This is a List of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of Romania.
Contents[hide] |
Dynastic rule is hard to ascribe, given the loose traditional definition of the ruling family (on principle, princes were chosen from any branch, including a previous ruler's bastard sons - being defined as os de domn - "of Voivode marrow", or as having hereghie - "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 1862, various systems combining election and appointment were put in practice. Moldavian rulers, like Wallachian and other Eastern European rulers, bore the titles of Voivode or/and Hospodar.
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.
The list is brought up to date for the first rulers, following the documented studies of Ştefan S. Gorovei[1] and Constantin Rezachevici.[2]
Portrait | Ruler | Began | Ended | Family | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dragoş | c. 1347 | c. 1354 | |||
Sas | c. 1354 | c. 1363 | son of Dragoş | ||
Bogdan I | c. 1363 | 1367 | Bogdan-Muşat | deposed Sas | |
Petru I | 1367 | 1368 | Bogdan-Muşat | grandson of Bogdan I, not the same as Petru Muşatin. | |
Ştefan | 1368 | 1368 | Bogdan-Muşat | grandson of Bogdan I, brother of Petru I | |
Laţcu | 1368 | 1375 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Bogdan I | |
Yuri Koriatovich | 1375 | 1375 | Gediminids | son of Karijotas; invited to Moldavia and then poisoned[3] | |
Petru I Muşatin | 1375 | 1391 | Bogdan-Muşat | possibly son of Costea | |
Roman I | 1391 | 1394 | Bogdan-Muşat | possibly son of Costea | |
Ştefan I | 1394 | 1399 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Roman I | |
Iuga | 1399 | 1400 | son of Roman I, deposed by intervention of Mircea of Wallachia | ||
Alexandru I cel Bun (Alexander the Kind) |
1400 | 1432 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Roman I, installed by Mircea | |
Iliaş I | 1432 | 1433 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule | |
Ştefan II | 1434 | 1435 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule | |
Iliaş I | 1435 | 1443 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule, jointly with Ştefan II | |
Ştefan II | 1436 | 1447 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule, until 1443 jointly with Iliaş; 1444–1445 jointly with Petru II | |
Petru II | 1444 | 1445 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule | |
Roman II | 1447 | 1448 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Iliaş | |
Petru II | 1448 | 1449 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Ciubăr Vodă | 1449 | 1449 | his name, literally Tub Voivode mentioned by Grigore Ureche | ||
Alexăndrel (Alexandru II) | 1449 | 1449 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Iliaş;1st rule | |
Bogdan II | 1449 | 1451 | Bogdan-Muşat | nephew of Alexandru cel Bun | |
Petru III Aron | 1451 | 1452 | Bogdan-Muşat | illegitimate son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule | |
Alexăndrel (Alexandru II) | 1452 | 1454 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Petru III Aron | 1454 | 1455 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Alexăndrel (Alexandru II) | 1455 | 1455 | Bogdan-Muşat | 3rd rule | |
Petru III Aron | 1455 | 1457 | Bogdan-Muşat | 3rd rule | |
Ştefan III cel Mare (Stephen the Great) |
1457 | 1504 | Bogdan-Muşat | son Bogdan II | |
Bogdan III cel Chior (Bogdan III The One-Eyed) |
