Ghica family
Encyclopedia
The Ghica family were a Romanian
noble family, active in Wallachia
, Moldavia
(providing several rulers of the Danubian Principalities
) and in the Kingdom of Romania
. In the 18th century, several branches of the family went through a process of Hellenization
(into the Phanariote
social network). The Ghicas also held the (agnatic) rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
(Fürst
), a title first bestowed upon Grigore II Ghica
in 1673 by Leopold I
.
has long been suggested, while others argue for an Aromanian
origin. Thus, on the one hand, a legend - full of Oriental charm, historical inaccuracies and anachronisms - transmitted by the Moldavian chronicler Ion Neculce
speaks about two poor boys destined to greatness, meeting on the road to Constantinople
, and who promise mutual support in the future to come: one is an "Arbëreshë
" ("an Albanian" or "a speaker of Albanian
", merchant multilingualism notwithstanding) standing in for Gheorghe Ghica
, the founder of the Ghica family, while on the other is a "Turk
from Cyprus
" - the founder of the Köprülü family. On the other hand, later members of the Ghica family displayed an Aromanian national consciousness (the Austrian
branches being heteroidentified as of Aromanian origin) or promoted Aromanian culture - e.g., Grigore III Ghica's plans for an Aromanian school network in the Ottoman ruled areas of the Balkans. Each of the two theories strongly influenced the Albanian and, respectively, the Aromanian communities in Romania and elsewhere, with each claiming the Ghica's as their own. In any case, until 1777 - the year Grigore III Ghica
was assassinated, the Ghicas' identity oscillated only between a Romanian and a Hellenic (Greek-Phanariote) one; subsequently, a firm Romanian self-identity can be ascribed to the family.
The family's history and fame, as well as it's putative Albanian origins, are mostly known to the Western readers from Princess Elena Ghica's memories, Gli Albanesi in Rumenia. Storia dei principi Ghika ("The Albanians in Romania. The history of the Ghica Princes"). For Dora d'Istria (Elena Ghica's nom de plume), the crumbly theory of an Albanian origin of the family's founder, resurrected after several centuries of latent existence, proved to be very lucrative: it gave a new sense for her Romantic involvement in the Balkan people's emancipation struggle
(having previously adopted - and later abandon - a Hellenophile attitude, by courtesy of her Greek maternal ancestry and under the influence of her Greek tutor Gregorios Pappadopoulos), as well as in her anti-establishment attitude generated by the entrenching of the Hohenzollern
in the Romanian Principality to the detriment of her family who had high hopes for a return on the throne. She started learning Albanian history
, and eventually became - since 1866 - the main advocate in Western Europe
of the Albanian cause, despite the fact that she never knew or learned the Albanian language. Her book, Gli Albanesi in Rumenia. Storia dei principi Ghika, which upon its publication in 1873 in Florence
caused the wrath of her family, repudiating
her, managed to forever shift the public perception towards the Albanian theory for the origin the family, at the expense of the Aromanian one. The book was preceded by a series of articles on the nationalities from South-Eastern Europe and their struggle for independence. After articles on the Romanian (1859), Greek
(1860) and Serbian
(1865) ethnic identity, Dora d'Istria published in 1866 the article entitled The Albanian nationality according to folksongs. The study was translated into Albanian in 1867 by the Italo-Albanian patriot Dhimitër Kamarda
, and was prefaced by a poem with a revolutionary content, written by an Albanian author and addressed to his countrymen, urging them to rise up against the Ottomans. Henceforth, Dora d'Istria became popular in Albanian nationalists circles, whose members did not hesitate to use her name for gaining support for their cause. This development was accepted and nurtured by the Romanian author, and she cultivated correspondences with several notable Albanian patriots, including Kamarda and Jeronim de Rada. After the publication of Gli Albanesi in Romania..., the Albanian nationalists in Italy
proceeded to declare Elena Ghica as the uncrowned queen
of Albania. These speculations were tacitly entertained by Elena Ghica; similarly, other members of the family were drawn into this Albanian nationalistic tradition: at the end of the century, another member of the family, Romanian writer and socialite Albert Ghica
would likewise key up vocal demands for the Albanian throne.
