List of rulers of Moldavia

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.

Notes

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 Ștefan S. Gorovei^[1] and Constantin Rezachevici.^[2]

List

Princes of Moldavia

House of Dragoș

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Remarks
	Dragoș	c. 1347	c. 1354	Described as an early ruler of Moldavia, he was sent there as a representative of king Louis I of Hungary to establish a line of defense against the Golden Horde, where he ruled.
	Sas	c. 1354	c. 1363	son of Dragoș
	Balc of Moldavia	c.	c.	son of Sas

House of Bogdan-Mușat

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Consort	Notes
	Bogdan I the Founder	c. 1363	1367	Maria three children	Deposed Sas
	Petru I	1367	July 1368	Unmarried	Grandson of Bogdan I [3]
	Lațcu	July 1368	1375	Anna before 1372 one child	Son of Bogdan I, deposed Petru I [3]
	Petru II Mușat	1375	December 1391	Sophia of Lithuania 1387 no children Olga of Warsaw 1388 no children	Son of Costea
	Roman I	December 1391	March 1394	Anastasia three children	Son of Costea
	Ștefan I	March 1394	28 November 1399	Unmarried	Son of Roman I
	Iuga (George I)	28 November 1399	29 June 1400	Unmarried	Son of Roman I, deposed by intervention of Mircea I of Wallachia
	Alexandru I the Good	29 June 1400	1 January 1432	Margareta of Losoncz 1394 two children Anna Neacsa of Podolsk 1405 three children Ringala of Lithuania 1419 (divorced 13 December 1421) no children Marina Bratul 1421 three children	Son of Roman I, installed by Mircea I of Wallachia
	Iliaș I	1 January 1432	October 1433	Maria Olshanki of Lithuania 23 October 1425 three children	Son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule
	Ștefan II	October 1433	4 August 1435	Unmarried	Illegitimate son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule (only de facto ruler till September 1434)
	Iliaș I	4 August 1435	May 1443	Maria Olshanki of Lithuania 23 October 1425 three children	2nd rule, jointly with Ștefan II
	Ștefan II	4 August 1435	13 July 1447	Unmarried	2nd rule, 4 August 1435 – May 1443 jointly with Iliaș; May 1444–1445 jointly with Petru III
	Petru III	May 1444	1445	An unknown sister of John Hunyadi before 1445 no children	1st rule, jointly with Ștefan II.
	Roman II	13 July 1447	22 August 1447	Unmarried	son of Iliaș; 1st rule
	Petru III	22 August 1447	23 December 1447	An unknown sister of John Hunyadi before 1445 no children	2nd rule
	Roman II	23 December 1447	between 23 February and 5 April 1448	Unmarried	2nd rule
	Petru III	5 April 1448	10 October 1448	An unknown sister of John Hunyadi before 1445 no children	3rd rule
	Csupor de Monoszló (Usurper)	10 October 1448	December 1448	Unknown	Non-dynastic. Born in Croatia, he was a Hungarian nobleman, commander of troops of John Hunyadi. He was sent in support of Petru III to depose his brother Roman, but Petru died suddenly two months later. Csupor ascended at the throne. His name, literally Tub Voivode was mentioned by Grigore Ureche.
	Alexandru II	December 1448	12 January 1449	Unmarried	son of Iliaș I; 1st rule
	Bogdan II	12 January 1449	15 October 1451	Oltea before 1433 six children	nephew of Alexandru the Good.
	Petru IV Aron	15 October 1451	24 February 1452	Unknown before 1455 one child	illegitimate son of Alexandru the Good; 1st rule
	Alexandru II	24 February 1452	22 August 1454	Unmarried	2nd rule
	Petru IV Aron	22 August 1454	between 8 December 1454 and 8 February 1455	Unknown before 1455 one child	2nd rule
	Alexandru II	8 February 1455	25 March 1455	Unmarried	3rd rule
	Petru IV Aron	25 March 1455	12 April 1457	Unknown before 1455 one child	3rd rule
	Ștefan III the Great	12 April 1457	2 July 1504	Eudokia Olelkovna of Lithuania 5 July 1463 Suceava three children Maria Asanina Palaiologina of Gothia 14 September 1472 Suceava four children Maria Voichița of Wallachia 1478 three children	Son of Bogdan II. In his reign Moldavia reaches its zenith.
	Bogdan III The One-Eyed	2 July 1504	22 April 1517	Anastasia 1510 no children Ruxandra of Wallachia 21 July 1513 no children	son of Ștefan III the Great;
	Luca Arbore (Regent)	22 April 1517	1523	Unknown	Gatekeeper of Suceava. Regent in the name of Stefan IV.
	Ștefan IV the Younger	1523	14 January 1527	Stana of Wallachia 1524 no children	Son of Bogdan III; also called Ștefăniță until 1523 under the regency of Luca Arbore, Gatekeeper of Suceava
	Petru V Rareș	14 January 1527	14 September 1538	Maria before 1529 four children Elena of Serbia 1530 four children	Illegitimate son of Stephen the Great, 1st rule
	Ștefan V Lăcustă	21 September 1538	20 December 1540	Chiajna before 1540 two children	grandson of Stephen the Great
	Alexandru III the Evil	21 December 1540	9 or 16 February 1541	Unmarried	son of Bogdan III
	Petru V Rareș	9 or 16 February 1541	2 or 3 September 1546	Maria before 1529 four children Elena of Serbia 1530 four children	2nd rule
	Ilie II Rareș	2 or 3 September 1546	30 May 1551	Unmarried	1st son of Petru Rareș
	Ștefan VI Rareș	30 May 1551	1 September 1552	Unmarried	2nd son of Petru Rareș
	Ioan I Joldea	between 4 and 12 September 1552	between 4 and 12 September 1552	Unmarried	Non-dynastic. Ruled 2 or 3 days in 1552.
	Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu	between 4 and 12 September 1552	30 November 1561	Ruxandra of Moldavia January 1556 fourteen children	Son of Bogdan III, brother of Ștefan IV; 1st rule
	Ioan II Iacob Heraclid (Jacob Heraclides)	18 November 1561	9 November 1563	A illegitimate daughter of Mircea IV of Wallachia no children	The Despot Vodă, non-dynastic.
	Ștefan VII Tomșa	9 August 1563	between 20 February and 10 March 1564	Unknown at least two children	Non-dynastic.
	Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu	between 20 February and 10 March 1564	9 March 1568	Ruxandra of Moldavia January 1556 fourteen children	Restored to the throne.
	Ruxandra of Moldavia (regent)	9 March 1568	November 1570	Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu January 1556 fourteen children	Widow of Alexander IV. Regent on behalf of her son.
	Bogdan IV	November 1570	15 February 1572	A princess from the Paniczewsk family 1571 one child	Son of Alexandru Lăpușneanu
	Ioan III the Terrible	15 February 1572	11 June 1574	Maria Semionovna of Rostov 1552 Moscow two children	Son of Ștefan IV; also called cel Viteaz) (the Brave)

