List of princes 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 led to the creation of Romania.

Notes

Dynastic rule is hard to ascribe, given the loose traditional definition of the ruling family. On principle, princes were chosen from any family branch, including a previous ruler's bastard sons, being defined as os de domn, "of Voivode marrow", or as having heregie, "heredity" (from the Latin hereditas); the institutions charged with the election, dominated by the boyars, had fluctuating degrees of influence. The system itself was challenged by usurpers, and became obsolete with the Phanariote epoch, when rulers were appointed by the Ottoman Sultans; between 1821 and 1878 (the date of Romania's independence), various systems combining election and appointment were put in practice. Wallachian rulers, like the Moldavian rulers, bore the titles of Voivode ("duke") or/and Hospodar ("lord, master"); when writing in Romanian, the term Domn (from the Latin dominus) was used.

Most rulers did not use the form of the name they are cited with, and several used more than one form of their own name; in some cases, the ruler was only mentioned in foreign sources. The full names are either modern versions or ones based on mentions in various chronicles.

List

Early rulers

House of Basarab

Ruler	Years	Family	Marriage	Notes
Radu Negru	c. 1290 – 1310		Unknown	Radu Negru is legendary voivode of Wallachia; some historians consider it to be just a nickname of Thocomerius or Basarab I.
Basarab I the Founder (Basarab I Întemeietorul)	c. 1310 – 1352	Basarab	Margaret two children	son of Thocomerius; first non-legendary ruler of Wallachia.
Nicolae Alexandru	1352–1364	Basarab	Maria Lackfy five children Clara Dobokai two children Margareta Dabkai no children	son of Basarab I
Vladislav I Vlaicu-Vodă	c. 1364 – 1377	Basarab	unknown	son of Nicolae Alexandru
Radu I	c. 1377 – 1383	Basarab	Anna one child Kalinikia c.1354 or 1355 two children	son of Nicolae Alexandru
Dan I	c. 1383 – 1386	Dănești	Maria of Serbia one child	son of Radu I
Mircea I the Elder (Mircea I cel Bătrân)	1386–1394 1397–1418	Basarab	Maria Tolmay six children Anca no children	Son of Radu I. Wallachia reached one of its peaks. Was deposed by a usurper, Vlad.
Vlad I the Usurper (Vlad I Uzurpatorul)	1394–1397	Dănești	Unknown	second son of Dan I, usurped the throne
Mihail I	1418–1420	Basarab	unknown two children	Son of Mircea cel Bătrân, co-ruled with his father since 1415.
Radu II the Bald (Radu II Praznaglava)	1420–1422 1426–1427	Basarab	unknown	Son of Mircea cel Bătrân
Dan II	1422–1426 1427–1431	Dănești	unknown five children	Son of Dan I, member of the Order of the Dragon
Alexandru I Aldea	1431–1436	Basarab	unknown	son of Mircea cel Bătrân
Vlad II the Dragon (Vlad II Dracul)	1436–1442 1443–1447	Drăculești	unknown one child Cneajna of Moldavia three children	illegitimate son of Mircea cel Bătrân; member of the Order of the Dragon (thus Dracul); While in negotiations outside Wallachia with the Ottoman Empire, his son Mircea was named prince. He returned to the throne in 1443, winning against John Hunyadi, and deposing also Basarab II. He was assassinated in 1447.
Mircea II the Younger (Mircea al II-lea cel Tânăr)	1442	Drăculești	Unmarried	son of Vlad II Dracul, sometimes not counted; he ruled while his father was absent, on his way to pay the tribute to the Ottoman Empire; Deposed by John Hunyadi. Returned in 1446, co-ruling with his father. He was blinded and buried alive by Hunyadi in 1447.
Basarab II	1442–1443	Dănești	Maria (Dobra) two children	son of Dan II; Placed in the throne by John Hunyadi, in war with Vlad II.
Vladislav II	1447–1448 1448–1456	Dănești	Neacşa one child	son of Dan II; supported by John Hunyadi, Regent of Hungary; The way he came to the throne is debatable, but the most accepted is that he killed Vlad II, and was then replaced in the throne by Hunyadi. Returned in 1448, after deposing Vlad the Impaler, and ruled again until his death in a combat hand-to-hand against Vlad III, who retook the throne