Modern Romanian historiography has expressed vexation at the appropriation, undertaken by Albanian historiography (and by the unscientific Western scholarly works relying on faulty and superficial theories), of not only the Romanian feminist
activist and writer Elena Ghica, but also of the whole Ghica family, at the proliferation of dubious spellings of the family names, false information concerning the birthplaces and other historical facts, and at the family's a posteriori
labeling as the "Albanians of Romania".
Gheorghe Ghica
, the first notable member of the Ghica family, seems to have hailed from Veles
, a town in central Macedonia
. He was born around 1598 to Matei Ghica (b. 1565 Zagori
- d. 1620, Constantinople), the trunk of the Ghica family. At the beginning of 17th century Gheorghe left his birthplace and moved to Constantinople together with his father who intended to engage in a more lucrative trading in the Ottoman capital. The young Gheorghe, advised by the Moldavian ambassador to the Sublime Porte, moved to Moldavia sometimes before October 1624, where, by means of the wealth his father managed to accumulate, he eventually entered into the ranks of court dignitaries. Following the protection afforded by the Moldavian Prince Vasile Lupu
, he climbed up the social ladder, first by becoming ambassador to the Porte, and then by marrying Smaragda (Smada) Lână, daughter of Stamate Lână, the Stolnic
(Seneschal
) of Broşteni
.
Following the power vacuum
resulting from the failed Transylvanian-Wallachian-Moldavian anti-Ottoman uprising organized by Prince George II Rákóczi
, Gheorghe Ghica managed to secure his position as Prince of Moldavia, a position he held between 1658–1659 and 1659-1660. Unable to cope with the financial burdens imposed by the Porte, he was dismissed; nonetheless, following the intervention of Postelnic
(Chamberlain
) Constantin Cantacuzino
, the throne was given to his son Grigore I Ghica. He was Gheorghe Ghica's oldest surviving son, born in Constantinople from a relationship he had with Ecaterina Vlasto, a Catholic from Pera
. He had followed his father to Moldavia, where he further raised his family into the ranks of the indigenous Great Boyars, by marrying Maria Sturdza, daughter of Vistiernic (Treasurer
) Mateiaș Sturdza of the Sturdza family
, and niece of the Moldavian Prince Gheorghe Ștefan
.
Grigore I Ghica's rule was also not free from disturbances due to the conflict with the Sublime Porte and especially because of the disputes between the Boyar parties. Through his political maneuvers and the assassination of his former mentor Constantine Cantacuzino, he instigated the hatred of nobility against him and his entourage. Taking advantage of the defeat of the Ottomans at the Battle of Levice
(1664), Grigore fled to Poland
and then to Vienna
, in search of Habsburg military aid. His hopes having not been materialized, he returned to Constantinople and acquired the Moldavian throne once again in 1672. During his short second reign, the animosity of the Cantacuzinos
exploded violently, and after the defeat of the Turks at Khotyn
in 1673, Grigore was forced to flee to Constantinople; the hostility of his opponents lost his throne and he will die in Constantinople in 1674.
Grigore I Ghica's children, most notably Matei (Grigore) Ghica, assured the continuation of the lineage. Matei Ghica lived exclusively in Greek Phanar
neighborhood of Constantinople. The marriage with Ruxandra Mavrocordat, daughter of Alexander Mavrocordatos
, the Great Dragoman
of the Sublime Porte, introduced Matei to the Phanariote nucleus - now the religious, cultural and political hegemons
of the Christian Ottoman subjects and vassals - and ensured a path of political ascendancy for his descendants. He became Grand Drogoman of The Fleet
, and in 1739 he negotiated an agreement with the Sultan whereby the key position of Grand Drogoman of the Sublime Porte would remain within the fold - i.e. among the descendants of a family pact involving the Ghicas, Mavrocordatos and Racoviţă
s.
His son Grigore II Ghica
, initiated in the intricacies of the Ottoman politics due to his rank as Dragoman, succeeded in acquiring the Moldavian throne on the 26th of September 1726. During his rule in Moldavia, Grigore II Ghica made proof of great diplomatic skills by leveling an unfortunate conflict with the Crimean Khanate
who threatened to ravage the country. In 1733 a swap of thrones took place, with Grigore II going to Wallachia in place of his cousin Constantine Mavrocordatos
. Grigore II Ghica's diplomatic skills proved even more remarkable during the Russo-Austrian-Turkish War, when the Prince of Moldavia, at the request of the Porte, acted as the intermediary and mediator between the Ottomans and Russians through correspondence and exchange of envoys with the Russian Field Marshal
Burkhard Christoph von Münnich
, with John Bell
, the secretary of the British embassy in St. Petersburg, with the French ambassador to Constantinople, Louis Sauveur Villeneuve
, as well as with the great Ottoman dignitaries.
