Founding of Wallachia: Difference between revisions

The [[Cumans]], a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic tribe]] approached the [[Danube Delta]] shortly after 1064–1065, and from 1068 the entire territory between the [[Aral Sea]] and the [[Danube#Geography#Sectioning|lower Danube]] were controlled by them.<ref>Spinei 2009, pp. 114., 116–117.</ref> But this vast territory was never politically united by a strong central power.<ref name='Vásáry 7'>Vásáry 2005, p. 7.</ref> The different Cuman groups were under independent rulers or ''[[Khan (title)|khan]]s'' who meddled in the political life of the surrounding areas, such as the [[Kievan Rus’|Rus’ principalities]] and the [[Byzantine Empire]].<ref name='Vásáry 7'/> In attacking the Byzantine Empire, the Cumans were also assisted by the Vlachs living in the [[Balkan Mountains]] (now in Bulgaria) who showed them the mountain paths where no imperial guard was set up.<ref>Vásáry 2005, p. 21.</ref>

 

 

In 1211, King [[Andrew II of Hungary]] (1205–1235) settled the [[Teutonic Knights]] in the region of [[Braşov]] in order to put an end to the frequent incursions of the Cumans into [[Transylvania]].<ref>Engel 2001, pp. 90., 431.</ref><ref>Spinei 2009, p. 146.</ref> The knights were given all the territory they could conquer beyond the Carpathian Mountains as a [[fief]] to be held from the king of Hungary.<ref name='Engel 90'>Engel 2001, p. 90.</ref> According to a royal charter of 1222, the knights’ military power stretched across the Carpathians all the way to the Danube.<ref name='Spinei 2005 417'>Spinei 2005, p. 417.</ref> That the Teutonic Knights won several victories “beyond the snowy mountains” ''(ultra montes nivium)'', that is to the south and to the east of the Carpathians, is also confirmed by [[pope|papal]] letters.<ref name='Spinei 2005 417'/> However, the Teutonic Knights were forced out of the territory in 1225 by King Andrew II, who claimed that they had ignored his authority.<ref>Spinei 2005, p. 418.</ref>

*Treptow, Kurt W.; Popa, Marcel (1996). ''Historical Dictionary of Romania''. The Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 0-8108-3179-1.

*Vásáry, István (2005). ''Cumans and Tatars: Oriental Military in the Pre-Ottoman Balkans, 1185–1365''. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-83756-1.

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