Aron Tiranul
Encyclopedia
Aaron the Tyrant sometimes credited as Aron Emanoil or Emanuel Aaron (d. 1597 in Vinţu de Jos
), was twice Moldavia
n Voivode (Prince): between September 1591 and June 1592, and October 24, 1592 to May 3, 1595. He was Alexandru Lăpuşneanu
's son.
Emanuel Aaron was placed on the Moldavian throne through the efforts of Solomon Ashkenazi, an influential Jew. He is alleged to have paid officials at the Ottoman
court the sum of one million guilders; the moment he came to the throne signified an increase in taxes, one high enough to justify his moniker and to lead to an uprising. Despite Ashkenazi's support, he increased the persecution of Jews in Moldavia
, and executed without trial 19 of his Jewish creditors. The events called for the Porte's intervention, and the Ottomans deposed Aron without delay.
He was soon after appointed ruler for the second time, owing to pressure from his creditors. Aron Tiranul was, however, determined to end his cohabitation with the Ottomans, especially after the offers for an alliance made by Pope
Clement VIII
and Wallachia
n Prince Michael the Brave. He and Michael convened on November 5, 1594, after which Aron swiftly moved against the Ottomans, getting them out of Moldavia and briefly conquering part of Dobruja
in 1595.
The hatman (a high boyar
rank) who led the anti-Ottoman campaigns and who became very popular among the soldiers, Ştefan Răzvan
, ousted Aron, whose image increasingly eroded among the people. While Răzvan took charge of affairs in Iaşi
, Aron Tiranul and his family were captured in Transylvania
by the troops of Prince Sigismund Báthory
, being imprisoned in Alvinc (Vinţu de Jos
) - where he died, being buried in the Eastern Orthodox church in Alba Iulia
.
Vintu de Jos
Vinţu de Jos, also known as Vinţ is a commune located in the centre of Alba County, Romania. It is composed of eighteen villages: Câmpu Goblii , Ciocaşu , Crişeni , Dealu Ferului , Gura Cuţului , Haţegana , Inuri , Laz , Mătăcina , Mereteu...
), was twice Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
n Voivode (Prince): between September 1591 and June 1592, and October 24, 1592 to May 3, 1595. He was Alexandru Lăpuşneanu
Alexandru Lapusneanu
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu was Prince of Moldavia between September 1552 and 18 November 1561 and then between October 1564 and 5 May 1568....
's son.
Emanuel Aaron was placed on the Moldavian throne through the efforts of Solomon Ashkenazi, an influential Jew. He is alleged to have paid officials at the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
court the sum of one million guilders; the moment he came to the throne signified an increase in taxes, one high enough to justify his moniker and to lead to an uprising. Despite Ashkenazi's support, he increased the persecution of Jews in Moldavia
History of the Jews in Romania
The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....
, and executed without trial 19 of his Jewish creditors. The events called for the Porte's intervention, and the Ottomans deposed Aron without delay.
He was soon after appointed ruler for the second time, owing to pressure from his creditors. Aron Tiranul was, however, determined to end his cohabitation with the Ottomans, especially after the offers for an alliance made by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
and Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
n Prince Michael the Brave. He and Michael convened on November 5, 1594, after which Aron swiftly moved against the Ottomans, getting them out of Moldavia and briefly conquering part of Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
in 1595.
The hatman (a high boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
rank) who led the anti-Ottoman campaigns and who became very popular among the soldiers, Ştefan Răzvan
Stefan Razvan
Ştefan Răzvan was a Rom from the historical Romanian state of Wallachia, who became the Voivode of Moldavia .-Biography:...
, ousted Aron, whose image increasingly eroded among the people. While Răzvan took charge of affairs in Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Aron Tiranul and his family were captured in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
by the troops of Prince Sigismund Báthory
Sigismund Báthory
Sigismund Báthory was Prince of Transylvania.-Biography:Hailing from the Báthory family's Somlyó branch, he was the son of Christopher Báthory, Voivod of Transylvania, and nephew of Stephen Báthory, King of Poland...
, being imprisoned in Alvinc (Vinţu de Jos
Vintu de Jos
Vinţu de Jos, also known as Vinţ is a commune located in the centre of Alba County, Romania. It is composed of eighteen villages: Câmpu Goblii , Ciocaşu , Crişeni , Dealu Ferului , Gura Cuţului , Haţegana , Inuri , Laz , Mătăcina , Mereteu...
) - where he died, being buried in the Eastern Orthodox church in Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,747, located on the Mureş River. Since the High Middle Ages, the city has been the seat of Transylvania's Roman Catholic diocese. Between 1541 and 1690 it was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania...
.