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
noble family, active in 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...
, 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...
(providing several rulers of the Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities was a conventional name given to the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which emerged in the early 14th century. The term was coined in the Habsburg Monarchy after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in order to designate an area on the lower Danube with a common...
) and in the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. In the 18th century, several branches of the family went through a process of Hellenization
Hellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
(into the Phanariote
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
social network). The Ghicas also held the (agnatic) rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
The term Prince of the Holy Roman Empire denoted a secular or ecclesiastical Imperial State, who ruled over an immediate fief directly assigned by the Holy Roman Emperor...
(Fürst
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
), a title first bestowed upon Grigore II Ghica
Grigore II Ghica
Grigore II Ghica was Voivode of Moldavia at four different intervals — from October 1726 to April 16, 1733, from November 27, 1735 to 14 September 1739, from October 1739 to September 1741 and from May 1747 to April 1748 — and twice Voivode of Wallachia: April 16, 1733 – November 27, 1735 and...
in 1673 by Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
.
History
Origins
The family's origins are not clear and there isn't yet a consensus among scholars. An AlbanianAlbanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
has long been suggested, while others argue for an Aromanian
Aromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...
origin. Thus, on the one hand, a legend - full of Oriental charm, historical inaccuracies and anachronisms - transmitted by the Moldavian chronicler Ion Neculce
Ion Neculce
Ion Neculce was a Moldavian chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Dabija Vodă până la a doua domnie a lui Constantin Mavrocordat] was meant to extend Ion Neculce's narrative, covering events from 1661 to 1743.-Life:Ion Neculce...
speaks about two poor boys destined to greatness, meeting on the road to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and who promise mutual support in the future to come: one is an "Arbëreshë
Arbëreshë (disambiguation)
Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including:*Arbëreshë, a population group of Italy...
" ("an Albanian" or "a speaker of Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
", merchant multilingualism notwithstanding) standing in for Gheorghe Ghica
Gheorghe Ghica
George Ghica March 3, 1600 – November 2, 1664), founder of the Ghica family, was Prince of Moldavia in 1658-1659 and Prince of Wallachia in 1659–1660....
, the founder of the Ghica family, while on the other is a "Turk
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
from Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
" - the founder of the Köprülü family. On the other hand, later members of the Ghica family displayed an Aromanian national consciousness (the Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
branches being heteroidentified as of Aromanian origin) or promoted Aromanian culture - e.g., Grigore III Ghica's plans for an Aromanian school network in the Ottoman ruled areas of the Balkans. Each of the two theories strongly influenced the Albanian and, respectively, the Aromanian communities in Romania and elsewhere, with each claiming the Ghica's as their own. In any case, until 1777 - the year Grigore III Ghica
Grigore III Ghica
Grigore III Ghica was twice the Prince of Moldavia between 29 March 1764 – 3 February 1767 and September 1774 – 10 October 1777 and of Wallachia: 28 October 1768 – November 1769....
was assassinated, the Ghicas' identity oscillated only between a Romanian and a Hellenic (Greek-Phanariote) one; subsequently, a firm Romanian self-identity can be ascribed to the family.
The family's history and fame, as well as it's putative Albanian origins, are mostly known to the Western readers from Princess Elena Ghica's memories, Gli Albanesi in Rumenia. Storia dei principi Ghika ("The Albanians in Romania. The history of the Ghica Princes"). For Dora d'Istria (Elena Ghica's nom de plume), the crumbly theory of an Albanian origin of the family's founder, resurrected after several centuries of latent existence, proved to be very lucrative: it gave a new sense for her Romantic involvement in the Balkan people's emancipation struggle
Rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire
The rise of the Western notion of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire eventually caused the break-down of the Ottoman millet concept...