1504 | 1517 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Stephen the Great; | |
Ştefan IV | 1517 | 1527 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Bogdan III; also called Ştefăniţă until 1523 under the regency of Luca Arbore, Gatekeeper of Suceava | |
Petru IV Rareş | 1527 | 1538 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Stephen the Great, 1st rule | |
Ştefan V Lăcustă (Stephen V Locust) |
1538 | 1540 | Bogdan-Muşat | grandson of Stephen the Great | |
Alexandru III Cornea | 1540 | 1541 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Bogdan III | |
Petru IV Rareş | 1541 | 1546 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Ilie II Rareş | 1546 | 1551 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Petru Rareş | |
Ştefan VI Rareş | 1551 | 1552 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Petru Rareş | |
Ioan I Joldea | 1552 | 1552 | |||
Alexandru IV Lăpuşneanu | 1552 | 1561 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Bogdan III; 1st rule | |
Ioan II Iacob Heraclid (Jacob Heraclides) |
1561 | 1563 | the Despot Vodă | ||
Ştefan VII Tomşa | 1563 | 1564 | |||
Alexandru IV Lăpuşneanu | 1564 | 1568 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Bogdan IV | 1568 | 1572 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru Lăpuşneanu | |
Ioan III cel Cumplit (John III the Terrible) |
1572 | 1574 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Ştefan IV; also called cel Viteaz) (the Brave) | |
Petru V Şchiopul (Peter V the Lame) |
1574 | 1577 | Drăculeşti | 1st rule | |
Ioan IV Potcoavă | November 1577 | December 1577 | Hetman, also called Ivan Pidkova, Nicoară Potcoavă or Ivan Sarpega | ||
Petru V Şchiopul | 1578 | 1579 | Drăculeşti | 2nd rule | |
Ioan V Sasul (John V the Saxon) |
1579 | 1582 | Bogdan-Muşat | illegitimate son of Petru Rareş | |
Petru V Şchiopul | 1582 | 1591 | Drăculeşti | 3rd rule | |
Aron Tiranul (Aaron the Tyrant) |
1591 | 1592 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru Lăpuşneanu; 1st rule | |
Alexandru V cel Rău (Alexander V the Wrongdoer) |
1592 | 1592 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Bogdan IV; also ruled Wallachia (1592–1593) | |
Petru VI Cazacul (Peter VI the Cossack) |
1592 | 1592 | Bogdan-Muşat | son of Alexandru Lăpuşneanu | |
Aron Tiranul (Aaron the Tyrant) |
1592 | 1595 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Ştefan VIII Răzvan | 1595 | 1595 | |||
Ieremia Movilă | 1595 | 1600 | Movileşti | grandson of Petru Rareş; 1st rule | |
Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) |
1600 | 1600 | Drăculeşti | also ruled Wallachia (1593–1600) and Transylvania (1599–1600) | |
Ieremia Movilă | 1600 | 1606 | Movileşti | 2nd rule | |
Simion Movilă | 1606 | 1607 | Movileşti | brother of Iremia Movilă | |
Mihail Movilă | 1607 | 1607 | Movileşti | son of Ieremia Movilă; 1st rule | |
Constantin Movilă | 1607 | 1607 | Movileşti | son of Ieremia Movilă; under the regency of his mother Elzbieta Csomortany de Losoncz; 1st rule | |
Mihail Movilă | 1607 | 1607 | Movileşti | 2nd rule | |
Constantin Movilă | 1607 | 1611 | Movileşti | under the regency of his mother; 2nd rule | |
Ştefan IX Tomşa | 1611 | 1615 | 2nd rule | ||
Alexandru VI Movilă | 1615 | 1616 | Movileşti | ||
Radu Mihnea | 1616 | 1619 | Drăculeşti | 1st rule | |
Gaspar Graziani | 1619 | 1620 | |||
Alexandru VII Iliaş | 1620 | 1621 | Bogdan-Muşat | nephew of Petru VI, Aron Tiranul and Bogdan IV; 1st rule | |
