This is a list of monarchs 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.
See also List of rulers of Wallachia
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 monarch's bastard sons – being defined as os de domn – "of domn 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 monarchs were appointed by the Ottoman Sultans. Between 1821 and 1862, various systems combining election and appointment were put in practice. Moldavian monarchs, like Wallachian and other Eastern European monarchs, bore the titles of Voivode or/and Hospodar (when writing in Romanian, the term Domn (from the Latin dominus) was used).
Most monarchs 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 monarch 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 monarchs, following the documented studies of Ștefan S. GoroveiGorovei, Ștefan S., Întemeierea Moldovei. Probleme controversate, Editura Universităţii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Iași, 1997, and Constantin Rezachevici.Rezachevici, Constantin, Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova, a. 1324 - 1881, vol. I, Editura Enciclopedică, București, 2001,
List
Princes of Moldavia
House of Dragoș
Portrait Monarch Reign Remarks Dragoș I c. 1347–c. 1354 Described as an early monarch 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 c. son of Sas
House of Bogdan-Mușat
Portrait Monarch Reign Consort Notes Bogdan I the Founder c. 1359–1367 Mariathree children Deposed Sas Peter I 1367 – July 1368 UnmarriedGrandson of Bogdan I,Constantin Rezachevici - Cronologia critică a domnilor din Țara Românească și Moldova a. 1324 - 1881, Volumul I, Editura Enciclopedică, 2001 rule not universally accepted by modern historians. Lațcu July 1368 – 1375 Annabefore 1372one child Son of Bogdan I, deposed Petru I Peter II 1375 – December 1391 Sophia of Lithuania1387no childrenOlga of Masovia1388no children Son of Costea and Margareta; often referred as Petru I Mușat Roman I December 1391 – March 1394 Anastasiathree children Brother of the predecessor. Stephen I March 1394 – 28 November 1399 Unmarried Son of Roman I. Iuga 28 November 1399 – 29 June 1400 Unmarried Son of Roman I, deposed by intervention of Mircea I of Wallachia Alexander I the Good 29 June 1400 – 1 January 1432 Margareta of Losoncz1394two children Anna Neacsa of Podolsk1405three childrenRingala of Lithuania1419(divorced 13 December 1421)no childrenMarina Bratul1421three childrenSon of Roman I, installed by Mircea I of Wallachia Iliaș I 1 January 1432 – October 14334 August 1435 – May 1443 Maria Olshanki of Lithuania23 October 1425three children Son of Alexandru I; Deposed by Stefan II, joined his rule in 1435. Stephen II October 1433 – 13 July 1447 Unmarried Illegitimate son of Alexandru I; Only de facto monarch till September 1434. Peter III May 1444 – 144522 August – 23 December 14475 April – 10 October 1448 An unknown sister of John Hunyadibefore 1445no children Also joined firstly Ștefan II's rule, before returning in 1447 independently. Roman II 13 July – 22 August 1447 23 December 1447 – bet. 25 February/5 April 1448Unmarried son of Iliaș; 1st rule Csupor de Monoszló(Ciubăr Vodă) 10 October – December 1448 Unknown Non-dynastic usurper. 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. Alexăndrel December 1448 – 12 January 144924 February 1452 – 22 August 14548 February – 25 March 1455 Unmarried Son of Iliaș I. Bogdan II 12 January 1449 – 15 October 1451 Olteabefore 1433six children Nephew of Alexandru I. Peter III Aaron 15 October 1451 – 24 February 145222 August 1454 – 8 February 145525 March 1455 – 12 April 1457 Unknownbefore 1455one child Illegitimate son of Alexandru I. Stephen III the Great 12 April 1457 – 2 July 1504 Eudokia Olelkovna of Lithuania5 July 1463Suceavathree childrenMaria Asanina Palaiologina of Gothia14 September 1472Suceavafour childrenMaria Voichița of Wallachia1478three childrenSon of Bogdan II. In his reign Moldavia reaches its zenith. Bogdan III The One-Eyed 2 July 1504 – 22 April 1517 Anastasia1510no childrenRuxandra of Wallachia21 July 1513no children son of Ștefan III the Great;Regency of Luca Arbore, gatekeeper of Suceava (22 April 1517 – 1523)Son of Bogdan III; also called Ștefăniță. Stephen IV the Younger 22 April 1517 – 14 January 1527 Stana of Wallachia1524no children Peter IV Rareș 14 January 1527 – 14 September 15389/16 February 1541 – 2/3 September 1546 Mariabefore 1529four childrenElena of Serbia1530four children Illegitimate son of Stephen the Great. Stephen V Locust 21 September 1538 – 20 December 1540Chiajnabefore 1540two children Grandson of Stephen the Great. Alexandru Cornea the Evil 21 December 1540 – 9/16 February 1541 Unmarried Son of Bogdan III.Regency of Elena of Serbia (2/3 September 1546 - 30 May 1551) 1st son of Petru Rareș. Deposed and eventually converted to Islam. Ilie II Rareș 2 or 3 September 1546 – 30 May 1551 (married several wives as a Muslim)Regency of Elena of Serbia (30 May 1551 – 1 September 1552)2nd son of Petru Rareș, attempted an alliance with Hungary; ended up assassinated by his boyars, and was shortly followed by his mother, strangled by them in the following year. Stephen VI Rareș 30 May 1551 – 1 September 1552 Unmarried Ioan Joldea bet. 4/12 September 1552 UnmarriedNon-dynastic. Ruled 2 or 3 days in 1552. Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu 12 September 1552 – 30 November 1561 10 March 1564 – 9 March 1568 Ruxandra of MoldaviaJanuary 1556fourteen childrenSon of Bogdan III, brother of Ștefan IV. Ioan Iacob Heraclid 18 November 1561 – 9 November 1563 An illegitimate daughter of Mircea IV of Wallachiano children The Despot Vodă, non-dynastic. Tried, unsuccessfully, to introduce Lutheranism in Moldavia. Ștefan Tomșa 9 August 1563 – bet. 20 February/10 March 1564 Unknownat least two children Non-dynastic. Came to power after a boyar revolt that deposed Ioan Iacob Heraclid.Regency of Ruxandra of Moldavia (9 March 1568 – November 1570)Son of Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu. Bogdan IV 9 March 1568 – 15 February 1572 A princess from the Paniczewsk family1571one child John III the Terrible 15 February 1572 – 11 June 1574 Maria Semyonovna of Rostov1552Moscowtwo childrenSon of Ștefan IV; also called cel Viteaz (the Brave).