Vlad III the Impaler (Vlad al III-lea Țepeș)	1448 1456–1462 1476	Drăculești	Justina Szilágyi Between 1475 and 1476	son of Vlad II Dracul, invaded Wallachia while Vladislav was away, in battle against the Ottomans; Deposed in the next year by Hunyadi. Returned in 1456, after killing Vladislav II in battle. Deposed again in 1462.
Radu III the Fair (Radu cel Frumos)	1462–1473 1473–1474 1474 1474–1475	Drăculești	Maria one child	son of Vlad II Dracul; From 1473 in war with Basarab III.
Basarab III Laiotă the Old (Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân)	1473 1474 1474 1475–1476 1476–1477	Dănești	Unmarried	son of Dan II; In war against Radu III;1st rule
Basarab IV The Younger, The Little Impaler (Basarab IV Țepeluș cel Tânăr)	1477–1481 1481–1482	Dănești	Maria one child	son of Basarab II
Mircea (II)	1480	Drăculești	Unknown	illegitimate son of Vlad II Dracul. Placed on the throne by Stephen the Great from July to November 1480.
Vlad IV the Monk (Vlad Călugărul)	1481 1482–1495	Drăculești	Rada Smaranda Before 1460 four children Maria Palaiologina 1487 one child	son of Vlad II Dracul
Radu IV the Great (Radu cel Mare)	1495–1508	Drăculești	Catherine of Zeta six children	son of Vlad Călugărul
Mihnea I the Bad (Mihnea cel Rău)	1508–1509	Drăculești	Smaranda no children Voica three children	son of Vlad III Țepeș
Mircea III Dracul	1509–1510	Drăculești	Maria of Serbia 1519 two children	son of Mihnea cel Rău
Vlad V the Younger (Vlad cel Tânăr)	1510–1512	Drăculești	Anca of Zeta Before 1508 one child	son of Vlad Călugărul; also known as Vlăduț
Neagoe Basarab	1512–1521	Craiovești	Milica of Serbia 1505 six children	possibly son of Pârvu Craiovescu or Basarab IV; The most accepted theory is that he claimed the throne as a son of Basarab IV, being in fact son of Pârvu. Cultural zenith in Wallachia.
Milica of Serbia (Regent)	1521–1522	Branković/ Craiovești	Neagoe Basarab 1505 six children	Regent in behalf of her son
Teodosie	1521–1522	Craiovești	Unmarried	under regency of his mother Milica Despina
Vlad (Dragomir) the Monk Vlad (Dragomir) Călugărul	1521	Drăculești	Unknown	possible son of Vlad the Younger. Ruled from September to October 1521.
Radu V	1522–1523 1524 1524–1525 1525–1529	Drăculești	Voica of Bucsani three children Ruxandra of Wallachia After 1525 no children	illegitimate son of Radu cel Mare; allied with Craiovești
Vladislav III	1523 1524 1525	Dănești	Unknown	nephew of Vladislav II
Radu VI Bădica	1523–1524	Drăculești	Unknown	son of Radu IV the Great.
Basarab VI	1529		Unknown	Non-dynastic; Son of Mehmed-bey
Moise	1529–1530	Dănești	Unknown	son of Vladislav III. Last of the Dănești.
Vlad VI the Drowned (Vlad Înecatul)	1530–1532	Drăculești	Anna of Moldavia 1531 no children	son of Vlad cel Tânăr
Vlad VII Vintilă de la Slatina	1532–1535	Drăculești	Zamfira one child Rada one child	son of Radu cel Mare
Radu VII Paisie	1535–1545	Drăculești	Stana three children Ruxandra of Wallachia c.1541 three children	son of Vlad Vintilă de la Slatina
Mircea V the Shepherd (Mircea Ciobanul)	1545–1552 1553–1554 1558–1559	Drăculești	Chiajna of Moldavia June 1546 seven children	son of Radu IV.
Radu VIII Ilie the Cowherd (Radu Ilie Haidăul)	1552–1553	Drăculești	Unknown	son of Radu de la Afumați
Pătrașcu the Good (Pătrașcu cel Bun)	1554–1558	Drăculești	Voica of Slatioare four children	son of Radu Paisie
Chiajna of Moldavia (regent)	1559–1564	Drăculești	Mircea V June 1546 seven children	Regent on behalf of her son.
Petru I the Younger (Petru cel Tânăr)	1564–1568	Drăculești	Jelena Crepovic of Transylvania 22 August 1563 one child	son of Mircea Ciobanul
Alexandru II Mircea	1568–1574 1574–1577	Drăculești	Catherine Salvaresso 1558 Pera one child	Son of Mircea III Dracul; popularly called Oaie Seacă (Barren Sheep); in 1574 was expelled by Vintilă, but returned in that same year to the throne.
Vintilă	1574	Drăculești	Unknown	son of Petru Pătrașcu cel Bun
Catherine Salvaresso (regent)	1577–1583	Salvaresso/Drăculești	Alexandru II Mircea 1558 Pera one child	Regent on behalf of her son, Mihnea II. Deposed by Peter II.
Petru II of the Earring (Petru Cercel)	1583–1585	Drăculești	Unmarried	son of Petru Pătrașcu cel Bun
Mihnea II the Turk (Mihnea Turcitul)	1585–1591	Drăculești	Neaga de Cislau June 1582 three children	Paid for the assassination of his usurper. Returned and ruled alone.

