, returning as Great ''

Stolnic ''Stolnic'' was a '' boier'' (Romanian nobility) rank and the position at the court in the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The title approximately corresponds to seneschal and is borrowed from the Slavic title ''stolnik'' (from ...

'' and Great ''Spatharios'' under Constantine Ducas. Dumitrașco also cultivated a close relationship with the Costin boyars, and in particular with ''

Hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...

'' Ioniță Costin, orphaned son of the writer and politician

Miron Costin Miron Costin (March 30, 1633 – 1691) was a Moldavian (Romanians, Romanian) political figure and chronicler. His main work, ''Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei

e la Aron Vodă încoace E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...

' (''The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

'' 1680–1742) may have been named after Ioniță's father. Holding office as ''Logothete'', he married Ilinca, daughter of Ioniță Costin, granddaughter of his namesake and niece of Nicolae Costin (chronicler), Nicolae Costin. The Costins had been one of the most powerful players after the

Moldavian Magnate Wars The Moldavian Magnate Wars, or Moldavian Ventures, refer to the period at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century when the magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth intervened in the affairs of Moldavia, clashing ...

, keeping Princes as the "instruments of

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

party". Through her mother Ileana, Ilinca also descended from

Movilești The House of Movileşti, also Movilă or Moghilă (, Cyrillic: Могила), was a family of boyars in the principality of Moldavia, which became related through marriage with the Mușatin family – the traditional House of Moldavian sovereig ...

royalty, whose coat of arms was sometimes attributed to her Cuza descendants. In 1701–1702, Cuza Sr and the ''Hetman'' tried to mediate a conflict between Prince Ducas and his ''Spatharios'',

Mihai Racoviță Mihai or Mihail Racoviță (c. 1660 – July 1744) was a Prince of Moldavia on three separate occasions (September 1703 – February 23, 1705; July 31, 1707 – October 28, 1709; January 5, 1716 – October 1726) and Prince of Wallachia on two oc ...

. Instead, they came to be detested by the latter. Cuza was sidelined later that year, when Racoviță managed to topple and replace Ducas. Over the following decades,

Phanariote Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots (, , ) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is located, who traditionally occupied ...

bureaucrats acting under the supervision of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

instituted a regime which cut back on the privileges of established boyar families. Racoviță participated in its creation, returning to rule as a Phanariote in December 1715. However, in 1716, Moldavia was dragged into the Austro–Turkish War. Racoviță and his ''

Seimeni Seimeni (plural of ''Seimen'') designates the group of flintlock-armed infantry mercenaries charged with guarding the ''hospodar'' (ruler) and his court in 17th and 18th century Wallachia and Moldavia. They were mostly of Serb and other Balkan o ...

'' "put up no resistance" to the Imperial Army, which then imposed terror on the city of

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

. Following this regime change, Miron and Velicico involved themselves in a plot to topple Racoviță, alongside boyar Vasile Ceaurul and the mercenary François "Franță" Ernaut. In January 1717, the ''Seimeni'' defeated Ernaut, and resumed control of the country. Racoviță ordered Cuza Sr's hanging on the ''scrânciob'' ("cradle") prepared outside the princely court, in what was seen by chronicler

Ion Neculce Ion Neculce (1672–1745) was a Moldavian chronicler. His main work, ''Letopisețul Țărâi Moldovei e la Dabija Vodă până la a doua domnie a lui Constantin Mavrocordat' (''The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia Constantin Mavrocordat'') ...

as a blind retaliation for his sons' doings. His body was dropped in a mass grave by the side of

Cetățuia Monastery The Cetățuia Monastery () is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located at 1 Cetățuia Street in Iași, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments. History Located on the top of Cetățuia Hill of the old ...

. The three younger Cuzas escaped vengeance, but were kept out of political affairs; Toader's sons declined socially, losing their boyar status.