(having previously adopted - and later abandon - a Hellenophile attitude, by courtesy of her Greek maternal ancestry and under the influence of her Greek tutor Gregorios Pappadopoulos), as well as in her anti-establishment attitude generated by the entrenching of the Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
in the Romanian Principality to the detriment of her family who had high hopes for a return on the throne. She started learning Albanian history
History of Albania
The history of Albania emerges from the prehistoric stage from the 4th century BC, with early records of Illyria in Greco-Roman historiography. The modern territory of Albania has no counterpart in antiquity, comprising parts of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia , Macedonia , and Moesia Superior...
, and eventually became - since 1866 - the main advocate in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
of the Albanian cause, despite the fact that she never knew or learned the Albanian language. Her book, Gli Albanesi in Rumenia. Storia dei principi Ghika, which upon its publication in 1873 in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
caused the wrath of her family, repudiating
Disownment
Disownment is the formal act or condition of forcibly renouncing or no longer accepting one's consanguineous child as a member of one's family or kin...
her, managed to forever shift the public perception towards the Albanian theory for the origin the family, at the expense of the Aromanian one. The book was preceded by a series of articles on the nationalities from South-Eastern Europe and their struggle for independence. After articles on the Romanian (1859), Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
(1860) and Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(1865) ethnic identity, Dora d'Istria published in 1866 the article entitled The Albanian nationality according to folksongs. The study was translated into Albanian in 1867 by the Italo-Albanian patriot Dhimitër Kamarda
Dhimiter Kamarda
Demetrio Camarda was an Arbëreshë linguist, patriot of the arbëreshë, and publisher of Albanian folklore, with scientific knowledge also in the field of Indo-European linguistics. He was the follower of the work already performed by Jeronim De Rada...
, and was prefaced by a poem with a revolutionary content, written by an Albanian author and addressed to his countrymen, urging them to rise up against the Ottomans. Henceforth, Dora d'Istria became popular in Albanian nationalists circles, whose members did not hesitate to use her name for gaining support for their cause. This development was accepted and nurtured by the Romanian author, and she cultivated correspondences with several notable Albanian patriots, including Kamarda and Jeronim de Rada. After the publication of Gli Albanesi in Romania..., the Albanian nationalists in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
proceeded to declare Elena Ghica as the uncrowned queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
of Albania. These speculations were tacitly entertained by Elena Ghica; similarly, other members of the family were drawn into this Albanian nationalistic tradition: at the end of the century, another member of the family, Romanian writer and socialite Albert Ghica
Albert Ghica
Albert Ghica was a Romanian writer and socialite. He was a member of the Ghica noble family. Later in life he changed his name to the Albanian form Gjika, for more credentials in his quest for the Albanian throne.He was a pretender to the Albanian throne...
would likewise key up vocal demands for the Albanian throne.
Modern Romanian historiography has expressed vexation at the appropriation, undertaken by Albanian historiography (and by the unscientific Western scholarly works relying on faulty and superficial theories), of not only the Romanian feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
activist and writer Elena Ghica, but also of the whole Ghica family, at the proliferation of dubious spellings of the family names, false information concerning the birthplaces and other historical facts, and at the family's a posteriori
A Posteriori
Apart from the album, some additional remixes were released exclusively through the iTunes Store. They are:*"Eppur si muove" – 6:39*"Dreaming of Andromeda" Apart from the album, some additional remixes were released exclusively through the iTunes Store. They are:*"Eppur si muove" (Tocadisco...
labeling as the "Albanians of Romania".
Rise
Gheorghe Ghica
George Ghica March 3, 1600 – November 2, 1664), founder of the Ghica family, was Prince of Moldavia in 1658-1659 and Prince of Wallachia in 1659–1660....
, the first notable member of the Ghica family, seems to have hailed from Veles
Veles (city)
Veles is a city in the center of the Republic of Macedonia on the Vardar river. The city of Veles is the seat of Veles Municipality.-Name:The city's name was Vylosa in Ancient Greek and before the Balkan Wars, it was a township with the name Köprülü in the Üsküp sandjak, Ottoman empire for 600...
, a town in central Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. He was born around 1598 to Matei Ghica (b. 1565 Zagori
Zagori
Zagori , is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some 1,000 square kilometres and contains 45 villages known as Zagoria , and is in the shape of an upturned equilateral...
