principality · Balkans and Hungary

Principality of Wallachia

1310 CE – 1859 CE (approx.) · capital Bucharest

Romanian principality between the Carpathians and the Danube, home of Mircea the Elder and Vlad the Impaler, which united with Moldavia to form Romania.

Origins

Romanian voivodeships such as the Voivodeship of Litovoi and the Voivodeship of Seneslau were united under Basarab I in the early 14th century; tradition dates the founding to about 1310. In 1330 Basarab defeated Charles I of Hungary at Posada, securing independence.

Rule and society

The voivode (prince) ruled with boyars, and the throne was elective within the ruling family, which bred constant rivalry. Mircea the Elder (1386–1418) fought the Ottomans at Rovine, and Vlad III fought them in 1462. From the 15th century Wallachia paid tribute to the Ottomans but kept its own rulers and Orthodox church. Michael the Brave briefly united Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia in 1600. From 1716 to 1821 the Ottomans appointed Phanariot Greek princes.

Decline and legacy

After the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829 Wallachia came under Russian protection. In 1859 both it and the Principality of Moldavia elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince, creating the United Principalities, which became Romania.

Lineage

Voivodeship of Seneslau 1247 CE – 1290 CEVoivodeship of Litovoi 1247 CE – 1279 CEBanat of Craiova 1718 CE – 1739 CEPrincipality of WallachiaUnited Principalities 1859 CE – 1881 CE

Connections (3)

More states of Balkans and Hungary →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Wallachia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-wallachia
MLA
“Principality of Wallachia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-wallachia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Wallachia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-wallachia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Wallachia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-wallachia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