Editing History of Moldova (section)

==Principality of Moldavia==
[[File:Stefan al Moldovei.jpg|thumb|225x225px|Fresco of [[Stephen the Great]] at [[Voroneț Monastery]]]]
{{Main|Moldavia}}

The medieval Principality of [[Moldavia]] was established in 1359 and covered the so-called [[Carpathian mountains|Carpathian]]–[[Danube]]–[[Dniester]] area, stretching from [[Transylvania]] in the west to the Dniester River in the east.<ref>[http://www.avalanchepress.com/Soldier_Khan.php Soldier Khan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801113659/http://www.avalanchepress.com/Soldier_Khan.php |date=2012-08-01 }}, [[Michael Bennighof|Mike Bennighof]], Ph.D.</ref> Its territory comprised the present-day territory of the Republic of Moldova, the eastern 8 of the 41 counties of Romania (a region still called  ''Moldova'' by the local population), the [[Chernivtsi oblast]] and [[Budjak]] region of [[Ukraine]]. Its nucleus was in the northwestern part, the ''Țara de Sus'' ("Upper Land"), part of which later became known as [[Bukovina]]. The name of the principality originates from the [[Moldova River]].

[[File:MoldavianPrincipalityPhysical.jpg|300px|left|thumb|[[Moldavia]] and the modern boundaries]]

The [[foundation of Moldavia]] is attributed to the [[Vlach]] (an old exonym for Romanian) noblemen [[Dragoş]] of [[Bedeu]], from the [[Voivodeship of Maramureș]], who had been ordered in 1343 (1285 after other sources<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ulim.md/digilib/assets/files/Reviste/Revist_%20de%20Istorie%20_i%20Politic__STUDII%20ISTORICE_%20HISTORICAL%20STUDIES_3.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219032507/http://ulim.md/digilib/assets/files/Reviste/Revist_%20de%20Istorie%20_i%20Politic__STUDII%20ISTORICE_%20HISTORICAL%20STUDIES_3.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-19 }}</ref>) by the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] king to establish a defense for the historic [[Kingdom of Hungary]] against the [[Tatars]], and [[Bogdan I of Moldavia|Bogdan I]] of [[Cuhea]], another Romanian from Maramureș, who became the first independent prince of Moldavia, when he rejected Hungarian authority in 1359. Bogdan I left his lands from Maramureș with his army and part of the Romanian population, by crossing the mountains to the east, after entering in conflict with the Hungarian rulers. From the 14th century onward, Turkic documents would refer to Moldova as "Kara-Boğdan", or "Black Bogdan", thanks to the success of his dynasty.

Moldova also had rich political relations with Poland. In 1387, the great hospodar of Moldova, Peter I, paid a feudal tribute to the Polish king. For the next one hundred and fifty years, relations between Moldova and Poland were periodically friendly, and only occasional conflicts.<ref>Milewski D., ''Mołdawia między Polską a Turcją. Hospodar Miron, 2014''</ref>

The greatest Moldavian personality was prince [[Stephen III of Moldavia|Stephen the Great]], who ruled from 1457 to 1504. He fought the Hungarian Kingdom, the Polish Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire, with success, for the most part of his rule.

[[File:Hunername 264.jpg|thumb|Sultan [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Suleiman I]] taking control of Moldova]]

Stephen III was succeeded by increasingly weaker princes, and in 1538 Moldavia became a [[vassal]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]], to which it owed a percentage of the internal revenue, that in time rose to 10%. Moldavia was forbidden to have foreign relations to the detriment of the Ottoman Empire (although at times the country managed to circumvent this interdiction), but was allowed internal autonomy, including sole authority over foreign trade. Turks were legally forbidden to own land or build religious establishments in Moldavia. Prince [[Vasile Lupu]] had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues, and managed to hold it for twenty years. Lupu was a capable administrator and a brilliant financier, and soon was the richest man in the Christian East. Judiciously placed gifts kept him on good terms with the Ottoman authorities.<ref>For Basil Lupul see N.Norga "Byzance après Byzance", pp. 163–81</ref><ref>see Steven Runciman. "The Great Church in captivity" Edition 3, 1985 pp. 286–7, 341–3, 370</ref>

In the 18th century, the territory of Moldavia often became a transit or war zone during conflicts between the Ottomans, Austrians, and [[Russian Empire|Russians]]. In 1774, following a victory in [[Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)|a war against the Ottomans]], Russia occupied Christian Moldavia, still a vassal of the Ottoman Empire at the time.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A brief history of the late Ottoman empire |last=Hanioğlu |first=Şükrü |year=2008 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13452-9 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nK5ZDKf3JgkC&pg=PA7 |access-date=2016-05-16 |archive-date=2018-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204122056/https://books.google.com/books?id=nK5ZDKf3JgkC&pg=PA7 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1775, the [[Habsburg monarchy]] annexed ca 11% of the territory of Moldavia, which became known as [[Bukovina]]. By the [[Treaty of Bucharest, 1812|Treaty of Bucharest]] following the [[Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)]], Russia had annexed further 50% of its territory, which became known as [[Bessarabia]].