- d. 1620, Constantinople), the trunk of the Ghica family. At the beginning of 17th century Gheorghe left his birthplace and moved to Constantinople together with his father who intended to engage in a more lucrative trading in the Ottoman capital. The young Gheorghe, advised by the Moldavian ambassador to the Sublime Porte, moved to Moldavia sometimes before October 1624, where, by means of the wealth his father managed to accumulate, he eventually entered into the ranks of court dignitaries. Following the protection afforded by the Moldavian Prince Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu was a Moldavian Voivode between 1634 and 1653. Vasile Coci surnamed "the wolf" who ruled as Prince of Moldavia had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to hold it for twenty years. Vasile was of Albanian origin and Greek education...
, he climbed up the social ladder, first by becoming ambassador to the Porte, and then by marrying Smaragda (Smada) Lână, daughter of Stamate Lână, the Stolnic
Stolnic
Stolnic was a boier rank and the position at the court in the history of Romania: in Moldavia and Wallachia. The title approximately corresponds to seneschal and is borrowed from the Slavic title stolnik a person in charge of the royal table.The title mare stolnic means "great stolnic", or...
(Seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
) of Broşteni
Brosteni
Broşteni may refer to several places in Romania:* Broşteni, Suceava* Broşteni, Mehedinţi* Broşteni, Vrancea* Broşteni, a village in Aninoasa, Argeş* Broşteni, a village in Durneşti Commune, Botoşani County...
.
Following the power vacuum
Power vacuum
A power vacuum is, in its broadest sense, an expression for a condition that exists when someone has lost control of something and no one has replaced them. It is usually used to refer to a political situation that can occur when a government has no identifiable central authority...
resulting from the failed Transylvanian-Wallachian-Moldavian anti-Ottoman uprising organized by Prince George II Rákóczi
George II Rákóczi
György Rákóczi II , a Transylvanian Hungarian ruler, was the eldest son of George I and Susanna Lorantffy....
, Gheorghe Ghica managed to secure his position as Prince of Moldavia, a position he held between 1658–1659 and 1659-1660. Unable to cope with the financial burdens imposed by the Porte, he was dismissed; nonetheless, following the intervention of Postelnic
Postelnic
Postelnic was a historical rank traditionally held by boyars in Moldavia and Wallachia, roughly corresponding to the position of chamberlain...
(Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
) Constantin Cantacuzino
Constantin Cantacuzino
Constantin Cantacuzino may refer to several members of the Cantacuzino family:*Constantin Cantacuzino , Wallachian stolnic, historian and diplomat*Constantin Cantacuzino , Wallachian kaymakam in 1848...
, the throne was given to his son Grigore I Ghica. He was Gheorghe Ghica's oldest surviving son, born in Constantinople from a relationship he had with Ecaterina Vlasto, a Catholic from Pera
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
. He had followed his father to Moldavia, where he further raised his family into the ranks of the indigenous Great Boyars, by marrying Maria Sturdza, daughter of Vistiernic (Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
) Mateiaș Sturdza of the Sturdza family
Sturdza family
Sturdza, Sturza or Stourdza is the name of an old Romanian family, whose origins can be traced back to the 1540s.The Sturdza family has been long and intimately associated with the government first of Moldavia and afterwards of Romania...
, and niece of the Moldavian Prince Gheorghe Ștefan
Gheorghe Stefan
Gheorghe Ştefan was Voivode of Moldavia between April 13 and May 8, 1653, and again from July 16, 1653 to March 13, 1658; he was the son of boyar Dumitraşcu Ceaur; Gheorghe Ştefan was Chancellor during the reign of Vasile Lupu.-Biography:Citing Vasile's reliance on his Greek and Levantine retinue,...
.
Grigore I Ghica's rule was also not free from disturbances due to the conflict with the Sublime Porte and especially because of the disputes between the Boyar parties. Through his political maneuvers and the assassination of his former mentor Constantine Cantacuzino, he instigated the hatred of nobility against him and his entourage. Taking advantage of the defeat of the Ottomans at the Battle of Levice
Battle of Levice
This page is partially a translation of the French versionThe Siege of Léva was fought on July 19, 1664 as part of the Austro-Turkish War , between a Habsburg army led by Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches and an Ottoman army under the command of Ali Pasha...
