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This is a List of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862, when it united with Wallachia, the other Danubian Principality, to form the modern-day state of Romania.

Notes

Dynastic rule is hard to ascribe, given the loose traditional definition of the ruling family (on principle, princes were chosen from any branch, including a previous ruler's bastard sons - being defined as os de domn - "of Voivode marrow", or as having hereghie - "heredity" (from the Latin hereditas); the institutions charged with the election, dominated by the boyars, had fluctuating degrees of influence). The system itself was challenged by usurpers, and became obsolete with the Phanariote epoch, when rulers were appointed by the Ottoman Sultans. Between 1821 and 1862, various systems combining election and appointment were put in practice. Moldavian rulers, like Wallachian and other Eastern European rulers, bore the titles of Voivode or/and Hospodar.

Most rulers did not use the form of the name they are cited with, and several used more than one form of their own name; in some cases, the ruler was only mentioned in foreign sources. The full names are either modern versions or ones based on mentions in various chronicles.

List

Ruler Years Family Notes
Dragoş 1352–1353
Sas 1354–1358 son of Dragoş
Bâlc 1359 son of Sas
Bogdan I 1359–1365 Bogdan deposed Bâlc
Laţcu 1365–1373 Bogdan son of Bogdan I
Costea 1373–1374 Muşat brother-in-law of Laţcu
Yuri Koriatovich 1375 Gediminids son of Karijotas; invited to Moldavia and then poisoned[1]
Petru I 1375–1391 Muşat son of Costea
Roman I 1391–1394 Muşat son of Costea
Ştefan I 1394–1399 Muşat son of Costea
Iuga 1399–1400 deposed by intervention of Mircea of Wallachia
Alexandru cel Bun
(Alexander the Kind) 1400–1432 Muşat son of Roman I, son-in-law of Iuga, installed by Mircea
Iliaş 1432–1433 Muşat son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule
Ştefan II 1434–1435 Muşat son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule
Iliaş 1435–1443 Muşat 2nd rule, jointly with Ştefan II
Ştefan II 1436–1447 Muşat 2nd rule, until 1443 jointly with Iliaş; 1444–1445 jointly with Petru II
Petru II 1444–1445 Muşat son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule
Roman II 1447–1448 Muşat son of Iliaş
Petru II 1448–1449 Muşat 2nd rule
Ciubăr Vodă 1449 his name, literally Tub Voivode mentioned by Grigore Ureche
Alexăndrel 1449 1st rule
Bogdan II 1449–1451 Muşat nephew of Alexandru cel Bun
Petru Aron 1451–1452 Muşat illegitimate son of Alexandru cel Bun; 1st rule
Alexăndrel 1452–1454 2nd rule
Petru Aron 1454–1455 Muşat 2nd rule
Alexăndrel 1455 3rd rule
Petru Aron 1455–1457 Muşat 3rd rule
Ştefan cel Mare
(Stephen the Great) 1457–1504 Muşat son Bogdan II
Bogdan III cel Chior
(Bogdan III The One-Eyed) 1504–1517 Muşat son of Stephen the Great;
Ştefan IV 1517–1527 Muşat son of Bogdan III; also called Ştefăniţă until 1523 under the regency of Luca Arbore, Gatekeeper of Suceava
Petru Rareş 1527–1538 Muşat son of Stephen the Great, 1st rule
Ştefan Lăcustă
(Stephen Locust) 1538–1540 Muşat grandson of Stephen the Great
Alexandru Cornea 1540–1541 Muşat grandson of Petru Aron
Petru Rareş 1541–1546 Muşat 2nd rule
Ilie II Rareş 1546–1551 Muşat son of Petru Rareş
Ştefan VI Rareş 1551–1552 Muşat son of Petru Rareş
Ioan Joldea 1552
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu 1552–1561 1st rule
Ioan Iacob Heraclid
(Jacob Heraclides) 1561–1563 the Despot Vodă
Ştefan Tomşa 1563–1564
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu 1564–1568 2nd rule
Bogdan IV 1568–1572
Ioan cel Cumplit
(John the Terrible) 1572–1574 also called cel Viteaz) (the Brave)
Petru Şchiopul
(Peter the Lame) 1574–1577 1st rule
Ioan Potcoavă 1577 Hetman, also called Ivan Pidkova, Nicoară Potcoavă or Ivan Sarpega
Petru Şchiopul 1578–1579 2nd rule
Iancu V Sasul
(John the Saxon) 1579–1582 Muşat illegitimate son of Petru Rareş
Petru Şchiopul 1582–1591 3rd rule
Aron Tiranul
(Aaron the Tyrant) 1591–1592 1st rule