Career

Rise

The son of Miron and Ilinca, Ioniță was born at an unknown date, referred to by historians as "before 1720" or "around 1715". He is known to have had a brother, Mihalache, who is recorded as deceased before 1760. His grandfather Costin died late in 1729, leaving Miron an heir to much of his estate. According to an oral tradition attested among the peasants of Trifești-Neamț, Miron, also referred to as ''Cuza Bărbosul'' ("Cuza the Bearded"), was "slaughtered by the Prince" (whose name is not given) at

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

. In 1742–1748, Ioniță was a ''

Postelnic ''Postelnic'' (, plural: ''postelnici,'' from the Slavic ''postel'', "bed"; cf. Russian '' postelnichy'') was a historical rank traditionally held by boyars in Moldavia and Wallachia, roughly corresponding to the position of '' chamberlain''. I ...

'', and then a ''

Pitar ''Pitar'' is a genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Callocardiinae of the family Veneridae, the Venus clams. The genus contains over 60 species. Species * '' Pitar aequinoctialis'' Fischer-Piette, 1969 * '' ...

'' to 1752, being consulted by Prince

Constantine Mavrocordatos Constantine Mavrocordatos (Greek language, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Μαυροκορδάτος, Romanian language, Romanian: ''Constantin Mavrocordat''; February 27, 1711November 23, 1769) was a Greeks, Greek noble who served as List of rul ...

during the abolition of Moldavian serfdom (April 1749). The same year, he and other boyars sent three letters of protest to Abdullah Pasha, the

Ottoman Grand Vizier The grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire ( or ''Sadr-ı Azam'' (''Sadrazam''); Ottoman Turkish language, Ottoman Turkish: or ) was the ''de facto'' prime minister of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, sultan in the Ottoman Empire, with the absolute p ...

, demanding less taxation for locals, and fewer privileges for the foreign merchants. According to Gorovei, these letters should be seen as early documents of

Romanian nationalism Romanian nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Romanians are a nation and promotes the identity and cultural unity of Romanians. Its extremist variation is Romanian ultranationalism. History Antecedents The predecessors of ...

, with Ioniță Cuza included on "something one may call the '

national party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...

', or the homegrown party". The ''Pitar''s anti-Phanariote sentiments were recorded under the reign of

Ioan Teodor Callimachi John Theodore Callimachi (; 1690–1780) was List of rulers of Moldavia, Prince of Moldavia from 1758 to 1761. Early years Ioan was the second son of Teodor Calmăşul. Teodor, born Calmăşul, changed the family name to the Greek form Callima ...

, whose ''Spatharios'', Iordaki Stavraki, blacklisted Cuza. In 1759, the same Stavraki devised a plan to have Cuza and other 11 boyars removed, sending them on diplomatic mission to the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

, where they were to be kidnapped. One report suggests that they were in fact sent there, and arrested on arrival, finding themselves imprisoned at

Yeni-Kale Yeni-Kale (; ; ; , also spelled as ''Yenikale'' and ''Eni-Kale'' and ''Yeni-Kaleh'' or ''Yéni-Kaleb'') is a fortress on the shore of Kerch Strait in the city of Kerch. History In the ancient period in this area was the ancient Greek town of Myrm ...

. The plan was foiled when the other boyars rebelled: as noted by Cuza himself, they had support "from the whole country", obtaining Stavraki's removal and exile; Cuza then reconciled with the Prince, taking over as ''Stolnic''. He was simultaneously ''Stolnic'' and ''Vistier'' to 1763, also serving as the ''

Ispravnic An ''ispravnic'' or ''ispravnik'' was, in the Danubian principalities, the title owned by a clerk or a boyar in charge of law enforcement in a certain county. Initially, during the middle ages, ''ispravnics'' were people who used to carry out the ...

'' of

Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate t ...

from 1761 to 1767. As the head of his house, Ioniță was ''

ktitor ''Ktetor'' () or ''ktitor'' (; ka, ქტიტორი ; ), meaning 'founder', is a title given in the Middle Ages to the provider of funds for construction or reconstruction of an Eastern Orthodox church or monastery, for the addition of icon ...

