Pârvu Cantacuzino

Pârvu or Pîrvu Cantacuzino (died 1769) was a high-ranking Wallachian boyar, ban of Oltenia, and anti-Ottoman rebellion leader who also briefly served as an officer in Russia's Imperial Army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. He was a member of the Cantacuzino family, and was joined in all of his political and military actions by his brother, the spătar Mihai, who succeeded him as ban.

Revolt

After the military conflict began in October 1768, Pârvu and his brother formed a small group of pro-Russian boyars in Bucharest, and welcomed Russian troops entering the city in November 1769.

When the Ottomans retook the Wallachian capital during spring, the Cantacuzinos, together with polkovnik Nazary Alexandrovych Karazin (the father of Vasyl Karazin), organized a group of volunteers and Cossacks which, on November 16, attacked and defeated the small Ottoman garrison and captured the ruling prince of Wallachia, Grigore III Ghica (who was later sent to Saint Petersburg).

Placed in command of a small Russian detachment, Pârvu Cantacuzino was ambushed by Ottoman troops in Comana (Giurgiu County), and killed in battle alongside all his men.

References

• Neagu Djuvara, Între Orient şi Occident. Ţările române la începutul epocii moderne, Humanitas, Bucharest, 1995, p.285
• Constantin C. Giurescu, Istoria Bucureştilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre, Ed. Pentru Literatură, Bucharest, 1966, p.98
• (Romanian) Constantin Razachevici, "Unde a fost mormântul lui Vlad Ţepeş?" in Magazin Istoric (an article which gives details on Cantacuzino's death and burial as indicative of customs that could help identify the grave of Vlad III Dracula)