(1664), Grigore fled to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and then to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in search of Habsburg military aid. His hopes having not been materialized, he returned to Constantinople and acquired the Moldavian throne once again in 1672. During his short second reign, the animosity of the Cantacuzinos
Cantacuzino family
The Cantacuzino or Cantacuzène family is an old boyar family of Wallachia and Moldavia, a branch of Greek Kantakouzinos family, allegedly descended from the Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus. No definite genealogical links between Byzantine Greek and Romanian Cantacuzinos have been established...
exploded violently, and after the defeat of the Turks at Khotyn
Battle of Khotyn (1673)
Battle of Khotyn on 11 November 1673 was a battle where Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under hetman Jan Sobieski defeated Ottoman Empire forces under Hussain Pasha...
in 1673, Grigore was forced to flee to Constantinople; the hostility of his opponents lost his throne and he will die in Constantinople in 1674.
Grigore I Ghica's children, most notably Matei (Grigore) Ghica, assured the continuation of the lineage. Matei Ghica lived exclusively in Greek Phanar
Fener
Fener is a neighborhood midway up the Golden Horn within the district of Fatih in Istanbul , Turkey. The streets in the area are full of historic wooden houses, churches, and synagogues dating from Byzantine and Ottoman eras. The area's name is a Turkish transliteration of the original Greek φανάρι...
neighborhood of Constantinople. The marriage with Ruxandra Mavrocordat, daughter of Alexander Mavrocordatos
Alexander Mavrocordatos
Alexander Mavrocordato was a member of the Greek family Mavrocordatos, a doctor of philosophy and medicine of the University of Bologna, and dragoman to Sultan Mehmed IV in 1673 - notably employed in negotiations with the Habsburg Monarchy during the Great Turkish War.Alexander Mavrocordatos was...
, the Great Dragoman
Dragoman
A dragoman was an interpreter, translator and official guide between Turkish, Arabic, and Persian-speaking countries and polities of the Middle East and European embassies, consulates, vice-consulates and trading posts...
of the Sublime Porte, introduced Matei to the Phanariote nucleus - now the religious, cultural and political hegemons
Hegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
of the Christian Ottoman subjects and vassals - and ensured a path of political ascendancy for his descendants. He became Grand Drogoman of The Fleet
Ottoman Navy
The Ottoman Navy was established in the early 14th century. During its long existence it was involved in many conflicts; refer to list of Ottoman sieges and landings and list of Admirals in the Ottoman Empire for a brief chronology.- Pre-Ottoman:...
, and in 1739 he negotiated an agreement with the Sultan whereby the key position of Grand Drogoman of the Sublime Porte would remain within the fold - i.e. among the descendants of a family pact involving the Ghicas, Mavrocordatos and Racoviţă
Racovita
Racoviţa may refer to:* the Racoviţă family of Wallachian and Moldavian boyars and Phanariotesand to several places in Romania:* Racoviţa, a commune in Brăila County* Racoviţa, a commune in Sibiu County* Racoviţa, a commune in Timiş County...
s.
His son Grigore II Ghica
Grigore II Ghica
Grigore II Ghica was Voivode of Moldavia at four different intervals — from October 1726 to April 16, 1733, from November 27, 1735 to 14 September 1739, from October 1739 to September 1741 and from May 1747 to April 1748 — and twice Voivode of Wallachia: April 16, 1733 – November 27, 1735 and...
, initiated in the intricacies of the Ottoman politics due to his rank as Dragoman, succeeded in acquiring the Moldavian throne on the 26th of September 1726. During his rule in Moldavia, Grigore II Ghica made proof of great diplomatic skills by leveling an unfortunate conflict with the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
who threatened to ravage the country. In 1733 a swap of thrones took place, with Grigore II going to Wallachia in place of his cousin Constantine Mavrocordatos
Constantine Mavrocordatos
Constantine Mavrocordatos was a Greek noble who served as Prince of Wallachia and Prince of Moldavia at several intervals...
