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| Basarab II | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wallachia | |
| Reign | June 1442 – March 1443 |
| Predecessor | Mircea II |
| Successor | Vlad II Dracul |
| Born | unknown |
| Died | after 1443 |
| Issue | Basarab Țepeluș cel Tânăr |
| House | House of Dănești |
| Father | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Religion | Orthodox |
Basarab II was theVoivode of theprincipality ofWallachia (1442–1443), and the son of the former Wallachian rulerDan II of Wallachia. Basarab II ruled during a turbulent time in Wallachia, now part of present-dayRomania, with his rule falling between that of the father and son rule ofVlad Dracul andMircea II. His reign was extremely short, as during that period only the strongest could retain their hold on the region for any great length of time. He took over as ruler in August 1442, holding on to it only until the Autumn of 1443, when Vlad Dracul forced him out.
During that time, the power of theOttoman Empire became stronger with each year, making them a constant threat to independent Wallachia. Anyone who ruled Wallachia had not only the Ottomans to deal with, but the internal conflicts of their own people. Politics had to be juggled between maintaining good relations with theHungarian Kingdom, who were often needed as powerful allies against the invasions of the Ottomans, as well as maintaining at least semi-friendly relations with the Ottomans themselves.
In 1442, Hungarian heroJohn Hunyadi defeated the Ottomans in battle, and placed Basarab II in power, forcing Vlad Dracul and his family to flee. However, the following year Vlad Dracul regained the throne with Ottoman support, based on a newtreaty that had the conditions that he make the usual annual tribute, in addition to sending Wallachian boys each year to be trained for service in the Ottoman army. To further show his loyalty, he sent to theSultan two of his sons,Vlad Țepeș andRadu cel Frumos, as hostages. The elder of the two boys would go on to become the inspiration for thenovelDracula, byBram Stoker. Basarab II was not killed by Vlad Dracul when the latter restored his rule, however he would be buried alive during the second reign of Vlad Tepes.
Basarab II of Wallachia Born: before 1442 Died: 1458 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Voivode of Wallachia 1442–1443 | Succeeded by |