Founding of Wallachia: Difference between revisions

The Mongols entered Europe in 1223 when [[Battle of the Kalka River|they defeated a joint Rus’-Cuman army at the river Kalka]] (now in [[Ukraine]]).<ref>Korobeinikov 2005, p. 388.</ref> Some Cuman groups, after their defeat of the Mongols, became willing to adopt Christianity.<ref name='Engel 95'>Engel 2001, p. 95.</ref><ref>Spinei 2005, p. 427.</ref> As early as 1227, one of the Cuman chieftains, [[Bortz (chieftain)|Boricius]] subjected himself and his people to the future King [[Béla IV of Hungary]], converted to Christianity and agreed to pay an annual tax and the [[tithe]].<ref name='Engel 95'/><ref>Spinei 2005, p. 423.</ref> The [[Roman Catholic]] [[Diocese of Cumania]], located in northeastern Wallachia and southwestern [[Moldavia]], was established in 1228.<ref>Spinei 2005, pp. 426., 436</ref> A significant presence of the Vlachs within the newly established bishopric is documented in the correspondence between the [[Hungarians|Hungarian]] [[crown prince]] and [[Pope Gregory IX]] (1227–1241), as the pope complained about [[Greek Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] [[prelate]]s active among the local Vlachs.<ref>Curta 2006, p. 352.</ref>

 

 

The Diocese of Cumania was ''[[de jure]]'' a part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and King Andrew II adopted the title of "king of Cumania" in 1233.<ref name='Engel 90'/><ref name='Spinei 2005 432'>Spinei 2005, p. 432.</ref> There can be no doubt that the king also placed garrisons at key points on the southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains in northeastern Wallachia.<ref name='Spinei 2005 432'/><ref>Vásáry 2005, p. 138.</ref> But the military outposts in the region of the bishopric are only first mentioned in relation to the [[Mongol invasion of Europe|Mongol invasion of 1241]] by Roger of Torre Maggiore.<ref name='Spinei 2005 432'/>