House of Basarab, with interventions of Bogdan-Muşat and Movilești dynasties

Ruler	Years	Family	Notes
Ștefan I Surdul (Stephen the Deaf)	1591–1592	Bogdan-Muşat
Alexandru III cel Rău (Alexander III the Bad)	1592–1593	Bogdan-Muşat	also ruled Moldavia (1592)
Mihail II Viteazul (Michael II the Brave)	1593–1600	Drăculești	according to some, the illegitimate son of Petru Pătrașcu cel Bun; also ruled Transylvania (1599–1600) and Moldavia (1600), briefly bringing the three principalities under a personal union.
Nicolae Pătrașcu	1599–1600	Drăculești	Son of Michael II, co-ruled with his father since 1599.
Simion Movilă	1600–1601 1602	Movilești
Radu IX Mihnea	1601–1602 1611 1611–1616 1620–1623	Drăculești	son of Minhea II Turcitul
Radu X Șerban	1602–1610 1611		Nephew of Neagoe Basarab. 1st rule
Transylvanian occupation: direct rule of Gabriel Báthory (1611)
Gabriel Movilă	1616 1618-1620	Movilești	son of Simion Movilă
Alexandru IV Iliaș	1616–1618 1627-1629
Alexandru V Coconul (Alexander the Child-Prince)	1623–1627	Drăculești	son of Radu Mihnea
Leon Tomșa	1629–1632
Radu XI Iliaș	1632
Matei Basarab	1632–1654	Brâncovenești
Constantin I Șerban	1654–1658		illegitimate son of Radu Șerban
Mihnea III	1658–1659

Pre-Phanariote period

The Ottoman influence in the Wallachian rulers' election grows from the mid-17th century onward. From 1659, the rulers elected are mostly scions of Greek families, and increasingly less linked to the original Wallachian ruling family. The process reached its peak with the called Phanariote period (1715-1859), where, between the rulers, there was already no connection (or a very distant one) with the dynasty of Basarab.