Houses of Basarab (Drăculeşti line) and Bogdan-Muşat

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Family	Remarks
	Petru VI the Lame	1574	1577	Drăculești	1st rule
	Ioan IV Potcoavă	November 1577	December 1577		Hetman, also called Ivan Pidkova, Nicoară Potcoavă or Ivan Sarpega. Non-dynastic.
	Petru VI the Lame	1578	1579	Drăculești	2nd rule
	Ioan V the Saxon	1579	1582	Bogdan-Mușat	illegitimate son of Petru Rareș
	Petru VI the Lame	1582	1591	Drăculești	3rd rule
	Aaron I the Tyrant	1591	1592	Bogdan-Mușat	son of Alexandru Lăpușneanu; 1st rule
	Alexandru V the Wrongdoer	1592	1592	Bogdan-Mușat	son of Bogdan IV; also ruled Wallachia (1592–1593)
	Petru VII the Cossack	1592	1592	Bogdan-Mușat	son of Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu
	Aaron I the Tyrant	1592	1595	Bogdan-Mușat	2nd rule
	Ștefan VIII Răzvan	1595	1595

Houses of Basarab (Drăculești line) and Movilești

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Family	Remarks
	Ieremia Movilă	1595	1600	Movilești	grandson of Petru Rareș; 1st rule
	Mihail I Viteazul (Michael I the Brave)	1600	1600	Drăculești	also ruled Wallachia (1593–1600) and Transylvania (1599–1600)
	Ieremia Movilă	1600	1606	Movilești	2nd rule
	Simion Movilă	1606	1607	Movilești	brother of Iremia Movilă
	Mihail II Movilă	1607	1607	Movileşti	son of Ieremia Movilă; 1st rule
	Constantin I Movilă	1607	1607	Movilești	son of Ieremia Movilă; under the regency of his mother Elzbieta Csomortany de Losoncz; 1st rule
	Mihail II Movilă	1607	1607	Movilești	2nd rule
	Constantin I Movilă	1607	1611	Movilești	under the regency of his mother; 2nd rule
	Ștefan IX Tomșa	1611	1615		1st rule
	Alexandru VI Movilă	1615	1616	Movilești
	Radu Mihnea	1616	1619	Drăculești	1st rule
	Gaspar Graziani	1619	1620

