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Wallachia


The vlachs were by knyazes and voivodes:
- the voivodate of Litovoi and Seneslau
- the knyezate of Farcas and John
All of the voivodes and knyazes were mentioned in a diploma issued by king Béla IV of Hungary(1235–1270) on 2 July 1247. The diploma granted territories to the Knights Hospitaller in the Banate of Severin and Cumania, “with the exception of the land of the kenazate of Voivode Litovoi,” which the king leaved to the Vlachs “as they had held it”.

Litovoi, also Litvoy, was a Vlach voivode in the 13th century whose territory comprised northern Oltenia(Romania).
It seems that Litovoi was the most powerful of all the above local rulers. His territories were exempted from the grant to the knights, but half of the royal taxes generated by his land (terra Lytua) was assigned to the Hospitallers – except for the income from the Haţeg district (terra Harszoc in the diploma’s only surviving, papal copy), which the king kept all for himself.
In 1277 (or between 1277 and 1280), Litovoi was at war with the Hungarians over lands king Ladislaus IV of Hungary (1272–1290) claimed for the crown, but for which Litovoi refused to pay tribute. Litovoi was killed in battle. This event is recounted in the king’s letter of grant of 8 January 1285, in which king Ladislaus IV donated villages in Sáros County (today in Slovakia) to Master George, son of Simon, who had been sent against Litovoi. The Romanian historian Ioan Aurel Pop argues that the Litovoi mentioned in the diploma of 1247 was not identical to the Litovoi whose death is described in the letter of grant of 1285, and the latter was probably the former’s successor.

Seneslau, also Seneslav or Stănislau, was a Vlach voivode mentioned in a diploma issued by king Béla IV of Hungary. According to the diploma, the king gave the territories east of the Olt River to the knights, with the exception of the territory of voivode Seneslau. The name of Seneslav is of Slavic origin. Seneslau held central and southern Muntenia (i.e., the territories along the rivers Argeş and Dâmboviţa). The Romanian historian Ioan Aurel Pop suggests that Seneslau was quasi independent of the king of Hungary. According to the Hungarian historian István Vásáry, his title (voivode) suggests that he had a territorial unit under his jurisdiction.

Farcaş, also Farkas, Farkaş or Farcas, was a cneaz (local chieftain or ruler) mentioned in a diploma issued by king Béla IV of Hungary.  Farcaş held a kenazate which was given to the knights by the king. His kenazate lay in the northeast of modern Oltenia (in Romania).
Farcaş(Farkas) is a typical Hungarian name meaning ‘wolf’. The Romanian historian Ioan Aurel Pop suggests that his name is mentioned in Hungarian translation in the diploma, and Farcaş's kenazate was one of the incipient Romanian states south of the Carpathian Mountains.
According to the Hungarian historian István Vásáry, Farcaş was either Hungarian or Romanian with Hungarian name, but the latter supposition is less probable, since Lupu, the Romanian equivalent of Hungarian Farkas, was used by the Romanians.

John, also Joan or Ioan, was a cneaz (local chieftain or ruler) mentioned in a diploma issued by king Béla IV of Hungary. John held a kenazate which was given to the knights by the king. His kenazate lay in southern Oltenia.
The Romanian historian Ioan Aurel Pop suggests that the kenazate of John was one of the incipient Romanian states south of the Carpathian Mountains. In the diploma, his name is given in its Latin form (Johannes), and so contains no hint of the nationality of its bearer.


Wallachia between the 13th and 16th centuries

Beginning with the 10th century, the Byzantine, Slav and Hungarian sources, and later on the western sources mention the existence of statehood entities of the Romanian population - kniezates and voivodates - first in Transylvania and Dobrudja, then in the 12-13th centuries, also in the lands east and south of the Carpathians.
In 1241, during the Mongol invasion of Europe, Cuman domination was ended—a direct Mongol rule over Wallachia was not attested, but it remains probable. Part of Wallachia was probably briefly disputed by the Hungarian Kingdom and Bulgarians in the following period, but it appears that the severe weakening of Hungarian authority during the Mongol attacks contributed to the establishment of the new and stronger polities attested in Wallachia for the following decades.

The foundation of Wallachia started around 1272, when Litovoi, who ruled over land each side of the Carpathians(including Hațeg Country in Transylvania), refused to pay tribute to the Hungarian King Ladislaus IV. His successor was his brother Bărbat (1285–128. The continuing weakening of the Hungarian state by further Mongol invasions (1285–1319) and the fall of the Árpád dynasty opened the way for the unification of Wallachian polities, and to independence from Hungarian rule. But this doesn't matter too much since the mod is based on the year 1200.