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| Mircea the Elder | |
|---|---|
| Despot of Dobruja | |
 Mircea the Elder. Fresco in theEpiscopal Church ofCurtea de Argeș | |
| Voivode of Wallachia | |
| 1st reign | 23 September 1386 – November 1394 |
| Predecessor | Dan I of Wallachia |
| Successor | Vlad I of Wallachia |
| 2nd reign | January 1397 – 31 January 1418 |
| Predecessor | Vlad I of Wallachia |
| Successor | Michael I of Wallachia |
| Born | c. 1355 |
| Died | 31st of January 1418 (aged 62–63) |
| Burial | 4 February 1418 |
| Spouse | Doamna Mara Doamna Anca |
| Issue | Michael I of Wallachia Radu II Praznaglava Alexandru I Aldea Vlad II Dracul Ana of Wallachia Arina of Wallachia |
| House | Basarab |
| Father | Radu I of Wallachia |
| Mother | Doamna Calinichia |
| Religion | Orthodox Christian[1] |
Mircea the Elder (Romanian:Mircea cel Bătrân,pronounced[ˈmirtʃe̯atʃelbəˈtrɨn]ⓘ;c. 1355 – 31 January 1418) was theVoivode ofWallachia from 1386 until his death in 1418. He was the son ofRadu I of Wallachia and brother ofDan I of Wallachia, after whose death he inherited the throne.
After the death of his step-brother Dan I, Mircea takes over the throne in 1386, asWallachia, on one side, was going through a process of economic, administrative, religious development, but also of strengthening the army, and on the other side it was confronted with the expansion tendencies of theHungarian Kingdom and Poland, which were aiming at controlling the mouths of the Danube, but also those of theOttoman Empire in theBalkans.[2]
During the reign of Mircea the Elder,Wallachia controlled the largest area in its history, gainingDobruja in 1388, theBanate of Severin in 1388/9 and Podunavia (which is suspected to be theTimok Valley, or the name of the Danube river valley in Slavonic as stated in Mircea's letter"both sides of Danube"). In addition, he was also granted the fiefdoms ofAmlaș (Omlás) andFăgăraș (Fugurash) inTransylvania.
Thebyname "elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandsonMircea II ("Mircea the Younger"), although some historians believe the epithet was given to him as a sign of respect by later generations.[3] He is considered the most important Wallachian ruler during the Middle Ages and one of the great rulers of his era,[3] starting in the 19th century,Romanian historiography has also referred to him asMircea the Great (Mircea cel Mare).[4]
Mircea was the son ofvoivodeRadu I of Wallachia and his wife,Doamna Calinichia,[5] thus being a descendant of theHouse of Basarab.[6] He was the father ofMichael I of Wallachia,Radu II of Wallachia,Alexander I Aldea andVlad II Dracul, andgrandfather ofMircea II,Vlad Țepeș (Dracula),Vlad Călugărul andRadu cel Frumos,[citation needed] all of whom became rulers of Wallachia. Mircea II and Vlad Țepeș were both able military commanders (Vlad Țepeș became one of the most famous leaders in history, and is commonly believed to be the inspiration for thenovelDracula byBram Stoker).[citation needed] His daughter Arina married the Ottoman princeMusa Çelebi in 1403.
