Iancu Jianu
Encyclopedia
Iancu Jianu (ˈjaŋku ʒiˈanu; 1787 – December 14, 1842) was a Wallachian Romanian hajduk
.
, Oltenia, Wallachia, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Costache Jianu was a paharnic and an ispravnic
of Romanaţi County
.
Despite being rather wealthy, owning parts of four estates and 14 gypsy slaves
, he chose to become an outlaw, opposing the idea that the leadership of the country was given to Phanariotes
instead of the local boyars. According to Petre V. Nasturel, what made him become a hajduk was a tax collector
(zapciu) who enforced the collection of due taxes while Iancu was away. On his return, Iancu killed the tax collector and became a runaway.
He organized a band of outlaws, which numbered 20-25 people, but usually used smaller groups of 10-12 people in his interventions. In 1821, he brought to the army of Tudor Vladimirescu just 21 people. The first known document mentioning Jianu as a hajduk is from May 6, 1812, when a report of the Great Spătar mentioned two groups of outlaws in Romanaţi County, among them being the one of Jianu.
In the following months, Jianu and a part of his hajduks were caught and on December 30, 1812, the new voivode of Wallachia, Ioan Gheorghe Caragea
, ordered to the ispravnics of Romanaţi to hand them over to Bucharest
where he was sent to prison, but following his relatives' intervention, he was pardoned. Iancu continued his robberies in Romanaţi and Dolj counties and his brother, Amza Jianu had to deposit at the treasury a sum of 1833 thaler
s which were supposed to compensate those robbed by his brother.
On 10 April 1817, Caragea wrote a letter to the Caimacam of Craiova
which said that he is pardon for all his misdeeds, but if he ever repeats his acts, he would be hanged as soon as he is caught. Nevertheless, Iancu returned to his life as an outlaw, he was caught and sentenced to death by hanging
. Iancu was saved by an old custom, according to which a man sentenced to death is pardoned if a woman asks him to become her husband and he accepts. Sultana Gălăşescu, a young woman from the retinue
of princess Ralu
, Caragea's daughter wanted him to become her husband. After the marriage with Sultana, Iancu gave up being an outlaw and retired to his estate from Fălcoi.
During the 1821 Wallachian Revolution, he and his old hajduk band enrolled in Tudor Vladimirescu
's Pandur
army. Being named pandur captain, in April 1821, together with Stolnic Borănescu, he was sent to Silistra
, to try to convince the Mehmed Selim Pasha to give up the intervention against Tudor. However, he was arrested, being freed only in August 1821, after Tudor's army was repressed.
Returning to Wallachia, Jianu settled in Chilii
, a hamlet near Caracal. He was briefly arrested in 1823 under the accusation of trying to conspire against the authorities, but he was freed soon. In 1837, he was an underruler of Olteţ plasă
. Iancu had two children: Mariţa, born August 10, 1830 and Zinca, born May 24, 1835. He died on December 14, 1842 and was buried the next day at the cemetery of the Biserica Maica Domnului from Caracal, but in 1910, his remains were moved to the Caracal Cemetery, being buried next to his wife, who died in 1869.
.
His house in Fălcoi was restored by architect R. Mariani, being transformed in 1959 in a museum under the name Memorial House Iancu Jianu. The commune of Cepturoaia in Olt County
was renamed in 1953 in his memory Iancu Jianu, Olt
.
There were three Romanian movies inspired by his life.
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
.
Biography
Born in CaracalCaracal, Romania
Caracal is a city in Olt county, Romania, situated in the historic region of Oltenia, on the plains between the lower reaches of the Jiu and Olt rivers. The region's plains are well known for their agricultural specialty in cultivating grains and over the centuries, Caracal has been the trading...
, Oltenia, Wallachia, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Costache Jianu was a paharnic and an ispravnic
Ispravnic
An ispravnic was, in the Danubian principalities, the title owned by a clerk or a boyar in charge of law enforcement in a certain county. Initially, during the middle ages, ispravnics were people who used to carry out the voivod's commands. Later on, ispravnics became local administrators and were...
of Romanaţi County
Romanați County
Romanaṭi was a county in the Kingdom of Romania, in southern Oltenia. The county seat was Caracal.-Administrative organization:Administratively, Romanaṭi County was divided into five districts :# Plasa Câmpu# Plasa Dunărea...
.
Despite being rather wealthy, owning parts of four estates and 14 gypsy slaves
Slavery in Romania
Slavery existed on the territory of present-day Romania from before the founding of the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia in 13th–14th century, until it was abolished in stages during the 1840s and 1850s. Most of the slaves were of Roma ethnicity...
, he chose to become an outlaw, opposing the idea that the leadership of the country was given to Phanariotes
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...
instead of the local boyars. According to Petre V. Nasturel, what made him become a hajduk was a tax collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
(zapciu) who enforced the collection of due taxes while Iancu was away. On his return, Iancu killed the tax collector and became a runaway.
