The history of Moldova has been a turbulent one, since its foundation until it became part of the modern Romanian state. The convergence of the Carpathian territories in a medieval state took place in the fourteenth century following a long process of crystallization and under the influence of many economic factors but especially politico-military.

A decisive influence in the formation of Moldova as an independent medieval principality had both the military policy of the Hungarian kings and the stability of the population that brought economic gain to the East Carpathian territory, mainly German merchants and craftsmen established in the early medieval fairs. from this region. The very name of the principality came from one of the populations of craftsmen settled in the area of ​​Moldova, in the fair in Baia.

A territory cleared by steppe warriors

At the beginning of the 14th century, while Western Europe was experiencing a new stage of development, the eastern Carpathian territory was still at the mercy of the warrior horsemen who had ravaged Eastern and Central Europe only half a century before.

The Mongols of the Golden Horde Khanate, political control and military territory, and posed a permanent threat to the great central European kingdoms, especially Hungary. This territory from the eastern Carpathian Mountains to the Dniester was inhabited by Romanian, Slavic or Turanian populations, with different forms of organization.

Romanians were organized in rural communities, village communities, with fortified centers where they take refuge in case of danger. Slavic communities functioned according to the same model, especially along the Prut line.

„On the Bârlad valley, of Crasna and especially of the Prut, there were again old Romanian settlements. Codrul Chigheciului sheltered our ancestors as everywhere, in the same way. And the forests of Orhei and Lapusna. Up to the edge of the steppe, the rooms, the hamlets and the villages of the Romanian ploughmen and shepherds or “Vlachs”, as the Slavic and Turkish neighbors called them, spread in the “History of the Romanians” . I, the famous historian Constantin C. Giurescu.

The Slavic and Romanian communities were ruled by jupani or cnezi and generally lived autarkically, producing everything they needed locally.

The pre-state formations on the eastern Carpathian territory were controlled for several centuries by the Turanian tribes of the Pechenegs and Cumanians, by the Russian principality of Halici, and finally, after the middle of the thirteenth century, by the Khanate. . Golden Horde.

At the beginning of the 14th century, all these pre-state formations paid tribute to the Mongols to avoid plunder and punitive expeditions. According to historical sources, it is possible that the people of the future principality of Moldova practiced, especially in the XII-XIII centuries and mercenary activities, involved in conflicts between Russian principalities or battles between the Hungarians and the Halici principality. In fact, even later, the talent of Moldovan warriors will be appreciated by Italian, Hungarian or Polish chroniclers.

The Hungarian brand, the nucleus of the future principality of Moldova

The eastern Carpathian territory had long been in the spotlight of the papacy, but also of the kingdom of Hungary. The papal envoys even managed to make a Diocese of the Cumans, also known as the Milcov Diocese, on the territory of the future principality of Moldova, for the conversion and sedentarization of the Turanian tribes with multiple benefits, especially for the Christian kings in the area.

The Mongol invasion thwarted all these efforts and led to the demise of the Cumanian Diocese. We, the masters of the steppes of Central Asia, went through the fire and sword of Eastern and Central Europe. The territory of the future Moldavian principality was still a savage, with almost non-existent urban life, with an autarchic economy and organization on principalities and small disparate and independent feudal lordships under Mongolian political and military control.

Although the Mongol invasion stopped and the hordes retreated to Asia, the presence of the Golden Horde, a new politico-military force in the North Pontic steppes, posed a constant threat, especially to the Kingdom of Hungary. Transylvania is in the way of the invaders, who could always start through Moldova, and then through the passes of the Carpathians in new robbery expeditions. Especially since the defense of the passers-by in the Eastern Carpathians proved to be totally ineffective in the past.

That is why the King of Hungary, Ludovic de Anjou, originally from France, decided on a military intervention east of the Carpathians. In short, the conquest of a significant territory in this area and its transformation into a defense mark, a buffer space in the face of Mongol attacks.

The expedition took place between 1343 and 1345, with the participation of mostly Transylvanian nobles under the leadership of Andrei Lackfi, but also Maramures princes, vassals of the king of Hungary, led by Dragos of Beden.

“Immediately after his accession to the throne, Louis decided to put an end to these periodic plunder of the Tartars, and in 1343, after other researchers in 1345, undertook a great expedition against them. The Romanians from Maramureş also take part in it, under the command of their voivode Dragoş and the Szeklers over whom Andrei, Laţco’s son, was older. The expedition was a complete success; they were driven from the lands east of the Carpa and retreated to the plains north of the Black Sea, “said Constantin C. Giurescu in the paper.

The Maramures Rebellion and the Birth of Moldova

While Dragoş’s sons ruled in the name of the Hungarian Crown, the defense mark east of the Carpathians, in Maramureş, Bogdan din Cuhea, a powerful feudal man of Romanian origin, revolted against the king of Hungary. Bogdan owned 22 villages and it is said that he was at one time the strongest senior in Maramureș.

At one point, however, he came into conflict with the new French king of Hungary. What is certain is that Louis the Great called him, according to the chronicles, “our infidel”, as a vassal who violated his obligations and oath.

The conflict between the king and the powerful senior from Cuhea escalates to the point where Bogdan gathers his men from the field and goes on a daring expedition in the eastern Carpathian territory. Here he finds numerous allies among the princes and jupans probably dissatisfied with Drăgoșești or the Hungarian control and triggers a real rebellion.

With the help of the Moldovans, Bogdan manages to remove Sas and Balc and takes control of the Hungarian defense brand. As expected, Louis the Great sends troops against Bogdan. He had already confiscated his property in Maramureş and was going to offer his fate to the traitors.

Bogdan, obviously, with a lot of support from the local population, manages to repel the Hungarian attacks and taking advantage of a favorable situation, he remains the master of this piece of defense, ensuring its independence. In short, this defense mark was the core of Moldova’s main future.

Armenians and Germans from Moldovan fairs

In addition to the military stability offered by the expulsion of the Tartars, the establishment of a request for defense, as a state nucleus, to the establishment of the new principal of Moldova, to the contribution and development of trade fairs specialized in crafts and trade. This is especially true of Baia, the first capital of Moldova. It was the most important fair of the time.

A document from 1339 says about Baia that it was the largest city east of the Carpathians. It was a cosmopolitan fair inhabited by Romanians, Germans, Hungarians and Armenians. In fact, other fairs in Moldova were colonized by Germans and Armenians. The Germans developed the craft branch, and the Armenians the commercial branch, organizing the first cattle fairs, on the important trade routes, including in Botosani.

“The Principality of Moldova was created through trade, and those who followed this trade became collaborators in the creation of the nation-state in Moldova. This is how the Armenians are, in a way, the parents of Moldova “, said the historian Nicolae Iorga.

In general, the Romanian population offered agricultural production by cultivating plants and raising animals and the Armenian and German communities brought that commercial and handicraft surplus. The economic growth ensured by the period of political and military stability contributed decisively to the crystallization of the new main. In fact, the name of the Principality, from an etymological point of view, as shown by many specialists, including Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, comes from the German language. That is, the word “mold,” which means “hollow,” or “drain.”

This name is said to have come from the German communities established in the Baia fair area. Initially, the name was given to the river Moldova and from here to the whole Principality.

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