Ştefan IX Tomşa | 1621 | 1623 | 2nd rule | ||
Radu Mihnea | 1623 | 1626 | Drăculeşti | 2nd rule | |
Miron Barnovschi-Movilă | 1626 | 1629 | Movileşti | 1st rule | |
Alexandru VIII Coconul (Alexander the Child-Prince) |
1626 | 1629 | Drăculeşti | 1st rule | |
Moise Movilă | 1630 | 1631 | Movileşti | 1st rule | |
Alexandru VII Iliaş | 1631 | 1633 | Bogdan-Muşat | 2nd rule | |
Miron Barnovschi-Movilă | 1633 | 1633 | Movileşti | 2nd rule | |
Moise Movilă | 1633 | 1634 | Movileşti | 2nd rule | |
Vasile Lupu | 1634 | 1653 | 1st rule | ||
Gheorghe Ştefan | 1653 | 1653 | 1st rule | ||
Vasile Lupu | 1653 | 1653 | 2nd rule | ||
Gheorghe Ştefan | 1653 | 1658 | 2nd rule | ||
Gheorghe Ghica | 1658 | 1659 | Ghica | ||
Constantin Şerban | 1659 | 1659 | 1st rule | ||
Ştefan X Lupu | 1659 | 1661 | also called Papură-Vodă (Bullrush Voivode); 1st rule | ||
Constantin Şerban | 1661 | 1661 | 2nd rule | ||
Ştefan X Lupu | 1659 | 1661 | 2nd rule | ||
Eustratie Dabija | 1661 | 1665 | |||
Gheorghe Duca | 1665 | 1666 | 1st rule | ||
Iliaş III Alexandru | 1666 | 1668 | Bogdan-Muşat | The last member of the House of Bogdan-Muşat reigning in Moldavia; son of Alexandru VII | |
Gheorghe Duca | 1668 | 1672 | 2nd rule | ||
Ştefan XI Petriceicu | 1672 | 1673 | 1st rule | ||
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino | 1673 | 1673 | Cantacuzene | 1st rule | |
Ştefan XI Petriceicu | 1673 | 1674 | 2nd rule | ||
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino | 1674 | 1675 | Cantacuzene | 2nd rule | |
Antonie Ruset | 1675 | 1678 | Rosetti | ||
Gheorghe Duca | 1678 | 1683 | 3rd rule | ||
Ştefan XI Petriceicu | 1683 | 1684 | 3rd rule | ||
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino | 1684 | 1685 | Cantacuzene | 3rd rule | |
Constantin Cantemir | 1685 | 1693 | Cantemireşti | ||
Dimitrie Cantemir | 1693 | 1693 | Cantemireşti | 1st rule; deposed by Ottomans | |
Constantin Duca | 1693 | 1695 | 1st rule | ||
Antioh Cantemir | 1695 | 1700 | Cantemireşti | 1st rule | |
Constantin Duca | 1700 | 1703 | 2nd rule | ||
Chancellor Ioan Buhuş |
1703 | 1703 | 1st term | ||
Mihai Racoviţă | 1703 | 1705 | Racoviţă | 1st rule | |
Antioh Cantemir | 1705 | 1707 | Cantemireşti | 2nd rule | |
Mihai Racoviţă | 1707 | 1709 | Racoviţă | 2nd rule | |
Chancellor Ioan Buhuş |
1709 | 1710 | 2nd term | ||
Nicolae Mavrocordat | 1709 | 1710 | Mavrocordato | 1st rule | |
Dimitrie Cantemir | 1710 | 1711 | Cantemireşti | 2nd rule |
Portrait | Ruler | Began | Ended | Family | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caimacam Lupu Costachi |
1711 | 1711 | |||
Ioan Mavrocordat | 1711 | 1711 | Mavrocordato | ||
Nicolae Mavrocordat | 1711 | 1715 | Mavrocordato | 2nd rule | |
Mihai Racoviţă | 1715 | 1726 | Racoviţă | 3rd rule | |
Grigore II Ghica | 1726 | 1733 | Ghica | 1st rule | |
Constantin Mavrocordat | 1733 | 1735 | Mavrocordato | 1st rule | |
Grigore II Ghica | 1735 | 1739 | Ghica | 2nd rule | |
Russian occupation | 1739 | 1739 | Russo-Austrian-Turkish War (1735–1739) | ||
Grigore II Ghica | 1739 | 1741 | Ghica | 3rd rule | |
Constantin Mavrocordat | 1741 | 1743 | Mavrocordato | 2nd rule | |
Ioan Mavrocordat | 1743 | 1747 | Mavrocordato | 2nd rule | |
Grigore II Ghica | 1747 | 1748 | Ghica | 4th rule | |
Constantin Mavrocordat | 1748 | 1749 | Mavrocordato | 3rd rule | |
Iordache Stavrachi | 1749 | 1749 | |||
Constantin Racoviţă | 1749 | 1753 | Racoviţă | 1st rule | |
Matei Ghica | 1753 | 1756 | Ghica | ||
