Constantin Mavrocordat

Constantin Mavrocordat

Constantin Mavrocordat (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Μαυροκορδάτος ; * February 27, 1711 in Constantinople ; † November 23, 1769 in Iași ) was six times Gospodar (prince) of Wallachia and four times Gospodar of Moldova .

Life

Constantin Mavrocordat was born in Constantinople as the son of the Greek prince Nicolae Mavrocordat . He belonged to the Phanariotes , but grew up in the Danube principalities. Like his father, he was extremely learned and adhered to the enlightenment ideas of the 17th century. Mavrocordat was married twice, first with Smaranda Cantacuzino, who died in 1730, and later with Ecaterina Rosetti, with whom he had three sons.

He became prince through the direct election of the boyars . After two short reigns in Wallachia, the Sublime Porte transferred him to Moldova, which was much poorer than its southern neighbor. In order to be able to hold the throne in Iași, he immediately had to raise the taxes, which he obviously hated.

After two years he again took over the Principality of Wallachia, where he began to carry out reforms in Little Wallachia under the influence of the Austrian reforms . Some indirect taxes, such as the levy for keeping cows and the land tax, were abolished and a general fee of ten lei , payable in four installments, was introduced. The serf peasants were freed and given the right to move from one property to another. In addition, they could buy their complete freedom from the landlord for ten lei. Peasants who belonged directly to the boyar were obliged to pay a tax and 12 working days in Wallachia and 24 working days in Moldova for the rule over the course of a year. In contrast, the number of these working days in neighboring countries such as Transylvania, Poland, Russia and East Prussia was several working days per week. The boyars received a certain number of exempted persons (in the case of a large boyar there were 60) who only had to pay these taxes and were exempt from any tax for the state treasury. In the administrative circles deserving men were appointed who were allowed to speak justice and took on extensive administrative tasks. As a result of the Russo-Austrian Turkish War from 1736 to 1739 , Mavrocordat achieved the reunification of the previously Austrian Little Wallachia with his principality in the Peace of Belgrade .

The same reforms were implemented in Moldova during his rule there. As a prince, Mavrocordat always tried to improve the living conditions of his subjects. First in 1746 in Wallachia, then in 1749 in Moldova, serfdom (Rum: șerbie or iobăgie ) was lifted. He took great care of the few existing schools and the level of education of the priests, who had to be able to speak Romanian in writing and in language . Church books were also printed in Romanian.

In the Russo-Turkish War from 1768 to 1774 he was wounded in battle, captured at Galați and brought to Iași, where he died on November 23, 1769.

Regencies

Wallachia	Moldova
Sept. 1730 to Oct. 1730
Oct. 24, 1731 to April 16, 1733
	April 16, 1733 to Nov. 26, 1735
Nov. 27, 1735 to Sept. 1741
	September 1741 to June 29, 1743
July 1744 to April 1748
	April 1748 to August 31, 1749
approx. Feb. 20, 1756 to Sept. 7, 1758
June 11, 1761 to March 1763
	June 29, 1769 to Nov. 23, 1769

literature

• Xenopol, AD: Istoria românilor din Dacia Traiană, Iași 1888–93, vol. V, chap. II, p. 60 ff.