He organized a band of outlaws, which numbered 20-25 people, but usually used smaller groups of 10-12 people in his interventions. In 1821, he brought to the army of Tudor Vladimirescu just 21 people. The first known document mentioning Jianu as a hajduk is from May 6, 1812, when a report of the Great Spătar mentioned two groups of outlaws in Romanaţi County, among them being the one of Jianu.
In the following months, Jianu and a part of his hajduks were caught and on December 30, 1812, the new voivode of Wallachia, Ioan Gheorghe Caragea
Ioan Gheorghe Caragea
John Caradja or John George Caradja was a Phanariote Prince of Wallachia, who reigned between 1812 and 1818...
, ordered to the ispravnics of Romanaţi to hand them over to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
where he was sent to prison, but following his relatives' intervention, he was pardoned. Iancu continued his robberies in Romanaţi and Dolj counties and his brother, Amza Jianu had to deposit at the treasury a sum of 1833 thaler
Thaler
The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
s which were supposed to compensate those robbed by his brother.
On 10 April 1817, Caragea wrote a letter to the Caimacam of Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
which said that he is pardon for all his misdeeds, but if he ever repeats his acts, he would be hanged as soon as he is caught. Nevertheless, Iancu returned to his life as an outlaw, he was caught and sentenced to death by hanging
Death by hanging
Death by hanging may refer to:* Hanging* Death by Hanging, a 1968 film by Nagisa Oshima...
. Iancu was saved by an old custom, according to which a man sentenced to death is pardoned if a woman asks him to become her husband and he accepts. Sultana Gălăşescu, a young woman from the retinue
Retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage, a suite of "retainers".-Etymology:...
of princess Ralu
Rallou Karatza
Princess Rallou Karatza was a Greek actress, theatre director, translator and participant in the Greek War of Independence.Born daughter of the Greek prince John Caradja of Wallachia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, she had an early interest for theatre, both the theatre from antiquity and modern...
, Caragea's daughter wanted him to become her husband. After the marriage with Sultana, Iancu gave up being an outlaw and retired to his estate from Fălcoi.
During the 1821 Wallachian Revolution, he and his old hajduk band enrolled in Tudor Vladimirescu
Tudor Vladimirescu
Tudor Vladimirescu was a Wallachian Romanian revolutionary hero, the leader of the Wallachian uprising of 1821 and of the Pandur militia. He is also known as Tudor din Vladimiri or — occasionally — as Domnul Tudor .-Background:Tudor was born in Vladimiri, Gorj County in a family of landed peasants...
's Pandur
Pandur
Pandur can refer to:* Pandurs, Balkan Slavic guerrilla fighters* Pandur, an armoured personnel carrier:* Pandur I 6x6* Pandur II 8x8* The Sumerian term for long-necked lutes...
army. Being named pandur captain, in April 1821, together with Stolnic Borănescu, he was sent to Silistra
Silistra
Silistra is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern bank of the lower Danube at the country's border with Romania. Silistra is the administrative centre of Silistra Province and one of the important cities of the historical region of Southern Dobrudzha...
, to try to convince the Mehmed Selim Pasha to give up the intervention against Tudor. However, he was arrested, being freed only in August 1821, after Tudor's army was repressed.
Returning to Wallachia, Jianu settled in Chilii
Chilii
Chilii may refer to several villages in Romania:* Chilii, a village in Mioarele Commune, Argeş County* Chilii, a village in Valea Ursului Commune, Neamţ County* Chilii, a village in Dobrun Commune, Olt County...
, a hamlet near Caracal. He was briefly arrested in 1823 under the accusation of trying to conspire against the authorities, but he was freed soon. In 1837, he was an underruler of Olteţ plasă
Plasa
The Professional Lighting And Sound Association or PLASA is a UK-based trade organisation representing over 500 members worldwide.In addition to providing members with expert advice on a wide range of business and technical issues, PLASA also monitors legislative developments, alerting members to...
. Iancu had two children: Mariţa, born August 10, 1830 and Zinca, born May 24, 1835. He died on December 14, 1842 and was buried the next day at the cemetery of the Biserica Maica Domnului from Caracal, but in 1910, his remains were moved to the Caracal Cemetery, being buried next to his wife, who died in 1869.
Legacy
Iancu Jianu is remembered in many folk stories and balads, such as Jianul, a folk balad written down by Vasile AlecsandriVasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri was a Romanian poet, playwright, politician, and diplomat. He collected Romanian folk songs and was one of the principal animators of the 19th century movement for Romanian cultural identity and union of Moldavia and Wallachia....
.
His house in Fălcoi was restored by architect R. Mariani, being transformed in 1959 in a museum under the name Memorial House Iancu Jianu. The commune of Cepturoaia in Olt County
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....
was renamed in 1953 in his memory Iancu Jianu, Olt
Iancu Jianu, Olt
Iancu Jianu is a commune in Olt County, Romania, named after the 19th century Wallachian hajduk Iancu Jianu. It is composed of three villages: Dobriceni, Iancu Jianu and Preoteşti....
.
There were three Romanian movies inspired by his life.
- IMDB: Iancu Jianu (1928)
- IMDB: Iancu Jianu, zapciul (1980)
- IMDB: Iancu Jianu, haiducul (1981);