DIMITRIE CANTEMIR'S REIGN - THE CROSSROAD OF MOLDOVAN HISTORY

Abstract

Communication "Dimitrie Cantemir's reign as crossroad in the Moldovan history" states that from XVth century there were profiled two tendencies of the foreign policy of Moldova concernincg its relations with the Ottoman Empire: military resistance to ottoman expansion, on the one hand and redeeming peace and independence through compromises and concessions to the sultan, on the the other. During his short reign (1710-1711) Dimitrie Cantemir, considering that international situation of that time was favorable, concluded an alliance with Russia of Peter the Great and tried to shake offthe foreign domination by force of arms. This political decision of the Moldavian ruler is frequently discussed in the specialized literature. The author of this article shares the point of view according to which Dimitrie Cantemir had risked his live, throne, property, welfare of his family, an the comfort from Istanbul for shaking offthe Ottoman rule and regaining the lost territories of Moldova. Unfortunately short reign in 1710-1711 marked by the Prut campaign of Peter the Great resulted in a greater deterioration of the situation of Moldova, which henceforth over more than a century will be governed by foreign princes, remaining in the way of all evils. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract: Communication "Dimitrie Cantemir's reign as crossroad in the Moldovan history" states that from XVth century there were profiled two tendencies of the foreign policy of Moldova concernincg its relations with the Ottoman Empire: military resistance to ottoman expansion, on the one hand and redeeming peace and independence through compromises and concessions to the sultan, on the the other. During his short reign (1710-1711) Dimitrie Cantemir, considering that international situation of that time was favorable, concluded an alliance with Russia of Peter the Great and tried to shake offthe foreign domination by force of arms. This political decision of the Moldavian ruler is frequently discussed in the specialized literature. The author of this article shares the point of view according to which Dimitrie Cantemir had risked his live, throne, property, welfare of his family, an the comfort from Istanbul for shaking offthe Ottoman rule and regaining the lost territories of Moldova. Unfortunately short reign in 1710-1711 marked by the Prut campaign of Peter the Great resulted in a greater deterioration of the situation of Moldova, which henceforth over more than a century will be governed by foreign princes, remaining in the way of all evils.

Keywords: Reign, Dimitrie Cantemir, Country of Moldova, Russia, Peter the Great, the Prut Campaign (1711), the Ottoman Empire.

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Beginning with the reign of Alexandru the Good, especially from Stephen the Great and Peter Aron in political relations between the Country of Moldova and the Ottoman Empire have gradually shaped two tendencies of approach: the first - resisting to armed incursions and second - accepting the tribute payment as a ransom of peace1.

In the reign of Stephen the Great especially after the fall of Chilia and Akkerman (1484), Moldova started to pass from the armed resistance to the acceptance of tributary relations with the Ottoman Empire and inclusion of Moldova in the so-called "House of Peace"2 - sultan's policy of dealing with conquered peoples or those who were in vassalage relations with the Sublime Porte, which represented the acceptance of compromise by both parties. Under these conditions the Ottoman Empire was receiving annual tribute and gifts, meanwhile Moldova continued to keep high degree of autonomy and discretion in internal and external affairs, and Sultan's non-interference in the activity of local rulers.

Under Stephen's The Great descendants on the Moldavian throne - Bogdan III, Stephen the Young, Peter Raresh, the latter until the end of his first reign, largely maintained the same relations with the Ottoman Empire, although from one reign to another, or during one and the same reign tribute payments hat a continuous upward trend. Therefore our chroniclers believed that early period Ottoman domination in Moldova comes from the reign of Bogdan III3, political move that was blessed by Stephen the Great4. However, new sultans always grewup their demands on the range of duties, which Moldova had to execute. It is known that Petru Raresh tried to curb this process of Moldova's dependency towards the Ottoman Empire by force of arms in 1538, but suffered failure. Even though Petru Raresh manages to regain from sultan a second reign in Moldova (1541-1546), in reigns of his sons Ilie and Bogdan, in that of Alexander Lapushneanu and other rulers who followed him, Moldova returned to its former status of vassal country. But this time the vassalage conditions were more severe.

Another attempt to shake offthe Ottoman domination by force of arms was made by Ioan Voda the Terrible, which failed too. This failure resulted in further tightening of Moldova's status: transition from choosing of rulers to their appointment by sultan, more and more was accentuated negative impact upon the rights of Moldovan rulers, were increasing commendations and more often is observed ottoman interference in the affairs of the country.

