Constantin Cantemir

Constantin and Antioh Cantemir

Constantin Cantemir (* 1612 ; † 1693 ) was Prince of Moldova from 1685 until his death .

Political activity

Cantemir came to the Moldovan throne in Iași at a very old age, at the age of 73 . He was considered very brave personally, but was remarkably illiterate (as the chronicler Ion Neculce writes, "... he had only learned to write his signature ..."). In the battles between Austrians, Poles and Turks, the prince's attitude could often only be described as opportunistic, as he originally secured the favor of Istanbul, but then communicated the Turks' plans to the Austrians and Poles. Nevertheless, he was always hostile to the Polish party within the principality.

Precisely because of his low level of education, Cantemir set great store by giving his sons Antioh and Dimitrie a good education. Dimitrie Cantemir later attempted to explain the murder of Miron Costins, who was on the Polish side, in 1691, which his father had initiated in the work "Vita Constantini Cantemiri", which was written in Latin .

assessment

Romania's historians still resent the execution of two brothers and high dignitaries, Velicico and Miron Costin, the latter - along with Ion Neculce and Grigore Ureche - one of the great chroniclers of this era. Cantemir did not return to the Ottoman camp until the intrigues of the Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu seriously threatened his rule.

In general, Cantemir's government represented a difficult time for the Danube Principality, the tribute payments to the High Porte reached record highs, and Tartar and Polish invasions devastated the country.

See also

• List of rulers of Moldova

Web links

• Genealogy of the Cantemirs

swell

1. ^ Ion Neculce: Dimitrie Cantemir și alți Cantemirești, in: România literară
2. ↑ Eugenia Popescu-Judetz: Prince Dimitrie Cantemir, Theorist and Composer of Turkish Music , Pan Yayıncılık, Istanbul 1999, ISBN 975-7652-82-2