Iancu Sasul
Encyclopedia
Iancu Sasul or Ioan Vodă V (Voivode John V; d. September 28, 1582 in Lviv
) was the bastard son of Petru Rareş
from his relationship with the wife of Braşov
Transylvanian Saxon Iorg (Jürgen) Weiss, and Prince of Moldavia
between November 1579 and September 1582.
and moved to Istanbul
, in order to bid for his father's throne. Marrying into the Palaeologus family of former Byzantine Emperors (to Maria), and taking advantage of the weakened position of Moldavian Prince Petru Şchiopul, he borrowed money from Venetian
former Dragoman
and high dignitary (sfetnic) of Petru Şchiopul Bartolomeo Brutti, and managed to gain the office. Iancu also benefited from the influence that his stepsister, Doamna Chiajna (the widow of Wallachia
n Prince Mircea Ciobanul
and mother of Petru cel Tânăr), exercised on Ottoman
authorities.
for "cow").
Brutti became part of the retinue
and was placed in charge of finances. His privileged position angered Chiajna, and she took to undermining Iancu's standing, forming an alliance with disgruntled boyars. What added to Iancu's isolation were his privileged contacts with the Holy Roman Empire
, presumably entertained in order to offer a safe haven in case of need. When he received news of the Porte's intent to depose him, Iancu fled the country, carrying an immense fortune that was said to fit in 100 cart
s (of which 40 would have been filled with currency
alone). He attempted to take refuge on newly-bought estate
s in Transylvania
, but he was arrested on his passage through Poland
and decapitated in Lviv.
Iancu Sasul fathered a son, Bogdan Sasul (mentioned in 1596), and a daughter, Chrisotina (married to a certain Antonios Katakalos).
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
) was the bastard son of Petru Rareş
Petru Rares
Peter IV Rareș was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born to Ștefan cel Mare...
from his relationship with the wife of Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
Transylvanian Saxon Iorg (Jürgen) Weiss, and Prince of 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...
between November 1579 and September 1582.
Bid for the throne
Let in on the secret of his lineage by his mother, Iancu renounced the inheritance of his stepfamilyStepfamily
A stepfamily, also known as a blended family or reconstituted family, is a family in which one or both members of the couple have children from a previous relationship...
and moved to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, in order to bid for his father's throne. Marrying into the Palaeologus family of former Byzantine Emperors (to Maria), and taking advantage of the weakened position of Moldavian Prince Petru Şchiopul, he borrowed money from Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
former 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...
and high dignitary (sfetnic) of Petru Şchiopul Bartolomeo Brutti, and managed to gain the office. Iancu also benefited from the influence that his stepsister, Doamna Chiajna (the widow of 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 Mircea Ciobanul
Mircea Ciobanul
Mircea the Shepherd was the Prince of Wallachia three times: January 1545 –16 November 1552; May 1553–28 February 1554 ; and January 1558–21 September 1559.-Biography:He was the fifth son of Radu cel Mare...
and mother of Petru cel Tânăr), exercised on 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...
authorities.
Reign
The Prince's reign was marked by excessive and highly inventive taxing, motivated by the increasing debt and his ambition to accumulate a sizable personal fortune on the side. Iancu was to go down in history as the mind behind the much-hated văcărit tax, whereby every tenth head of cattle was confiscated by the state (vacă is RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
for "cow").
Brutti became part of 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:...
and was placed in charge of finances. His privileged position angered Chiajna, and she took to undermining Iancu's standing, forming an alliance with disgruntled boyars. What added to Iancu's isolation were his privileged contacts with the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, presumably entertained in order to offer a safe haven in case of need. When he received news of the Porte's intent to depose him, Iancu fled the country, carrying an immense fortune that was said to fit in 100 cart
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
s (of which 40 would have been filled with currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
alone). He attempted to take refuge on newly-bought estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
s 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...
, but he was arrested on his passage through Poland
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
and decapitated in Lviv.
Iancu Sasul fathered a son, Bogdan Sasul (mentioned in 1596), and a daughter, Chrisotina (married to a certain Antonios Katakalos).