Thus for a period of over two centuries Moldova Countries rulers, in dealing with the Ottoman Empire, oscillated between compromise and acceptance of vassal country status, on the one hand, and regularly attempted to reject foreign domination and to shake it through the armed resistance, on the other hand. In these attempts to regain full independence of the country, each ruler was always looking for reliable allies' support, which, however, was often insignificant and did not help Moldova to succeed in this strive.

During seventeenth century Moldovan rulers had mostly reconciled this state of affairs in their relations with the Ottoman Empire, although, through diplomatic channels of great secrecy, they periodically tried to enter into certain Anti-Ottoman alliance, and to find the strongest allies between those who were manifested themselves at the European political arena of those times. For instance, at the border of XVI-XVII centuries, under the rulers of Movilesti dynasty, the balance of allies search bowed towards Poland, and in the reign another ruler - George Stephen (1643-1658), was made an attempt to change the political vector towards Russia, that resulted in a treaty, according to which the Country of Moldova would pass under the obedience of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich5; and Constantin Cantemir tried to get closer to Habsburg Empire, and concluded a treaty on alliance6 with Leopold I, Emperor of Austria. Both George Stephen's and Constantine Cantemir's requests clearly denote that Moldovan rulers were constantly searching political solutions for shaking of the Ottoman domination, but this goal could be achieved only by certain compromises and even failures the new patrons stipulated in these documents benefice .

The Sublime Porte, in its turn, seeks to curb such attempts, and actually no longer fulfilled taken once duties to defend Moldova of foreign invasions. An example in this regard can be Polish large army's entering in Moldova that took place in1653 and 1686, or tacit approval of Tartar incursions. Seldom, the Porte threatened Moldova of transforming it into pashalik.

Searching of a reliable alliance took place on constantly changing European political background. Towards the last decades of XVIIth - beginning of XVIIIth century there is also observed a decline of once great European powers such as Poland in north and Ottoman Empire in south. This process was followed by frequent military defeats and even territorial losses, which incurred for the benefit of neighbouring powers. Instead, during the same period, there were rising other European powers, which were in closer or more distant neighbourhood of Moldova. Such power was the Habsburg Empire, on the one hand which gained new territories as the result of confrontation with the Ottoman Empire: we mean here Transylvania, which passed under Habsburg rule in 1699. And Russia, on the other hand, that also, especially under Peter the Great, succeeded in obtaining a series of victories in the Northern War, and found her window to Europe from the Baltic by obtaining of a great victory over Charles XII at Poltava. All these political metamorphoses which were highly dynamic throughout Central and Eastern Europe and even in close proximity of the Romanian Principalities, of Moldova in particular, for centuries were carried out under conditions of political rivalries amongst the princes of Moldavia and Wallachia. By this period the rivalry between Constantin Cantemir and Cantacuzino became more acute. The same conflictual situation happened in his relations with Constantin Brâncoveanu from Wallachia, which has continued in first reign of Antioch Cantemir (1696-1700), eldest son of Constantine Cantemir. These events undermined their endeavor to obtain a more favorable position in relations with Ottoman Empire.

In addition to that, due to being involved in permanent wars, the Ottoman Empire's requirements of material and human resources from vassal countries, was constantly growing. Young Dimitrie Cantemir, born in 1673/1674, as he confesses in "Vita Constantin Cantemir", was involved by his father to discussions that took place at the royal court, and from adolescence witnessed even making of political decisions in dealing with neighboring powers. Being a very intelligent person, he gradually gets to know all the complexity of Moldova's situation, the events that were taking place in this part of Europe, relationships and responsibilities that Moldova had to provide with sultan.

He saw and actually experienced that his father Constantin Cantemir, who understood the difficult situation in which his country was under Ottoman rule, never accepted that Moldova should pass on Poland's side in the Polish-Ottoman rivalry, preferring, rather to accept the few autonomy which Moldova still preserved in its relations with Sublime Porte.

As was noted above it does not mean that Constantin Cantemir did not search for other solutions in order to liberate Moldova from the Ottoman rule, directing his attention to the Habsburg Empire. But, as we know, the treaty of alliance with the Habsburgs from 1690 remained on paper, having no political results. Basically, the brother of Dimitrie Cantemir, Antiochus continued broadly the same policy in relations with the Ottoman Empire, the Wallachia and Moscovite Russia, etc.

