User:Artix Kreiger/Familia Brâncoveanu

The Brâncoveanu family (Romanian: Familia Brâncoveanu) is a former boyar family from Romania.

The most important and famous person of the family was Preda Brâncoveanu, a relative of voivode Matei Basarab. The granddaughter of the great rulers and the master of considerable estates, she used his inheritance to combine with his nephew Constantin Brâncoveanu in marriage, who became a voivode of the country and remained in his reign for over 25 years. He was anointed as boyar. He later was taken captive and killed by the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul on August 26, 1714.

Family history
The Brâncoveanu family derives its name from the commune Brâncoveni, from where their family history originate. It emerged into power with imposition on the political, military and diplomatic level with Michael the Brave. A few years later, its fortunes declined. It was then forced to ally itself with the Goleștii, Bălenii, Bălăcenii, and Cantacuzinii families.

Predă Brâncoveanu was one of the most influential boyars of the country's affairs during the time of Matei Basarab, and occupied the high office of great logographer during the time of Constantin Serban.

In 1655, discontent and unrest in Constanța and resulted in full-blown rebellion, mostly in response to mercenaries (most of Serbian origin) on behalf of the intention of Constantin Serban intention to fire and drive them out of the country. The revolt originally covered Bucharest, and later spread to the entire country. In the last days of February, some of the rebels attacked the boyars' houses, robbing them and killing boyars, their wives, and their children. In the uprising, the head of the local church Brâncoveanu, the father of the future lord Constantin Brâncoveanu, died in the violence. His son son was only saved as he was substituted with a Gypsy child, who died in his place.

Prince George II Rákóczi of Transylvania wrote to his mother: "The voivode of Wallachia is in his place, but a great bloodshed has been made; The poor peoples have not been merciful to the poor boys, nor to the innocent children, have killed countless boyars; Poor Sava and Preda have redeemed their lives with much money; They killed their son; He remained a nephew from his son, in his place the minions gave a Gypsy child, so they lost their lives; ... many boyars fled here (in Transylvania, nn) ​​

18th century and beyond
The Prince of Wallachia Mihnea III, a figure known to be cruel to the boyars for fear of dethronement, confiscated their properties under false pretensis. While the Cantacuzino family fled the country, Preda Brâncoveanu remained and suffered the fate of many boyars; being raised from Târgovişte, he taken to a princely home where he was executed by strangulation. After this episode, Stanca Brâncoveanu took his three children and moved to her father's Mărgineni estate.

Of the three children of Pope and Safta Brâncoveanu, Constantin alone had children. Constantin III Brâncoveanu returned from his wand with his grandmother, who paid special attention to him as he was the only male follower of the family. The Brâncoveanu family came through it (after the sudden fall of 1714) again at the forefront of political life. Constantine became a great ban in Wallachia, the highest government after the reign. He was married to Maria, the daughter of Toma Crişant Coflogeanu (married to a daughter of Mihai Cantacuzino).

Constantine had two sons, Emanuel and Nicoale. Nicholas was married three times, but he did not have children. Emanuel married Zoe Sturdza, the daughter of Dumitru Sturdza. They had two children, Elena and Grigore Brancoveanu. With Gregory, the descent through the male line of Branconeau ended.

The Brancoveanu family propogated a number of descendants through the daughters of Constantin Brâncoveanu. By the mid-19th century, there were over 200 living people who claimed descent from Constantin Brâncoveanu.

A few of the descendants of the family played prominent political roles.

Well-known members

 * Constantin Brâncoveanu (1654 – 1714)
 * Gheorghe Bibescu
 * Barbu Ştirbei
 * Barbu Catargiu
 * Nicolae Kretzulescu
 * Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino
 * George Manu.