Various dynasties

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Family	Remarks
	Alexandru VII Iliaş	1620	1621	Bogdan-Mușat	nephew of Petru VI, Aron Tiranul and Bogdan IV; 1st rule
	Ștefan IX Tomșa	1621	1623		2nd rule
	Radu Mihnea	1623	1626	Drăculești	2nd rule
	Miron Barnovschi-Movilă	1626	1629	Movilești	1st rule
	Alexandru VIII Coconul (Alexander the Child-Prince)	1626	1629	Drăculești	1st rule
	Moise Movilă	1630	1631	Movilești	1st rule
	Alexandru VII Iliaș	1631	1633	Bogdan-Mușat	2nd rule
	Miron Barnovschi-Movilă	1633	1633	Movilești	2nd rule
	Moise Movilă	1633	1634	Movilești	2nd rule
	Vasile Lupu	1634	1653		1st rule
	Gheorghe II Ștefan	1653	1653		1st rule
	Vasile Lupu	1653	1653		2nd rule
	Gheorghe II Ștefan	1653	1658		2nd rule
	Gheorghe III Ghica	1658	1659	Ghica
	Constantin Șerban	1659	1659		1st rule
	Ștefan X Lupu	1659	1661		also called Papură-Vodă (Bullrush Voivode); 1st rule
	Constantin Șerban	1661	1661		2nd rule
	Ștefan X Lupu	1659	1661		2nd rule
	Eustratie Dabija	1661	1665
	Gheorghe IV Duca	1665	1666		1st rule
	Iliaș III Alexandru	1666	1668	Bogdan-Mușat	The last member of the House of Bogdan-Mușat reigning in Moldavia; son of Alexandru VII
	Gheorghe IV Duca	1668	1672		2nd rule
	Ștefan XI Petriceicu	1672	1673		1st rule
	Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino	1673	1673	Cantacuzene	1st rule
	Ștefan XI Petriceicu	1673	1674		2nd rule
	Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino	1674	1675	Cantacuzene	2nd rule
	Antonie Ruset	1675	1678	Rosetti
	Gheorghe IV Duca	1678	1683		3rd rule
	Ștefan XI Petriceicu	1683	1684		3rd rule
	Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino	1684	1685	Cantacuzene	3rd rule
	Constantin Cantemir	1685	1693	Cantemirești
	Dimitrie Cantemir	1693	1693	Cantemirești	1st rule; deposed by Ottomans
	Constantin Duca	1693	1695		1st rule
	Antioh Cantemir	1695	1700	Cantemirești	1st rule
	Constantin Duca	1700	1703		2nd rule
	Chancellor Ioan Buhuș	1703	1703		1st term
	Mihail III Racoviță	1703	1705	Racoviță	1st rule
	Antioh Cantemir	1705	1707	Cantemirești	2nd rule
	Mihail III Racoviță	1707	1709	Racoviță	2nd rule
	Chancellor Ioan Buhuș	1709	1710		2nd term
	Nicolae Mavrocordat	1709	1710	Mavrocordato	1st rule
	Dimitrie Cantemir	1710	1711	Cantemirești	2nd rule

Phanariotes (1711–1821)

Portrait	Ruler	Began	Ended	Family	Remarks
	Caimacam Lupu Costachi	1711	1711
	Ioan Ι Mavrocordat	1711	1711	Mavrocordato
	Nicolae Mavrocordat	1711	1715	Mavrocordato	2nd rule
	Mihai III Racoviță	1715	1726	Racoviță	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 II Mavrocordat	1743	1747	Mavrocordato	son of Nicolae Mavrocordat and brother to Constantin Mavrocordat
	Grigore II Ghica	1747	1748	Ghica	4th rule
	Constantin Mavrocordat	1748	1749	Mavrocordato	3rd rule
	Iordache Stavrachi	1749	1749
	Constantin Racoviță	1749	1753	Racoviță	1st rule
	Matei Ghica	1753	1756	Ghica
	Constantin Racoviță	1756	1757	Racoviță	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
	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 Suțu	1793	1795	Soutzos	also called Draco
	Alexandru Callimachi	1795	1799	Callimachi
	Constantin Ipsilanti	1799	1801	Ypsilanti
	Alexandru Suțu	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	1810	Callimachi	2nd rule deposed by Russians
	Caimacam Iordache Ruset-Roznovanu	1807	1807	Rosetti
	Caimacam Metropolitan Veniamin Costache	1807	1812		1st term
	Scarlat Callimachi	1812	1819	Callimachi	3rd rule
	Mihail Suțu	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 (Ștefan 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 Balș	1856	1857
	Caimacam Nicolae Vogoride	1857	1858
	Caimacams	1858	1859		Ștefan 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.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princes of Moldavia.

• Constantin Rezachevici - Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova a. 1324 - 1881, Volumul I, Editura Enciclopedică, 2001,

• Rulers of Moldavia