The long stay in Istanbul, determined young Dimitrie Cantemir for acknowledgement of both Ottoman Court's and Empire's realities. It is known that under these circumstances, Romanian princes, Constantin Brâncoveanu in particular was seeking to rise on Moldovan chair people "of his own", and even hoped to become both countries' ruler. Cantemir brothers Antioch and Dimitrie, at the same time, were aware of the idea of mastering both Romanian countries. Rivalries among the two royal houses had worsened in 1699, when D. Cantemir had married the daughter of former Wallachian ruler Serban Cantacuzino - Casandra. Understanding that such matrimonial alliance would make Dimitrie almost equal with other rivals who pretend for the chair of the country, Constantin Brâncoveanu was looking to frustrate this marriage by all means.

Eventually, in an atmosphere full of great events and twists at border of XVII-XVIII century, the two Romanian countries, Moldova in particular, highly reached general pauperization. It is noticed by Cantemir in his famous book "Descriptio Moldaviae", but also by Moldavian and Wallachian chroniclers, eyewitnesses at these events.

In these circumstances, when it seemed that Dimitrie Cantemir was reconciled with the thought that Moldova will be in his older brother Antioch's charge, and he will remain the capital of the Empire preferring to handle scholarly scientific activities, being guided by his famous teacher Jeremiah Cacavela Dimitrie wrote and published in 1698 in Jassy his famous treatise "Divan or a quarrel of a wise with the world ...", which we've tried to appreciate as a true European models of doctoral thesis since. Dimitrie, of course, wanted to live a quiet life since building a true palace in Istanbul, he was taking care of the welfare and peace of his family or there were born his children Maria, Smaragda, Matei, Constantine 7 . It's also true that Dimitrie Cantemir still preserved aspirations, to get Wallachian throne, especially because Constantin Brâncoveanu seized some of Serban Cantacuzino's possessions, which had to remain as Cassandra's dowry, wife of Dimitrie Cantemir. Thus, tensions between Constantin Brâncoveanu, on the one hand and Cantemir brothers on the other hand, continued.

Both sides were not really interested in these strained relations, and as a result of secret negotiations, the 1703-1704 between Dimitrie Cantemir and man of trust Brincoveanu - Toma C. Cantacuzino8, the parties reached an understand that in order to end these rivalries harmful to both sides, Constantin Brâncoveanu was obliged to return Cassandra's dowry in the form of money amounts and Dimitrie Cantemir had not claim to the throne of Wallachia. Each party undertakes the responsibility to make no intrigues against each other in the Porte9.

This pacification, as well as parties mined should occur and be maintained immediately, as both Moldova and Wallachia have to face a single enemy and feared master - Ottoman Empire. Both countries, in principle, pursued the same goal - shaking of foreign domination. For the realization of this goal, the sides had to maintain good relations, to enter into a wider Anti-Ottoman alliance. After this event Dimitrie Cantemir was looking over his affairs in Istanbul, carefully observed everything that was done in those days in the Empire, trying to support his brother in his efforts to regain the chair of Moldavia.

Of course, in a time-limited communication we are unable, but neither aim to show other events that occurred at European level with direct involvement of the Sublime Porte, and of Dimitrie in person, but it seemed he defined had given up the idea of gaining the throne of Moldavia and even that of Wallachia. Of course we can not overlook the fact that in these years Dimitrie Cantemir, in addition to his scholarly activities continued to remain a very active person in Ottoman capital, maintaining relationships with senior officials from the Ottoman Court and with foreign diplomats in Istanbul.

State of affairs of Dimitrie Cantemir's life changed suddenly in 1710 under the conditions when increased the rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and Russia of Peter the Great. The staying of Charles XII camp near the city Bender and more obvious intentions of Russia to strengthen its position in North Sea Ottoman-Habsburg rivalry background and state increasingly uncertain in another boundary of the Ottoman Empire further strained relations in this part of Europe. These tensions led to the outbreak of the Russo-Ottoman war respective declarations were made in late 1710, but the main events were held in the springsummer of 1711.

Under these conditions the Sultan and his entourage looked hurriedly to install someone of trust on the Moldovan chair. As far as one can see, due to these terms Dimitrie Cantemir began to act with more decisiveness. Through senior officials from the Ottoman Court, the Crimean Khan in particular 10 , he was transmitting signals that could offer his services as Sultan's devoted servil. Without offering details we will show only that Sultan's decision of raising Dimitrie Cantemir to Moldovan chair in the detriment of Nicolae Mavrocordat was an unprecedented rush (or were omitted all lengthy ceremonies at the Ottoman court and were not required rich gifts that was mandatory for the new ruler to give to Sultan and senior officials from the Porte), and by the end of 1710 Dimitrie Cantemir was already in Iasi Moldova's capital.