. Grigore II Ghica's diplomatic skills proved even more remarkable during the Russo-Austrian-Turkish War, when the Prince of Moldavia, at the request of the Porte, acted as the intermediary and mediator between the Ottomans and Russians through correspondence and exchange of envoys with the Russian Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Burkhard Christoph von Münnich
Burkhard Christoph von Munnich
Count Burkhard Christoph von Münnich was a Danish-born German soldier-engineer who became a field marshal and political figure in the Russian Empire. He was the major Russian Army reformer and founder of several elite military formations during the reign of Anna of Russia. As a statesman, he is...
, with John Bell
John Bell
- Law and politics :* John Bell , English barrister* John Bell , professor of law and Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge* John Bell , Member of Parliament from Thirsk...
, the secretary of the British embassy in St. Petersburg, with the French ambassador to Constantinople, Louis Sauveur Villeneuve
Louis Sauveur Villeneuve
Louis Sauveur, Marquis de Villeneuve was French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1728 to 1741. He was instrumental in pushing the Ottoman Empire to war with the Russian Empire, in the Russo-Turkish War . He was also put in charge of negotiating the peace to this war, managing to impose...
, as well as with the great Ottoman dignitaries.
Notable members of the family
Princes of Wallachia
- Gheorghe GhicaGheorghe GhicaGeorge Ghica March 3, 1600 – November 2, 1664), founder of the Ghica family, was Prince of Moldavia in 1658-1659 and Prince of Wallachia in 1659–1660....
: 1659-1660 and 1673–1678 - Grigore I GhicaGrigore I GhicaGrigore I Ghica, a member of the Ghica family, was Prince of Wallachia between September 1660 and December 1664 and again between March 1672 and November 1674....
: 1660-1664 and 1672–1673 - Grigore II GhicaGrigore II GhicaGrigore II Ghica was Voivode of Moldavia at four different intervals — from October 1726 to April 16, 1733, from November 27, 1735 to 14 September 1739, from October 1739 to September 1741 and from May 1747 to April 1748 — and twice Voivode of Wallachia: April 16, 1733 – November 27, 1735 and...
: 1733-1735 and 1748–1752 - Matei GhicaMatei GhicaMatei Ghica, a member of the Ghica family, was the Prince of Wallachia between 11 September 1752 and 22 June 1753, and Prince of Moldavia between 22 June 1753 and 8 February 1756....
: 1752-1753 - Scarlat GhicaScarlat GhicaPrince Scarlat Ghica was a Prince of Moldavia , and twice Prince of Wallachia . He was a member of the Ghica family....
: 1758-1761 and 1765–1766 - Alexandru GhicaAlexandru GhicaAlexandru Ghica was Voivode of Wallachia from 1766 to 1768....
: 1766-1768 - Grigore III GhicaGrigore III GhicaGrigore III Ghica was twice the Prince of Moldavia between 29 March 1764 – 3 February 1767 and September 1774 – 10 October 1777 and of Wallachia: 28 October 1768 – November 1769....
: 1768-1769 - Grigore IV GhicaGrigore IV GhicaGrigore IV Ghica or Grigore Dimitrie Ghica was Prince of Wallachia between 1822 and 1828. A member of the Ghica family, Grigore IV was the brother of Alexandru Ghica and the uncle of Dora d'Istria....
: 1822-1828 - Alexandru II GhicaAlexandru II GhicaAlexandru II or Alexandru D. Ghica , a member of the Ghica family, was Prince of Wallachia from April 1834 to 7 October 1842 and later caimacam from July 1856 to October 1858....
: 1834-1842
Princes of Moldavia
- Gheorghe GhicaGheorghe GhicaGeorge Ghica March 3, 1600 – November 2, 1664), founder of the Ghica family, was Prince of Moldavia in 1658-1659 and Prince of Wallachia in 1659–1660....
: 1658-1659, 1735–1741 and 1747–1748 - Matei GhicaMatei GhicaMatei Ghica, a member of the Ghica family, was the Prince of Wallachia between 11 September 1752 and 22 June 1753, and Prince of Moldavia between 22 June 1753 and 8 February 1756....
: 1753-1756 - Scarlat GhicaScarlat GhicaPrince Scarlat Ghica was a Prince of Moldavia , and twice Prince of Wallachia . He was a member of the Ghica family....
: 1757-1758 - Grigore III GhicaGrigore III GhicaGrigore III Ghica was twice the Prince of Moldavia between 29 March 1764 – 3 February 1767 and September 1774 – 10 October 1777 and of Wallachia: 28 October 1768 – November 1769....
