Editing Oltenia (section)

== History ==
{{History of Romania}}

=== Ancient times ===
{{Main|Getae|Dacians|Dacia|Domitian's Dacian War|Trajan's Dacian Wars|Roman Dacia}}
[[File:Sucidava Corabia.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sucidava]] - ancient Roman citadel at [[Corabia]]]]
Initially inhabited by [[Dacians]], Oltenia was incorporated in the [[Roman Empire]] (106, at the end of the [[Trajan's Dacian Wars|Dacian Wars]]; ''see [[Roman Dacia]]''). In 129, during [[Hadrian]]'s rule, it formed '''Dacia Inferior''', one of the two divisions of the province (together with '''Dacia Superior''', in today's [[Transylvania]]); [[Marcus Aurelius]]' administrative reform made Oltenia one of the three new divisions (''tres Daciae'') as '''Dacia Malvensis''', its capital and chief city being named [[Romula]]. It was colonized with [[veteran]]s of the [[Roman legion]]s. The Romans withdrew their administration south of the Danube at the end of the 3rd century and Oltenia was ruled by the ''foederati'' [[Germanic tribes|Germanic]] [[Goths]]. In the late 4th century Oltenia came under the rule of the [[Taifals]] before invasion by the [[Huns]].

=== Middle Ages ===
{{Main|Origin of the Romanians|Romania in the Early Middle Ages|Romania in the Middle Ages|Foundation of Wallachia}}
[[File:Horezu bis man NE.jpg|thumb|left|[[Horezu Monastery]] - UNESCO World Heritage]]
From 681, with some interruptions, it was part of the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]] (see [[Bulgarian lands across the Danube]]).{{cn|date=December 2021}}
[[File:Banate of severin.png|thumb|left|Banate of Severin]]
In 1233, the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] formed the [[Banate of Severin]] in the western part of the region that would persist until the 1526 [[Battle of Mohács]].

Around 1247, a polity emerged in Oltenia under the rule of [[Litovoi]]. The rise of the medieval state of [[Wallachia]] followed in the 14th century, and the [[voivode]] ([[List of rulers of Wallachia|Prince of Wallachia]]) was represented in Oltenia by a [[Ban (title)|ban]] - "the [[Great Ban of Craiova]]" (with seat in [[Craiova]] after it was moved from [[Strehaia]]). This came to be considered the greatest office in Wallachian hierarchy, and one that was held most by members of the [[Craiovești]] family, from the late 15th century to about 1550. The title would continue to exist up until 1831.

During the 15th century, Wallachia had to accept the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[suzerainty]] and to pay an annual [[tribute]] to keep its autonomy as a vassal. From the Craiovești family, many bans cooperated with the Turks. However, many rulers, including the Oltenian-born [[Michael the Brave]], fought against the Ottomans, giving Wallachia brief periods of independence.

=== Modern times ===
{{Main|Early Modern Romania|History of the Russo-Turkish wars|Phanariotes|National awakening of Romania}}
After 1716, the Ottomans decided to cease choosing the voivodes from among the Wallachian boyars, and to appoint foreign governors. As the governors were Orthodox Greeks living in [[Phanar]], Constantinople, this period is known as the [[Phanariote]] regime.
[[File:Empire Autricien au XVIII. siecle.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Oltenia under the [[Austrian Empire]] as the [[Banat of Craiova]] in the 18th century]]

Two years later, in 1718 under the terms of the [[Treaty of Passarowitz]],{{sfn|Ingrao|Samardžić|Pešalj|2011}} Oltenia was split from Wallachia and annexed by the [[Habsburg monarchy]] as the [[Banat of Craiova]] (''de facto'', it was under Austrian occupation by 1716); in 1737, it was returned to Wallachia under Prince [[Constantine Mavrocordatos]] (''see [[Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718]] and [[Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–1739)]]''). Under the occupation, Oltenia was the only part of the [[Danubian Principalities]] (with the later exception of [[Bukovina]]) to experience [[Enlightened absolutism]] and Austrian administration, although these were met by considerable and mounting opposition from [[Conservatism|conservative]] [[boyar]]s. While welcomed at first as liberators, the Austrians quickly disenchanted the inhabitants by imposing rigid administrative, fiscal, judicial and political reforms which were meant to centralize and integrate the territory (antagonizing both ends of the social spectrum: withdrawing [[Privilege (legal ethics)|privilege]]s from the nobility and enforcing taxes for peasants).

In 1761, the residence of Bans was moved to [[Bucharest]], in a move towards [[Centralized government|centralism]] (a ''[[kaymakam]]'' represented the boyars in Craiova). It remained there until the death of the last Ban, [[Barbu Văcărescu]], in 1832.

In 1821, Oltenia and [[Gorj County]] were at the center of [[Tudor Vladimirescu]]'s uprising (''see [[Wallachian uprising of 1821]]''). Vladimirescu initially gathered his [[Pandur]]s in [[Padeș]] and relied on a grid of fortified monasteries such as [[Tismana]] and Strehaia.