This new ruler had to prepare the ground and reserves in case of Russian- Ottoman military operations deployment in close proximity to Ottoman territories, or even on the territory of the Country of Moldova, and to seek to apprehend Constantin Brâncoveanu and get him to Istanbul by all means, because he maintained secret relations with the Tsar of Russia. Although Sultan insisted more than once that the new prince of Moldavia should have make steps for arresting of Wallachian ruler, but Cantemir did not rush nor was going to do it. Thus he respected Moldo-Wallachian agreements made through Thomas Cantacuzino in 1703 - 170411.

In the specialized literature has been written a lot and historians continue to manifest an increased interest for the brief reign of Dimitrie Cantemir in Moldova, being expressed the most different views. Especially, those refer to the assessing of Dimitrie Cantemir's role as a prince and political figure in taking political decisions of great responsibility in the spring and summer of 1711. However, Dimitrie Cantemir became a ruler and faced a cardinal problem. He had to choose in straight in difficult terms between crescent and the cross. Of course Cantemir would have do this step in extreme emergency conditions or events were carrying fast, because since the late winter and early spring 1711, several units of the Russian army took their pass the theater of Nordic War to the Black Sea and the Danube.

Dimitrie Cantemir found in Moldova a situation in which opinions regarding country's political behavior were different. We know for example, that a group of boyars militated for a prudent and realistic politics of expectation, while another one, that actually stood for Dimitrie Cantemir's side, considered that a turning point for radical change of Moldova's situation and its political status has come. Dimitrie Cantemir in person took that risk on himself. He believed that Russia could become a decisive factor in the victory over the apparent decline of the Ottoman Empire, and could save Moldova from the long foreign rule. There were many discussions concerning political decisions of Dimitrie Cantemir to shiftto the side of Tsar, claiming perhaps correctly, that it was a foolish move, wrong, not calculated, etc., and that this action actually stood at the head of upcoming dramatic events in the history of Moldavia, which led to the dismantling of this country in 1812 by annexing Bessarabia to Russia.

As for us, we share the point view that whether D. Cantemir had or hadn't taken this decision regarding Moldova's relations with Russian Empire, the latter, especially starting from the reign of Peter I, had intended not only to break the so-called window to Europe through the Baltic Sea, but also to expand its dominions in Southeast Europe, in North-Pontic shores, Caucasus and the Caspian Sea basin, with further strategic orientation towards the Balkans and Constantinople. As for the Cantemir, he hoped that Peter I will gain a great victory over the Ottoman Empire in 1711 and believed with all his being that Christians will gain this victory. In order to achieve this goal Cantemir had staked everything: life, family, wealth, royal chair, former comfortable silence from Istanbul, etc.

After us D. Cantemir did that, not because of a hope to achieve those set both by his father's treaty with the Habsburgs, and by the diploma of Peter I - to become hereditary royal dynasty of Moldavia. The primary was a goal to obtain liberty and independence of his homeland. He took this step especially in order to see his country which reached high economic and political decay, free and prosperous. Cantemir hoped to see his homeland evaluated in accordance with models of governance and economic development of several European countries, models that he got to know after a range of books brought to him from the West. Cantemir believed, or at least according to his view the political situation of that times, that according to the diploma of Lutsk (which also was seriously analyzed by many researchers from both Romania and Moldova, to mention studies of P.P. Panaitescu12, Andrei Pippidi13, Ion Eremia14, Dumitru Grama15 etc.) that Moldova will become an independent country, will regain its lost territories near by the Black Sea, and will have a guarantor and protector in person of Tsar Peter the Great and the Russian Empire - Orthodox Christian country in breakthrough . Moreover, the idea that Russia had a growing perspective of European power was expressed by Dimitrie Cantemir in his work "Study on the nature of monarchies".

Regarding the authorship of Lutsk Diploma16, we can say that there were also expressed several opinions among the most important are two: the one first - that it had been drawn up by Tsar's entourage and imposed to Dimitrie Cantemir; the second one - that Moldovan prince himself drew up the majority of the Diploma's items, ensuring that they will be as favourable for his country as possible. Sharing the latter opinion, we'd expressed and argued it in some publications17.

Unfortunately, the Prut campaign has turned into a complete failure, being even close to a fatal outcome, because the Tsar and his entourage, as well as Dimitrie Cantemir could have got in the hands of the Ottomans, while the Country of Moldova could have been transformed into pashalik. Undeniably, the events of the spring and summer of 1711 had, in spite of all expectations, the heaviest consequences for Moldova, which was not only looted and terribly exiled18 by the loss of Hotin fortress and its surroundings19, but also was on the verge of being transformed into an Ottoman province.