: 1764-1767 and 1774–1777 - Grigore Alexandru GhicaGrigore Alexandru GhicaGrigore Alexandru Ghica or Ghika was a Prince of Moldavia between October 14, 1849 and June 1853, and again between October 30, 1854 and June 3, 1856...
: 1849-1853 and 1854–1856, from Katherine's moldavian branch
Prime Ministers of Romania
- Ion GhicaIon GhicaIon Ghica was a Romanian revolutionary, mathematician, diplomat and twice Prime Minister of Romania . He was a full member of the Romanian Academy and its president for four times...
: 1866-1867 and 1870–1871 - Dimitrie GhicaDimitrie GhicaDimitrie Ghica or Ghika was a Romanian politician. A prominent member of the Conservative Party, he served as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1870....
: 1868-1870
Others
- Elena GhicaDora d'IstriaDora d'Istria , pen-name of duchess Helena Koltsova-Massalskaya, born Elena Ghica, was a Romanian Romantic writer and feminist.-Early life:...
(1828–1888), Romanian writer - Ioan Grigore GhicaIoan Grigore GhicaPrince Ioan Grigore Ghica was a Romanian politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Principality of Romania from October 17, 1865 until February 10, 1866 and as the Ministry of National Defense of Principality of Romania in two terms from July 19, 1861 until September 29, 1862 and...
(1830-881), Romanian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense of Romania - Pantazi GhicaPantazi GhicaPantazi Ghica was a Wallachian-born Romanian politician and lawyer, also known as a dramatist, poet, short story writer, and literary critic. A prominent representative of the liberal current, he was the younger brother and lifelong collaborator of Ion Ghica, who served as Prime Minister of the...
(1831–1882), Romanian writer, politician and financier - Dimitrie Ghica-ComăneştiDimitrie Ghica-ComanestiDimitrie Ghika-Comăneşti was a Romanian nobleman, explorer, famous hunter, adventurer and politician. He was born into the Ghica family, with nobiliary ancestry roots beginning in the 17th century. He was the son of Ecaterina Plagino and aga Dimitrie Ghika-Comăneşti (also Demeter Ghika, Ghika...
(1840–1923), Romanian politician, explorer of Africa, hunter, member of the Romanian Parliament - Dimitrie I. G. GhicaDimitrie I. G. GhicaPrince Dimitrie I. G. Ghica was a Romanian politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania from April 27, 1931 until June 5, 1932 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Nicolae Iorga.-References:...
(1875–1967), Romanian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania - Nicolae Ghica-Budeşti (1869–1943), Romanian architect
- Albert GhicaAlbert GhicaAlbert Ghica was a Romanian writer and socialite. He was a member of the Ghica noble family. Later in life he changed his name to the Albanian form Gjika, for more credentials in his quest for the Albanian throne.He was a pretender to the Albanian throne...
(late 19th century), Romanian socialite and pretender to the AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n throne - Vladimir Ghica (1873–1954), Romanian diplomat and Roman Catholic Priest
- Alexandrina Pallady (1876–1944), adopted Ghica and married CantacuzinoCantacuzino familyThe Cantacuzino or Cantacuzène family is an old boyar family of Wallachia and Moldavia, a branch of Greek Kantakouzinos family, allegedly descended from the Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus. No definite genealogical links between Byzantine Greek and Romanian Cantacuzinos have been established...
, Romanian feminist and fascist activist - Matila Costiesco Ghyka (1881–1965), Romanian writer, historian and diplomat
- Dimitrie GhicaDimitrie GhicaDimitrie Ghica or Ghika was a Romanian politician. A prominent member of the Conservative Party, he served as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1870....
(?-1967?), Romanian diplomat and memoirist - Alexandru GhicaAlexandru GhicaAlexandru Ghica was Voivode of Wallachia from 1766 to 1768....
(1902–1964), Romanian mathematician - Nikos Hadjikyriakos-GhikasNikos Hadjikyriakos-GhikasNikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas was a leading Greek painter, sculptor, engraver, iconographer, writer and academic...
(1906–1994), Greek contemporary painter and sculptor - Şerban Ghica (1919–2006), Romanian rugby union player and anti-communist activist