Mircea's reign is often considered to have brought stability to Wallachia. Found in a volatile region of the world, this principality's borders constantly shifted, but during Mircea's rule,Wallachia controlled the largest area in its history: from theSouthern Carpathians in the north to theDanube in the south, and from today'sIron Gates on theDanube in the west to theBlack Sea in the east.[7] Also Mircea's titles show his lands: "I, in Christ God, the faithful and charitable God and the loving and self-sacrificing Christ,Io Mircea, the great ruler and lord of God's mercy and the gift of God, ruling and reigning over all the land of Ungrovlahia [Wallachia] and the parts above the mountains, duke of the Tartar parts and ofAmlaș andFăgăraș, and the ruler of the Banat of Severin, and on both sides throughout Podunavia, even to the great sea and ruler ofDârstor's fortress."Mircea strengthened the power of the state and organized the different high offices, promoted economic development, increased the state's revenue, and minted silver money that enjoyed wide circulation not only inside the country but also in neighboring countries. He gave the merchants ofPoland andLithuania trade privileges and renewed those his predecessors had given to the people ofBrașov. As a result, Mircea was able to afford to increase his military power. He fortified theDanube citadels and strengthened "the great army" made up of townspeople and of free and dependent peasants. He also proved to be a great supporter for theEastern Orthodox Church.[8] Mircea the Elder is the first in the region to deal with slaves giving 300 gypsy dwellings to a monastery in 1388.[9]
While organizing the country and its institutions, Mircea also formed a system of lasting alliances which enabled him to defend the independence of the country.[citation needed] Through the intermediary ofPetru Mușat, the prince ofMoldavia, he concluded a treaty of alliance withWładysław II Jagiełło, king ofPoland in 1389.[10] The treaty was renewed in 1404 and 1410.[11] He maintained close relations withSigismund of Luxembourg, the king of Hungary, relying on their common interest in the struggle againstOttoman expansion.[12][13]
His interventions in support of theBulgarians south of the Danube who were fighting against theTurks brought him into conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In 1394,Bayezid I crossed theDanube river, leading 40,000 men, an impressive force at the time. Mircea had only about 10,000 men so he could not survive an open fight. He chose to fight what would now be called aguerrilla war, by starving the opposing army and using small, localized attacks and retreats (a typical form ofasymmetric warfare). On October 10, 1394, the two armies finally clashed at theBattle of Rovine, which featured a forested and swampy terrain, thus preventing theOttomans from properly spreading their army.[a] This famous battle was later epically described by the poetMihai Eminescu in hisThird Epistle. However, Mircea had to retreat to Hungary, while the Turks installedVlad Uzurpatorul on the throne of Wallachia.[22]
In 1396, Mircea participated in an anti-Ottoman crusade started byHungary's monarch. The crusade ended with the Ottoman victory at theBattle of Nicopolis on September 25.[16] In the next year, 1397, Mircea, having defeated Vlad the Usurper with help from theVoivode of Transylvania, Stibor,[23] stopped anotherOttoman expedition that crossed theDanube, and in 1400 he defeated yet another expedition ofTurks crossing the country.[24]
The defeat of SultanBeyazid I byTimur Lenk (Tamerlane) atAnkara in the summer of 1402 opened a period of anarchy in theOttoman Empire and Mircea took advantage of it to organize together with theHungarian king a campaign against the Turks. In 1404 Mircea was thus able to impose his rule onDobruja again. Moreover, Mircea took part in the struggles for the throne of theOttoman Empire and enabledMusa to ascend that throne (for a brief reign). It was at this time that the prince reached the height of his power.[25]
Towards the end of his reign, Mircea signed a treaty with theOttomans; in return for a tribute of 3,000 gold pieces per year, the Ottomans desisted from making Wallachia a province ("pashalik").[26]
The "bravest and ablest of the Christian princes", as he was described by German historianLeunclavius, ruled Wallachia for 32 years.[27] Mircea was aktetor, building among other monuments, theCozia Monastery near Călimănești in ca. 1390. He had churches built afterSerbian architectural styles, after the models of theLazarica Church,Veluće,Naupara, andKalenić monastery.[28]
Mircea was played bySergiu Nicolaescu in the 1989 filmMircea, which was also directed by Nicolaescu.[29]
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Mircea the Elder Born: 1355 Died: 1418 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Voivode of Wallachia 1386–1394/1395 | Succeeded by Vlad I Uzurpatorul (The Usurper) |
| Preceded by | restored as Voivode of Wallachia 1397–1418 | Succeeded by |