'' of the Moldavian Orthodox church in

Negrești Negrești () is a town in Vaslui County, located in the eastern part of Western Moldavia, a traditional region of Romania. At the 2021 census it had a population of 7,530. Its name comes from distinguished nobleman Negrea, who had worked in the ...

. Recognized for his philanthropy, in 1762 he received from the widow Safta Racleș the neighboring village of Bârzești. Around that time, he engaged in litigation over land with Vasile Crudul of

Orhei Orhei (), also formerly known as Orgeev (), is a city, municipality and the administrative centre of Orhei District in the Moldova, Republic of Moldova, with a population of 21,065. Orhei is approximately north of the capital, Chișinău. Hist ...

, reportedly forcing the latter to seek a loan from

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

usurers Usury () is the practice of making loans that are seen as unfairly enriching the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is charged in ex ...

, who then wished to abduct his son as collateral. After 1770, Cuza himself became implicated in controversial credit ventures, earning the reputation of a usurer. The deeds he held in Negrești and Bârzești became the basis for a large Cuza domain, which also included Zăpodeni and Rebricea; he had inherited additional land in Cuzlău, as well as townhouses in Vaslui and Iași. Cuza married a daughter of ''Pitar'' Toader Râșcanu, Tudosica or Todosica (died 1775), with whom he had five sons and two daughters, whose birth dates he recorded in one of the few surviving private register of births. This matrimonial arrangement made him brothers-in-law with Constantin, Ioan and Alexandru Râșcanu.Mihai Sorin Rădulescu, "Genealogie și cultură. Grigore Gafencu, date genealogice", in ''

Contemporanul ''Contemporanul'' (''The Contemporary'') was a Romanian literary magazine published in Iaşi, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukrain ...

'', Issue 38/1991, p. 6 Of Ioniță and Tudosica's children, four sons are known to have survived into maturity: Nicolae (or Neculai), Arghirie, Gheorghe and Constantin. All were educated at home, by tutors from

Golia Monastery The Golia Monastery () is a Romanian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox fortified monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments in Romania, National Register of Historic Monuments. In 2 ...

. By 1767, Cuza was again in conflict with the Phanariote regime, which at the time was personified by prince

Grigore III Ghica Grigore III Ghica (1724 – 12 October 1777) was a prince of Moldavia and of Wallachia. Biography He was the son of Alexandru Matei Ghica, with the position of dragoman, who was beheaded by the Sublime Porte and nephew of Grigore II Ghica's b ...

. He and other boyars declared themselves outraged at being sidelined from major offices, and left the country on voluntary exile. The Ottoman envoy, or '' Kapucu'', intervened as mediator; the protesters returned after being promised reparations. Thus, Cuza himself returned to prominence. From 1769 to 1773, he served as ''

Paharnic The ''Paharnic'' (plural: ''Paharnici''; also known as ''Păharnic'', ''Paharnec'', or ''Păharnec''; Moldavian dialect: ''ceașnic'', , ''pakharnikos'', , ''paharnik'') was a Historical Romanian ranks and titles, historical Romanian rank, one of ...

'', ending his term under the early stages of a Russian occupation. These events created major problems for the family, which saw its Bessarabian estates, including Cozești, confiscated by Russia. The period saw Cuza working with other boyars to limit Phanariote abuses by resorting to Russian and Ottoman arbitration under the terms of Küçük Kaynarca. In August 1774, the boyars, gathered at

Focșani Focșani (; ) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. , it has a population of 66,719. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curvature Carpathians, at a point of ...

, nominated Cuza and Enachi Chirica as their envoys to

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, where they were to ask for Ghica's return as Prince.

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Abdul Hamid I Abdulhamid I or Abdul Hamid I (, ''`Abdü’l-Ḥamīd-i evvel''; ; 20 March 1725 – 7 April 1789) was the 27th sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1774 to 1789. A devout and pacifist sultan, he inherited a bankrupt empire and sought military r ...

confirmed Ghica for the throne before they left, rendering their mission redundant.