House of Bogdan-Muşat, with interventions of Basarab (Drăculeşti line) and Movilești dynasties
Portrait Monarch Reign Family Notes Peter V the Lame June 1574 – 23 November 15771 January 1578 – 21 November 157917 October 1582 – 29 August 1591 Drăculești Ivan Pidkova November–December 1577 Hetman Non-dynastic. Hetman in Ukraine (1577–78), also called Nicoară Potcoavă or Ivan Sarpega. John II the Saxon 21 November 1579 – September 1582 Bogdan-Mușat Illegitimate son of Petru Rareș Aaron the Tyrant September 1591 – June 1592October 1592 – 4 May 1595 Bogdan-Mușat son of Alexandru Lăpușneanu; 1st rule Alexander III the Bad June – August 1592 Bogdan-Mușat son of Bogdan IV; also ruled Wallachia (1592–1593) Peter VI the Cossack 1592 Bogdan-Mușat son of Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu Ștefan Răzvan 1595 Muslim Roman Non-dynastic. Ieremia Movilă August 1595 – May 1600September 1600 – 10 July 1606 Movilești grandson of Petru Rareș; 1st rule Michael the Brave 1600 Drăculești Also ruled Wallachia (1593–1600) and Transylvania (1599–1600) Simion Movilă July 1606 – 14 September 1607 Movilești brother of Ieremia Movilă Mihail Movilă 24 September – October 1607November – December 1607 Movileşti son of Ieremia Movilă; 1st ruleRegency of Elzbieta Csomortany de Losoncz(October 1607 and December 1607 – 20 November 1611)Son of Ieremia Movilă. Constantin Movilă October 1607December 1607 – 20 November 1611 Movilești Ștefan Tomșa II 20 November 1611 – 22 November 1615September 1621 – August 1623 Bogdan-Mușat Non-dynastic. Probably a relative of Ștefan Tomșa I.Regency of Elzbieta Csomortany de Losoncz(22 November 1615 – 2 August 1616) Alexandru Movilă 22 November 1615 – 2 August 1616 Movilești Radu Mihnea 2 August 1616 – 9 February 16194 August 1623 – 13 January 1626 Drăculești Gaspar Graziani 9 February 1619 – 29 September 1620 Graziani Non-dynastic. Alexandru IV Iliaş 29 September 1620 – October 16215 December 1631 – April 1633 Bogdan-Mușat Nephew of Petru VI, Aron and Bogdan IV Miron Barnovschi-Movilă 13 January 1626 – July 1629April – 2 July 1633 Movilești Alexander the Child July 1629 – 29 April 1630 Drăculești Moise Movilă 28 April 1630 – November 16312 July 1633 – April 1634 Movilești Vasile Lupu April 1634 - 13 April 16538 May – 16 July 1653 Coci Non-dynastic Gheorghe Ștefan 13 April – 8 May 165316 July 1653 – 13 March 1658 Görgicze
Pre-Phanariote period
The Ottoman influence in the Moldavian rulers' election grows from the mid-17th century onward. From 1659, the rulers elected are mostly scions of Greek families, and increasingly less linked to the original Moldavian ruling family. The process reached its peak with the called Phanariote period (1715–1859), where, between the rulers, there was already no connection (or a very distant one) with the dynasty of Bogdan-Musat.
Various dynasties
Portrait Monarch Reign Family Remarks Gheorghe Ghica 1658–1659 Ghica Constantin Șerban 16591661 Basarab Ștefan Lupu 1659–16611661 Coci also called Papură-Vodă (Bullrush Voivode); 1st rule Eustratie Dabija 1661–1665 Dabija Gheorghe Duca 1665–16661668–16721678–1683 Iliaș Alexandru 1666–1668 Bogdan-Mușat The last member of the House of Bogdan-Mușat reigning in Moldavia; son of Alexandru VII. Ştefan Petriceicu 1672–16731673–16741683–1684 Petriceicu 1st rule Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino 16731674–16751684–1685 Cantacuzino 1st rule Antonie Ruset 1675–1678 Rosetti Constantin Cantemir 1685–1693 Cantemirești Dimitrie Cantemir 16931710–1711 Cantemirești 1st rule; deposed by Ottomans Constantin Duca 1693–16951700–1703 Antioh Cantemir 1695–17001705–1707 Cantemirești 1st rule ChancellorIoan Buhuș 17031709–1710 Buhuș Mihai Racoviță 1703–17051707–17091715–1726 Racoviță Nicolae Mavrocordat 1709–17101711–1715 Mavrocordato 1st rule
Phanariotes (1711–1821)