Various dynasties

Ruler	Years	Family
Gheorghe Ghica	1659–1660	Ghica
Grigore Ghica I	1660–1664 1672–1673	Ghica
Radu Leon	1664–1669
Antonie Vodă din Popeşti	1669–1672
Gheorghe Ducas	1673–1678
Șerban Cantacuzino	1678–1688	Cantacuzene
Constantin Brâncoveanu	1688–1714	Brâncovenești
Ștefan Cantacuzino	1714–1715	Cantacuzene

Phanariotes (1715–1821)

Ruler	Years	Family	Notes
Nicolae Mavrocordat	1715–1716 1719-1730	Mavrocordato
Habsburg occupation (1716)
Ioan Mavrocordat	1716–1719	Mavrocordato
Constantin Mavrocordat	1730 1731–1733 1735–1741 1744–1748 1756–1758 1761–1763	Mavrocordato
Mihai Racoviță	1730–1731 1741–1744	Racoviță	1st rule
Grigore II Ghica	1733–1735 1748–1752	Ghica
Matei Ghica	1752–1753	Ghica
Constantin Racoviță	1753–1756 1763–1764
Scarlat Ghica	1758–1761 1765–1766	Ghica
Ștefan Racoviță	1764–1765	Racoviță
Alexandru I Ghica	1766–1768	Ghica
Russian occupation (1768)
Grigore III Ghica	1768–1769	Ghica
Russian occupation (1769-1770)
Emanuel Giani Ruset	1770–1771	Rosetti	also called Manole or Manolache
Alexander Ypsilantis	1774–1782	Ypsilanti	1st rule
Nicolae Caragea	1782–1783	Caradja
Mihai Suțu	1783–1786 1790–1793 1801-1802	Soutzos
Nicolae Mavrogheni	1786–1789
Habsburg occupation (1789-1790) Military commander: Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg
Alexandru Moruzi	1793–1796 1799–1801	Mourousi
Alexander Ypsilantis	1796–1797	Ypsilanti	2nd rule
Constantin Hangerli	1797–1799
Alexandru Suțu	1802	Soutzos
Constantin Ypsilanti	1802–1806	Ypsilanti
Russian occupation (1806-1812)
Ioan Gheorghe Caragea	1812–1818	Caradja
Caimacam Grigore Brâncovenu	1818		assisted by Vornic Barbu Văcărescu, Vistier Grigore Ghica and Logofăt Samurcaș
Alexandru Suțu	1818–1821	Soutzos
Caimacam Grigore Brâncoveanu	1821
Tudor Vladimirescu	1821		leader of the anti-Phanariote uprising
Scarlat Callimachi	1821	Callimachi
Grigore IV Ghica	1822–1828	Ghica
Russian occupation (1828-1834) Military commanders: Fyodor Pahlen, Pyotr Zheltukhin, and Pavel Kiseleff
Organic Statute government (1832–1856)
Alexandru II Ghica	1834–1842	Ghica
Gheorghe Bibescu	1842–1848	Craiovești / Brâncovenești / Știrbei / Bibescu
Provisional Government	1848		Metropolitan Neofit II, assisted by Christian Tell, Ion Heliade Rădulescu, Ștefan Golescu, Gheorghe Magheru, Gheorghe Scurti
Locotenența domnească (Regency of three)	1848		Christian Tell, Ion Heliade Rădulescu, Nicolae Golescu
Joint Russian and Ottoman occupation (1848-1851) Military commanders: Omar Pasha and Alexander von Lüders
Caimacam Constantin Cantacuzino	1848
Barbu Știrbei	1848–1853 1854–1856	Știrbei
Russian (1853-1854), Ottoman (1854) and Austrian occupations (1854-1856) military commander: Johann Coronini-Cronberg (1854-56)
Protectorate established by the Treaty of Paris (1856–1859)
Caimacam Alexandru II Ghica	1856–1858
Caimacam of three	1858–1859		Ioan Manu, Emanoil Băleanu, Ioan A. Filipescu
Alexander John Cuza	1862–1866		also ruled Moldavia in personal union. United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia since 1862.
Carol I	1866–1881	Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen	A new constitution came into effect in 1866 giving the country the official name Romania, and on 14 March (O.S.) (26 March) 1881, it became the Kingdom of Romania.
For later rulers, see Kings of Romania.

Bibliography

Constantin Rezachevici (2001). Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova: a. 1324-1881. Editura Enciclopedică. ISBN 9734503863.
Treptow, Kurt W. (2000). Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula. The Center of Romanian Studies. ISBN 973-98392-2-3.

External links

Rulers of Wallachia

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