Rebellion and execution

Cuza was appointed as Ghica's ''Spatharios'' later in 1774. The reign was nevertheless one of major setbacks, beginning with the forced cession of northern Moldavia, annexed by the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

and administered as part of Galicia–Lodomeria. The Prince was assassinated in 1777, with

Constantine Mourouzis Prince Constantine Demetrius Mourouzis (, ; 1730 – 1 May 1787) was a Phanariote Prince of Moldavia, and member of the Mourousis family. A remarkable polyglot, he spoke five languages: Greek, Latin, French, Arabic and Turkish. In 1761, he ...

taking his throne. Cuza preserved his rank and office, but began conspiring against the new monarch. As noted by historian Cristian Ploscaru, he and Manolache Bogdan formed a boyar "brotherhood" with figures such as Lupu Balș, Grigore Crupenschi, Constantin Greceanu, and Alexandru Neculce, with some additional involvement by Constantin Sturdza. Various foreign sources indicate that the project was of a Masonic inspiration, which would push the history of

Freemasonry in Romania Freemasonry in Romania traces its origins to the 18th century. Following an intricate history, all organised Freemasonry in the country ceased during the Communist era, although some lodges continued to operate in exile overseas. Freemasonry r ...

to 1770 or even before, to 1740. Scholar Giorge Pascu argues that, especially through Bogdan, the conspirators were tied to

Jean-Louis Carra Jean-Louis Carra (born on 9 March 1742 in Pont-de-Veyle and guillotined on 31 October 1793 in Paris) was a journalist and participant in the French Revolution. He played a key role in the Insurrection of 10 August 1792 that overthrew the monar ...

. A

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

adventurer in Moldavia, and a mordant critic of Prince Grigore, Carra revealed himself as belonging to the French Masonic chapters in 1790, but, Pascu argues, "had been won over by the Freemasonry from the very beginning of his 'career'." Giorge Pascu, "Din Duminică în Duminică. Un aventurier pripășit la curtea lui Grigore Al. Ghica Vodă, în 1775", in ''

Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...

'', March 6, 1939, p. 4 This claim is rendered with precaution by another scholar,

Neagu Djuvara Neagu Bunea Djuvara (; 18 August 1916 – 25 January 2018) was a Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. Biography Early life A native of Bucharest, he was descended from an aristocratic Aromanian famil ...

. Though he notes that Carra may have well been a Freemason, he argues that, given "his very short stay in Moldavia" and his "quite unfriendly" rapport with the locals, he could not have instigated a movement. Historian Cătălina Opaschi reports that documents showing Cuza's Masonic pledges were uncovered in 1883 in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, suggesting that the movement was of peninsular origin. A lodge called ''Marte'', obedient to the Russian branch of Freemasonry, existed at Iași from April 1772. According to Gorovei, Cuza's scheme involved deposing Mourouzis and placing Bogdan on the throne. Another historian,

Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet and playwright. Co-founder (in 1910) of the Democratic Nationalist Party (PND), he served as a member of Parliament ...

, attributes the initiative to a low-ranking boyar, Iordachi Darie Dărmănescu, Cuza and other boyars being only drawn in by their "politicking". Various other researches have also noted that Dărmănescu was a key figure in the import of

Enlightenment philosophy The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a European intellectual and philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained through rationalism and empirici ...

and modernizing political literature to Moldavia, while writer D. V. Barnoschi sees him as the founder of Romanian liberalism."Figuri revoluționare. Conferința d-lui D. V. Barnoschi la sala Dalles", in ''

Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...

