Mircea II of Wallachia
| Mircea II | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wallachia | |
| Reign | 1442 |
| Predecessor | Vlad II Dracul, |
| Successor | Basarab II |
| House | Drăculești |
| Father | Vlad II Dracul |
Mircea II (1428–1447) was a onetime ruler of the principality of Wallachia, in the year 1442. He was the oldest son of Vlad II Dracul and brother of Vlad Țepeș and Radu the Handsome. He was grandson of his namesake Mircea cel Bătrân.
Mircea was the eldest son of Vlad Dracul, the future voivode (or prince) of Wallachia. According to the Burgundian crusader, Walerand of Wavrin, Mircea was about 15 year old in 1443, suggesting that Mircea had been born around 1428. The first document to mention Mircea (and his younger brother, Vlad Dracula) was issued on 20 January 1437. In that charter, their father (who was already the ruler of Wallachia) referred to Mircea and Vlad as his "first born sons". According to a widely accepted scholarly theory, "Cneajna" from Moldavia (a daughter of Alexander I of Moldavia) was Mircea's mother.
The Ottoman Sultan, Murad II, summoned Vlad Dracul to Edirne to do homage to him in March 1442. Before leaving Wallachia, Vlad Dracul appointed Mircea to rule Wallachia during his absence. The sultan accused Vlad Dracul of treachery and ordered his imprisonment. He also sent a troop of 12,000 strong to invade Wallachia.
In 1436, Mircea II's father Vlad Dracul succeeded in regaining the throne of Wallachia following the death of his half brother Alexandru I Aldea. Mircea II ruled in his father's absence beginning in 1442, when his father was away at the Ottoman court. His father's allied stance with the Ottoman Empire made him an enemy of John Hunyadi. In 1443, Hunyadi launched an attack on Wallachia, defeating both the Ottoman forces and those loyal to Vlad Dracul, forcing the latter to negotiate with the Ottoman court for support, with Mircea II fleeing and going into hiding. However, Mircea II had a strong following, and retained a strong army during this period. Hunyadi placed Basarab II on the throne, but with the support of the Ottomans Vlad Dracul would regain the throne shortly thereafter. Mircea II supported his father, but did not support his stance of siding with the Ottomans. Vlad Dracul signed a treaty with the Ottomans which stated he would pay the usual annual tribute, as well as allowing two of his sons, Vlad Țepeș and Radu the Handsome (Fair), to be held as captives.
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