Vlad Călugărul
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Vlad IV Călugărul ("Vlad IV the Monk"; prior to 1425 – September 1495) was the Prince of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
in 1481 and then from 1482 to 1495.


Context of his reign

His father Vlad Dracul had previously held the throne, as had his brothers Mircea II and Radu the Handsome, and lastly Vlad III Dracula. The 15th century was a very volatile time in Wallachia, with the throne passing first from one then to another of the many princes that desired it. Both of his younger brothers, Vlad III and Radu, had been hostages for a number of years to the Ottoman
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 ...
, having been offered up to the Ottoman court by their own father, Vlad Dracul, in exchange for the Ottoman's support of Vlad Dracul regaining his throne. His father had first gained the throne following the death of Vlad the Monk's uncle. Both his brothers Mircea II and Vlad III were able military commanders in the field, and both saw success in battle against the Ottomans. In 1447, his brother Mircea II and his father were both captured and brutally killed. Following this, Vlad III was placed on the throne by the Ottomans, but was forced off shortly thereafter by forces supported by John Hunyadi. This would begin a long quest by Vlad III to gain the throne, which he would do two more times. His longest time on the throne would be from 1456 to 1462, this being his reign of terror for which he would become best known, and which would lead to him being the inspiration for the
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'', by
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
. His brother Radu gained the throne because he was the second in the line of succession, losing it several times to Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân. Radu died in January 1475, as the result of a long bout with syphilis,Florescu, Radu R. & McNally, Raymond T. (1989). Dracula, prince of many faces: his life and his times. Little, Brown and Company. at which time Basarab naturally took the throne yet again, only to be forced off shortly thereafter in 1476 by Vlad III. Vlad III was killed in battle during December 1476, after which Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân was restored to the throne, only to be pushed off by Basarab Țepeluș cel Tânăr in November 1477. Vlad the Monk was a contender to his brother's throne as ruler of the
principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...
of Wallachia for many years, but he took no active part in fighting for the throne until near the end of Vlad III's lifetime.


Reign

In 1481, the same year
Mehmed II Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...
died, conflict between his two surviving sons, Bayezid II and Cem, erupted into open conflict. Vlad was now placed on the throne by Ștefan III of Moldavia, who had invaded
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
that June and routed Basarab IV at Râmnicu Vâlcea. Soon enough Basarab IV was again
Voivode of Wallachia This is a list of princes of Wallachia, from the first mention of a medieval polity situated between the Southern Carpathians and the Danube until the union with Moldavia in 1859, which unification of Moldavia and Wallachia, led to the creation of ...
, with Ottoman support. Ștefan made a last attempt to secure his influence in Wallachia, and within the year Basarab lost the throne again, after which he would reign until 1495. Although Vlad IV was restored, he was soon forced to accept the Sultan's suzerainty. In 1495, he helped build St. Nicholas Church, in
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
,
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. There is nothing historically that suggests his death that same year was anything other than natural. His fairly long reign by comparison to those before him was due in part to his having the support of Ștefan III of Moldavia. He was succeeded by his son, Radu cel Mare, who would reign until 1508, when he was ousted by his first cousin Mihnea cel Rău, son of Vlad the Impaler.


References


Bibliography

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External links


Wallachian Rulers
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vlad Calugarul 1495 deaths 15th-century princes of Wallachia House of Drăculești Year of birth unknown