'', May 27, 1937, p. 2 Mourouzis was informed of the Bogdan–Cuza–Dărmănescu intrigue, and retaliated: Bogdan and Cuza were apprehended and interrogated under torture by another ''Spatharios'', Constantin Caragea. Exposed to a similar treatment, Dărmănescu admitted to having sent a letter to the Ottoman authorities in Bender, asking for arbitration against Mourouzis. He also incriminated Cuza, who was one of the boyars to have signed that document. Historian

A. D. Xenopol Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol (; March 23, 1847 – February 27, 1920) was a Romanian historian, philosopher, professor, economist, sociologist, and author. Among his many major accomplishments, he is credited with authoring the first major synthes ...

notes that Cuza was mainly targeted not for actually siding with Bogdan, but for having protested against the

Ottoman army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

's raids in Moldavia. Prince Mourouzis had also found the Ottoman presence unpalatable, but, Xenopol writes, regarded Cuza's additional complaints as dangerously excessive. Cuza and Bogdan spent their final days chained to a wall in a

dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably derives more from the Renaissance period. An oubliette (fr ...

at Iași's princely court, facing the Bahlui River. The two boyars finally were decapitated on August 18, 1778. Contemporary records suggest that they were killed at night in the Bahlui dungeon; their executioner was a Captain Pavăl from Cosăuți, who then left the severed heads exposed for public viewing, "on a rug by the gate of the court". Dărmănescu received more clemency from the Prince: originally sentenced to have his right arm amputated, he was eventually dispatched to a monastery in

Târgu Ocna Târgu Ocna (; ) is a town in Bacău County, Romania. It administers two villages, Poieni and Vâlcele. The town is situated on the left bank of the Trotuș River, an affluent of the Siret, and on a branch railway which crosses the Ghimeș Pa ...

. Released before 1783, he dedicated himself to translating Masonic literature. Other participants were also given less violent punishments, following requests from the clergy: some, such as the boyars' physician Dracache Depasta, were exiled and had their estates confiscated. Carra, who continued to defy Ghica, was finally ordered to leave Moldavia in February 1776.

Legacy

Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romania ...

commemorated the ''Spatharios'' with a lengthy ballad, which was probably composed shortly after his execution. The fatherless family, including a nine-year old youngest son Ioan, was again left exposed to poverty and persecution—though an oral tradition, relayed by Alexandru Cantacuzino in 1856, has it that Prince Constantine lived to regret his violent deeds and, as one of his final acts, "gave back to the Bogdan and Cuza children their confiscated assets". Gheorghe Cuza (1762–1831), who inherited Bârzești, also held the office of ''Spatharios'' in 1813; married to Ralu Alcaz, he had a daughter, Ecaterina Cuza-Vârnav (died 1872). A second-generation liberal, he continued his father's feud with the

Mourouzis family The House of Mourouzis () or Moruzi (, Muruzi) is the name of an old and distinguished noble family which was first mentioned in the Empire of Trebizond, whose members later occupied many important positions within Ottoman Empire, Wallachia, M ...

, as well as the penchant for conspiratorial "anti-Greek" politics. In 1803, having made public his intention of taking the Moldavian throne for himself, he signed a protest against the incumbent, Alexander Mourouzis, who had him arrested. During the same interval, Russia reassigned his Bessarabian villages to the

Balș family The House of Balș is an old Moldavian noble family, whose origins can be traced back to the 15th century and whose members played important political roles in the history of Principality of Moldavia, Moldavia and later Kingdom of Romania, Romani ...

. Gheorghe and his brothers were instrumental in the process which led to the removal of Phanariote Princes, endorsing the nationalist memorandum of

Ioniță Sandu Sturdza Prince Ioan Sandu Sturdza or Ioniță Sandu Sturdza (1762 – 2 February 1842) was the ruler (hospodar) of Moldavia from 21 June 1822 to 5 May 1828. Biography Sturdza is considered the first indigenous ruler with the end of Phanariote rule (as ...

, who then became Prince. Gheorghe then had a conflict with Sturdza: supporting the constitutionalist

Ionică Tăutu Ionică Tăutu (usual rendition of Ion Tăutu; 1798–1828) was a Moldavian low-ranking boyar, Enlightenment-inspired pamphleteer, and craftsman ("an engineer by trade", according to Alecu Russo).Russo, VI Constitutional project The last in a ...