The brief reign of Dimitrie Cantemir in the Country of Moldova was a real crossroad of its history which could bring much craved liberty. Unfortunately short reign from 1710-1711 marked by the Prut campaign of Peter the Great led to a even greater aggravation of Moldova's situation, which from now on for more than a century will be ruled by foreign princes, will continue to remain in the way of all evils.

Footnote

1 The Act of June 5, 1456 by which "Peter (Aaron) voievode along with the royal council decide to accept temporarily ... the giving of two thousand Hungarian zlotys required by the the Turks..." (Documenta Romaniae Historica, A Moldova, vol. II, Bucuresti, 1976, p. 85-87, doc. 58).

2 Gorovei Stefan S., Szekely Maria Magdalena, Princeps Omni Laude Maior. O istorie a lui Stefan cel Mare Manastirea Putna, 2005, p. 238-248.

3 Ureche Grigore, Letopisetul Tarii Moldovei. Ed. de P.P. Panaitescu, Bucuresti, 1955, p.126.

4 Ibidem, p. 112.

5 ... CCC? XV-XVIII ... ToM. II (1633-1673), ..., 1968, p. 273, d. 89; p. 286, d. 93.

6 Moldova În contextul relatiilor politice internationale 1387-1856. Tratate, Chisinau, 1992, p. 245-246, d. 127.

7 Esanu Andrei, Esanu Valentina, Descendentii lui Dimitrie Cantemir, in Dinastia Cantemirestilor sec. XVII-XVIII. Coord. Acad. Andrei Esanu, Chisinau, 2008, p. 462-485.

8 Tvircun Victor, Viata si activitatea contelui Toma Cantacuzino, Chisinau, 2005, p. 10-11.

9 Ibidem, p. 11-12.

10 Esanu Andrei, Esanu Valentina, Urcarea În scaun si primele actiuni de politica interna si externa, in Dinastia Cantemirestilor sec. XVII-XVIII. Coord. Acad. Andrei Esanu, Chisinau, 2008, p. 195-196. HaidarlÎ Dan, Dimitrie Cantemir si Devlet Ghirai al II-lea, in HaidarlÎ Dan, Relatiile politice moldo-tatare (1699-1739), Chisinau, 2009, p. 26-38.

11 However, thereafter Constantin Brancoveanu regularly conveyed to D. Cantemir in Istanbul annual amounts, on which they had agreed. After Moldovan prince's fleeing in Russia, Sultan learned about those transfers, and required Antioch to return the money to Ottoman treasury (..., 2010, c.32-33 )

12 Panaitescu, P.P., Tratatul de alianta dintre Moldova si Rusia din 1711. 250 de ani de la Încheierea lui, in Studii. Revista de istorie, Bucuresti, 1961, nr. 4, p. 897-914.

13 Pippidi, Andrei, Politica si istorie În proclamatia lui Dimitrie Cantemir din 1711, in Studii. Revista de istorie, Bucuresti, Tom 26, 1973, nr. 5, p. 923-946.

14 Eremia, Ion, Politica rusofila a lui Dimitrie Cantemir - mit si realitate, in Dimitrie Cantemir, Fürst der Moldau, Gelehrter, Akteur der europäischen Kulturgeschichte. Veröffentlichungen des Moldova-Instituts Leipzig, Band 3, Ed. Bochmann Klaus, Dumbrava Vasile, Leipziger Universitärsverlag, 2008, S. 57-79.

15 Grama, Dumitru, Reflectarea unor aspecte ale suveranitatii statale a Moldovei În tratatul dintre Dimitrie Cantemir si Petru I din 1711, in Pergament. Anuarul Arhivelor Republicii Moldova, V-VI, 2002-2003, Chisinau, 2004, p. 134-149.

16 ... CCC? ... II (1633-1673), ..., 1968, c. 327-331, ... 113.

17 Esanu Andrei, Esanu Valentina, Tratatul de alianta cu Rusia (Lutk, aprilie 1711), in Dinastia Cantemirestilor sec. XVII-XVIII. Coord. Acad. Andrei Esanu, Chisinau, 2008, p.203-207.

18 Axinte Uricariul. Letopisetul Tarii Moldovei (1711-1715). Studiu introductiv, nota asupra editiei, Îngrijirea textului, glosar, indice de nume de Andrei Esanu, membru corespondent al A.S.M. si Valentina Esanu, ed. Civitas, 1999, p. 47-80.

19 Ibidem, p. 99-105.