Constantin Racoviţă | 1756 | 1757 | Racoviţă | 2nd rule | |
Scarlat Ghica | 1757 | 1758 | Ghica | ||
Ioan Teodor Callimachi | 1758 | 1761 | Callimachi | ||
Grigore Callimachi | 1761 | 1764 | Callimachi | 1st rule | |
Grigore III Ghica | 1764 | 1767 | Ghica | 1st rule | |
Grigore Callimachi | 1767 | 1769 | Callimachi | 2nd rule | |
Constantin Mavrocordat | 1769 | 1769 | Mavrocordato | 4th rule | |
Russian occupation | 1769 | 1774 | Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) | ||
Grigore III Ghica | 1774 | 1777 | Ghica | 2nd rule | |
Constantin Moruzi | 1777 | 1782 | Mourousi | 4th rule | |
Alexandru Mavrocordat Delibey | 1782 | 1785 | Mavrocordato | ||
Alexandru Mavrocordat Firaris | 1785 | 1786 | Mavrocordato | ||
Alexandru Ipsilanti | 1786 | 1788 | Ypsilanti | ||
Austrian occupation | 1787 | 1791 | military commander: Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg | ||
Emanuel Giani Ruset | 1788 | 1789 | Rosetti | also called Manole or Manolache | |
Russian occupation | 1788 | 1791 | Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) | ||
Alexandru Moruzi | 1792 | 1792 | Mourousi | 1st rule | |
Mihai Suţu | 1793 | 1795 | Soutzos | also called Draco | |
Alexandru Callimachi | 1795 | 1799 | Callimachi | ||
Constantin Ipsilanti | 1799 | 1801 | Ypsilanti | ||
Alexandru Suţu | 1801 | 1802 | Soutzos | ||
Chancellor Iordache Conta |
1802 | 1802 | |||
Alexandru Moruzi | 1802 | 1802 | Mourousi | 2nd rule | |
Scarlat Callimachi | 1806 | 1806 | Callimachi | 1st rule | |
Alexandru Moruzi | 1806 | 1807 | Mourousi | 3rd rule | |
Russian occupation | 1806 | 1812 | Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) | ||
Bessarabia is placed under Imperial Russian rule in 1812. (See also President of Moldova, for the rulers of Moldova, a part of this territory which became independent in the 20th century.) |
|||||
Alexandru Hangerli | 1807 | 1807 | |||
Scarlat Callimachi | 1807 | 1807 | Callimachi | deposed by Russians | |
Caimacam Iordache Ruset-Roznovanu |
1807 | 1807 | Rosetti | ||
Caimacam Metropolitan Veniamin Costache |
1807 | 1812 | 1st term | ||
Scarlat Callimachi | 1812 | 1819 | Callimachi | ||
Mihail Suţu | 1819 | 1821 | Soutzos | ||
Stolnici Manu and Rizos-Nerulos |
1819 | 1819 | |||
Caimacam Metropolitan Veniamin Costache |
1821 | 1821 | 2nd term | ||
Filiki Eteria occupation | 1821 | 1821 | military commander: Alexander Ypsilantis | ||
Caimacam Stefan Bogoridi (Ştefan Vogoride) |
1821 | 1822 | |||
Ioan Sturdza | 1822 | 1828 | |||
Russian occupation | 1828 | 1834 | military commanders: Fyodor Pahlen, Pyotr Zheltukhin, and Pavel Kiseleff | ||
Organic Statute government (1832–1856) | |||||
Mihail Sturdza | 1834 | 1849 | |||
Grigore Alexandru Ghica | 1849 | 1853 | Ghica | 1st rule | |
Russian occupation | 1853 | 1854 | Crimean War | ||
Grigore Alexandru Ghica | 1854 | 1856 | Ghica | 2nd rule | |
Protectorate established by the Treaty of Paris (1856–1859) | |||||
Extraordinary Administrative Council | 1856 | 1856 | |||
Caimacam Teodor Balş |
1856 | 1857 | |||
Caimacam Nicolae Vogoride |
1857 | 1858 | |||
Caimacams | 1858 | 1859 | Ştefan Catargiu, Vasile Sturdza and Anastasie Panu (Catargiu resigns in 1858 and is replaced by Ioan A. Cantacuzino) |
||
Alexander John Cuza | 1859 | 1862 | also ruled Wallachia in personal union | ||
Formal union of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1862. For later rulers, see Domnitor and King of Romania. |