, he was detained for a while at

Pângărați Pângărați is a commune in Neamț County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Oanțu, Pângărați, Pângărăcior, Poiana, Preluca, and Stejaru. The commune is located in the central-western part of the county, in an are ...

. The Cuza properties suffered damages in 1821, when the

Ottoman army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...

followed the Sacred Band on Moldavian territory. They were later passed on to Gheorghe's son-in-law, ''Vornic'' Costachi Vârnav (distantly related to the politician

Scarlat Vârnav Scarlat Vasile Vârnav, or Sofronie Vârnav (also known as Charles Basile Varnav, Charles de Wirnave, Varnavu or Vîrnav; died ), was a Moldavian and Romanian political figure, philanthropist, collector, and Romanian Orthodox Church, Orthodox cle ...

). Arghirie (1758–1826) and his wife Ileana Kostaki were based in

Hotin County Hotin County was a county ( ținut is Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, județ after) in the Principality of Moldavia (14th-18th centuries), the Governorate of Bessarabia (1812–1917), the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–1918), and the K ...

, from 1812 annexed to Russia, alongside other parts of Moldavia, as the

Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its administrative centre in Kishinev (Chișinău). It consisted of an area of and a population of 1,935,412 inhabitants. The Bessarabia Governorate bordered t ...

. The couple's two daughters married, respectively, into the Rosetti and Miclescu families. Constantin, who remained in Vaslui, became through his marriage the uncle of poet

Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri (; 21 July 182122 August 1890) was a Romanian patriot, poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Roma ...

. Gheorghe, Arghirie and Constantin's male lines were extinguished before 1850, but the one starting with Nicolae Cuza (1755–1806) survived into the 20th century. With his Greek wife Nastasia Ziloti, Nicolae had sons Gheorghe (1780–1835) and Ioan (1785–1848); a third, Grigore (1800–1869), died childless. Ioan and Grigore both held offices as ''Ispravnici'' under the ''

Regulamentul Organic ''Regulamentul Organic'' (, ; ; )The name also has plural versions in all languages concerned, referring to the dual nature of the document; however, the singular version is usually preferred. The text was originally written in French, submitt ...

'' regime, but were liberals, deeply involved in the

Moldavian revolution of 1848 The Moldavian Revolution of 1848 is the name used for the unsuccessful Romanian liberal and Romantic nationalist movement inspired by the Revolutions of 1848 in the principality of Moldavia. Initially seeking accommodation within the political ...

. From 1851, Grigore served as Moldavia's Minister of Education, in which capacity he pushed for both institutional modernization and Romanian nationalism. During this epoch, Ioan Cuza used a seal which showed a sabred figure—presumed by Iftimi to have represented ancestor Ioniță. He married a Phanariote lady, Sultana Cozadini (1785–1865), impoverished member of the Gozzadini and Scanavis families, with roots leading back into the

Duchy of the Archipelago The Duchy of the Archipelago (, , ), also known as Duchy of Naxos or Duchy of the Aegean, was a maritime state created by Venetian interests in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea, in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, centered on the i ...

. Ioan and Sultana were parents to the most distinguished Cuza of the 19th century, Alexandru Ioan. A Colonel in the

Moldavian military forces Moldavia had a military force for much of its history as an independent and, later, autonomous principality subject to the Ottoman Empire (14th century-1859). Army Middle Ages Under the reign of Stephen the Great, all farmers and villagers had ...

and participant in the 1848 revolt, he became friends and fellow inmates with Alecu Moruzi, who was a grandson of Prince Constantine. Cuza sided with the

National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...

in the ad-hoc Divan. That assembly elected him Moldavian Prince, then ''

Domnitor ''Prince Domnitor'', in full ''Principe Domnitor'' (Romanian pl. ''Principi Domnitori'') was the official title of the ruler of Romania between 1862 and 1881. It was usually translated as "prince regnant" in English and most other languages, ...

