The Oltenia Region
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Oltenia (Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the
alternate Latin names Wallachia Minor, Wallachia Alutana, Wallachia
Caesarea in use between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and
geographical region of Romania. It is situated between the Danube, the
Southern Carpathians and the Olt river (although counties to the east run
across the river in some areas).
The traditionally Oltenian counties are Mehedinţi, Gorj, Dolj, Vālcea,
and Olt.
Oltenia's main city and its seat for a long period of the Middle Ages
is Craiova. Other cities are Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Rāmnicu Vālcea,
Slatina, Tārgu Jiu, Caracal, and Motru.
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The Region
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Initially inhabited by Dacians, Oltenia was incorpored in the Roman
Empire (106, at the end of the Dacian Wars). In 129, during Hadrian's
rule, it formed Dacia Inferior, one of the two divisions of the province
(together with Dacia Superior, in today's Transylvania); Marcus Aurelius'
administrative reform made Oltenia one of the three new divisions (tres
Daciae) as Dacia Malvensis, its capital and chief city being named Malva
or Romula. It was colonized with veterans of the Roman legions. The Romans
withdrew their administration south of the Danube in the mid-3rd century
and Oltenia was ruled by the Germanic Goths and Dacian Carpians.
Around 1247 a polity emerged in Oltenia under the rule of Litovoi,
which would later merge with Muntenia to form the mediaeval state of
Wallachia. From an unknown moment and up until 1831, the voivode (Prince
of Wallachia) was represented in Oltenia by a ban (marele ban al Craiovei
- "the great ban of Craiova", after the seat was moved from Strehaia),
considered the greatest office in Wallachian hierarchy, and one that was
held most by members of the Craioveşti family (from the late 1400s to
about 1550).
During the 15th century, Wallachia had to accept the Ottoman suzerainty
and to pay an annual tribute to keep its autonomy. However, many rulers,
including the Oltenian-born Michael the Brave, fought against the
Ottomans, giving Wallachia brief periods of independence. After 1716, the
Ottomans decided to cease choosing the voivodes from among the Wallachian
boyars, and established the Phanariote regime.
Two years later, in 1718 under the terms of the Treaty of Passarowitz,
Oltenia was split from Wallachia and annexed by the Habsburg Monarchy (de
facto, it was under Austrian occupation by 1716); in 1737, it was returned
to Wallachia under Prince Constantine Mavrocordatos (see Austro-Turkish
War of 1716-18 and Austro-Turkish War, 1737-1739). Under the occupation,
Oltenia was the only part of the Danubian Principalities (with the later
exception of Bukovina) to experience Enlightened absolutism and Austrian
administration, although these were met by considerable and mounting
opposition from conservative boyars. While welcomed at first as
liberators, the Austrians quickly disenchanted the inhabitants by imposing
rigid administrative, fiscal, judicial and political reforms which were
meant to centralize and integrate the territory (antagonizing both ends of
the social spectrum: withdrawing privileges from the nobility and
enforcing taxes for peasants).
In 1761, the residence of Bans was moved to Bucharest, in a move
towards centralism (a kaymakam represented the boyars in Craiova). It
remained there until the death of the last Ban, Barbu Văcărescu, in 1832.
In 1821, Oltenia and the county of Gorj were at the center of Tudor
Vladimirescu's uprising (see Wallachian uprising of 1821). Tudor initially
gathered his Pandurs in Padeş and relied on a grid of fortified
monasteries such as Tismana and Strehaia.
Footnote Info
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