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It has been suggested that this article be merged with Moldavia (historical region). (Discuss)

For other uses, see Moldova (disambiguation).

Moldavia (Romanian: Moldova, Turkish: Bogdan Iflak or simply Bogdan) was a medieval principality on the lower Danube river which, along with Wallachia, formed the basis for the modern Romanian state. Its name originates from the Moldova River.

The principality in its greatest extent stretched from Transylvania in the west to the Dniester River in the east, but had its nucleus in the northwestern part, the Ţara de Sus ("Upper Land"), which later became known as Bukovina. This area contained Suceava, the capital of the principality from 1359-1565. Iaşi was the capital from 1565-1859.

The political entity known as Moldavia was founded in the mid-14th century by the Romanian leader Dragoş of Maramureş, who had been ordered by the Hungarian king to establish a defense line for the Kingdom of Hungary against the Tatars. Bogdan I became the first independent prince of Moldavia when he rejected Hungarian authority in 1359. In 1387 it became a vassal of Poland.

The greatest Moldavian prince was Ştefan cel Mare, (Stephen the Great), who ruled from 1457-1504. With his army of boyars and retainers, Stefan fought off invasions from the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Crimean Tatars. Ştefan fought 36 major battles, but suffered only two defeats. By the end of his reign, Moldavia had kept its independence, although an annual tribute was made to the Ottomans.

Ştefan was succeeded by weak princes who let incompetent boyars rule the state; because the boyars did not pay taxes, the state became bankrupt. Moldavia succumbed to Ottoman power in 1512, becoming a vassal of the empire for the most of the next 300 years. In addition to paying tribute to the Ottoman Empire, Moldavia later acceded to the selection of local rulers by Ottoman authorities. Moldavia suffered repeated invasions by the Ottomans, Crimean Tatars, and Russians.

In the beginning of the 17th century, magnates of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth clashed with the Ottomans over control of Moldavia in the Moldavian Magnate Wars.

Starting from the early-18th century the princes were selected by the Ottomans from Phanariotes, influential Greek families from Constantinople (İstanbul), rather than the local nobility.

In 1774 the territory became a Russian protectorship while remaining formally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. By the Treaty of Bucharest following the Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812), Moldavia lost Bessarabia to Russia and Bukovina to Austria. In 1821 a revolt overthrew the unpopular Phanariote regime and, after political and economic reforms were implemented with Russian support, a constitution, the Règlement Organique, was adopted in 1832.

After Russia's defeat in the Crimean War (1853-1856), the Treaty of Paris stipulated that Moldavia and Wallachia were to be placed under the collective guarantee of the seven powers that signed the treaty, as well as the retrocession to Moldavia of Southern Bessarabia (Izmail, Bolhrad, Cahul counties).

In 1859 (formally in 1861) the Principality of Moldavia united with the Principality of Wallachia by the election of Alexander John Cuza as prince of both Wallachia and Moldavia, laying the foundations for modern Romania.

• Divided regions
• Former countries in Europe
• History of Moldova
• History of Romania
• 14th century establishments
• 1859 disestablishments