'' of the

United Principalities The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (), commonly called United Principalities or Wallachia and Moldavia, was the personal union of the Moldavia, Principality of Moldavia and the Wallachia, Principality of Wallachia. The union was ...

(nucleus of modern Romania), in 1859. In its validation of the election, the Divan informed Cuza that the country had a "debt of honor to your family", and that it wished to "compensate the blood your ancestors have shed for the noble liberties".

Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian Liberalism, liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on Octo ...

, "Cuvîntu în contra alegeriĭ și a eligibilitățiĭ D-luĭ Alecsandru C. Morud̦i", in ''Românul, Românulŭ'', December 26, 1861, p. 1136 In late 1861,

Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian Liberalism, liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on Octo ...

reminded deputies of this pledge, as part of a speech against Alecu Moruzi, who was at the time Moldavia's Prime Minister, and who, Kogălniceanu alleged, was not a Moldavian national. The allusion was picked up by ''Românul, Românulŭ'' newspaper, who noted that Kogălniceanu was directly referring to Ioniță's killing. A dispute erupted between Kogălniceanu and Grigore Cuza, who defended Moruzi's nationality rights—this paradox was also highlighted in ''Românulŭ''. According to historian Gheorghe Ghibănescu, Ioniță and his sons were "planted" in the Moldavian soil, a "trunk" for Alexandru Ioan's growth. The latter was allegedly a Freemason, though the circumstances of his initiation remain unclear. However, shortly before the Monstrous coalition, 1866 coup which toppled him, the ''Domnitor'' surrounded himself mostly with his Cozadini relatives, who became a ''camarilla''; Alecu Moruzi also remained close to this circle. Alexandru Ioan Cuza's line existed for one more generation after his death in exile, ending in March 1890, when his surviving son, the pretender Alexandru Al. Ioan Cuza, Alexandru "Sașa" Cuza, died in Madrid. He had been married to Alecu Moruzi's daughter Maria—a matter which stirred much controversy, particularly after she took ownership of Cuza estates. The ''Domnitor''s uncle Gheorghe (the second) was the grandfather of the Bessarabian opera singer Valentina Cuza-Bleichmann, as well as of another political figure,

A. C. Cuza Alexandru C. Cuza (8 November 1857 – 3 November 1947), also known as A. C. Cuza, was a Romanian far-right politician and economist. Early life Cuza was born in Iași into a family of mixed Armenian-Greek origins. He was the grandson of Moldav ...

. Originally a socialist, the latter Cuza first achieved notoriety in 1910, when he put out the "first publicly antisemitic program". He founded the National-Christian Defense League, then the National Christian Party. The latter group also involved his son, also named Gheorghe Cuza, Gheorghe. A published sonneteer, and son-in-law of politician Iancu Flondor, he vied with other figures for control of the antisemitic movement from 1935. Both father and son were directly involved in persecuting the History of the Jews in Romania, Romanian Jews, in particular during and after the 1941 Iași pogrom. By then, the 1778 conspiracy had been revisited by Barnoschi, with a novel which appeared in early 1937. Of the landmarks still associated with Ioniță, the manor in Bârzești was purchased in 1892 by the Ioanid family. It was Nationalization in Romania, nationalized, then demolished, under the Communist Romania, communist regime.Popa & Rotaru, pp. 141, 144

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuza, Ionita 1710s births 1778 deaths 18th-century Moldavian people 18th-century diplomats 18th-century soldiers Spatharii of Moldavia Postelnici of Moldavia Stolnici of Moldavia Romanian rebels Romanian nationalists Romanian Freemasons Eastern Orthodox Christians from Romania 18th-century philanthropists Romanian philanthropists Prisoners and detainees of the Crimean Khanate Romanian torture victims 18th-century executions People executed by Moldavia by decapitation People executed for treason against Moldavia