Alexandru cel Rău
(Alexander the Wrongdoer) 1592 also ruled Wallachia (1592–1593)
Petru Cazacul
(Peter the Cossack) 1592 Muşat illegitimate son of Bogdan III
Aron Tiranul
(Aaron the Tyrant) 1592–1595 2nd rule
Ştefan Răzvan 1595
Ieremia Movilă 1595–1600 Movileşti grandson of Petru Rareş; 1st rule
Mihai Viteazul
(Michael the Brave) 1600 Drăculeşti also ruled Wallachia (1593–1600) and Transylvania (1599–1600)
Ieremia Movilă 1600–1606 Movileşti 2nd rule
Simion Movilă 1606–1607 Movileşti brother of Iremia Movilă
Mihail Movilă 1607 Movileşti son of Ieremia Movilă; 1st rule
Constantin Movilă 1607 Movileşti son of Ieremia Movilă; under the regency of his mother Elzbieta Csomortany de Losoncz; 1st rule
Mihail Movilă 1607 Movileşti 2nd rule
Constantin Movilă 1607–1611 Movileşti under the regency of his mother; 2nd rule
Ştefan II Tomşa 1611–1615 2nd rule
Constantin Movilă 1615–1616 Movileşti 3rd rule
Radu Mihnea 1616–1619 Drăculeşti 1st rule
Gaspar Graziani 1619–1620
Alexandru Iliaş 1620–1621 1st rule
Ştefan II Tomşa 1621–1623 2nd rule
Radu Mihnea 1623–1626 Drăculeşti 2nd rule
Miron Barnovschi-Movilă 1626–1629 Movileşti 1st rule
Alexandru Coconul
(Alexander the Child-Prince) 1626–1629 Drăculeşti 1st rule
Moise Movilă 1630–1631 Movileşti 1st rule
Alexandru Iliaş 1631–1633 2nd rule
Miron Barnovschi-Movilă 1633 Movileşti 2nd rule
Moise Movilă 1633–1634 Movileşti 2nd rule
Vasile Lupu 1634–1653 1st rule
Gheorghe Ştefan 1653 1st rule
Vasile Lupu 1653 2nd rule
Gheorghe Ştefan 1653–1658 2nd rule
Gheorghe Ghica 1658–1659 Ghica
Constantin Şerban 1659 1st rule
Ştefăniţă Lupu 1659–1661 also called Papură-Vodă (Bullrush Voivode); 1st rule
Constantin Şerban 1661 2nd rule
Ştefăniţă Lupu 1659–1661 2nd rule
Eustratie Dabija 1661–1665
Gheorghe Duca 1665–1666 1st rule
Iliaş Alexandru 1666–1668
Gheorghe Duca 1668–1672 2nd rule
Ştefan Petriceicu 1672–1673 1st rule
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino 1673 Cantacuzene 1st rule
Ştefan Petriceicu 1673–1674 2nd rule
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino 1674–1675 Cantacuzene 2nd rule
Antonie Ruset 1675–1678 Rosetti
Gheorghe Duca 1678–1683 3rd rule
Ştefan Petriceicu 1683–1684 3rd rule
Dumitraşcu Cantacuzino 1684–1685 Cantacuzene 3rd rule
Constantin Cantemir 1685–1693 Cantemireşti
Dimitrie Cantemir 1693 Cantemireşti 1st rule; deposed by Ottomans
Constantin Duca 1693–1695 1st rule
Antioh Cantemir 1695–1700 Cantemireşti 1st rule
Constantin Duca 1700–1703 2nd rule
Chancellor
Ioan Buhuş 1703 1st term
Mihai Racoviţă 1703–1705 Racoviţă 1st rule
Antioh Cantemir 1705–1707 Cantemireşti 2nd rule
Mihai Racoviţă 1707–1709 Racoviţă 2nd rule
Chancellor
Ioan Buhuş 1709–1710 2nd term
Nicolae Mavrocordat 1709–1710 Mavrocordato 1st rule
Dimitrie Cantemir 1710–1711 Cantemireşti 2nd rule
Phanariote rule (1711–1821)
Caimacam
Lupu Costachi 1711
Ioan Mavrocordat 1711 Mavrocordato
Nicolae Mavrocordat 1711–1715 Mavrocordato 2nd rule
Mihai Racoviţă 1715–1726 Racoviţă 3rd rule
Grigore II Ghica 1726–1733 Ghica 1st rule
Constantin Mavrocordat 1733–1735 Mavrocordato 1st rule
Grigore II Ghica 1735–1739 Ghica 2nd rule
Russian occupation 1739
Grigore II Ghica 1739–1741 Ghica 3rd rule
Constantin Mavrocordat 1741–1743 Mavrocordato 2nd rule
Ioan Mavrocordat 1743–1747 Mavrocordato 2nd rule
Grigore II Ghica 1747–1748 Ghica 4th rule
Constantin Mavrocordat 1748–1749 Mavrocordato 3rd rule
Iordache Stavrachi 1749
Constantin Racoviţă 1749–1753 Racoviţă 1st rule
Matei Ghica 1753–1756 Ghica
Constantin Racoviţă 1756–1757 Racoviţă 2nd rule
Scarlat Ghica 1757–1758 Ghica
Ioan Teodor Callimachi 1758–1761 Callimachi
Grigore Callimachi 1761–1764 Callimachi 1st rule
Grigore III Ghica 1764–1767 Ghica 1st rule
Grigore Callimachi 1767–1769 Callimachi 2nd rule
Constantin Mavrocordat 1769 Mavrocordato 4th rule
Russian occupation 1769–1774
Grigore III Ghica 1774–1777 Ghica 2nd rule
Constantin Moruzi 1777–1782 Mourousi 4th rule
Alexandru Mavrocordat Delibey 1782–1785 Mavrocordato
Alexandru Mavrocordat Firaris 1785–1786 Mavrocordato
Alexandru Ipsilanti 1786–1788 Ypsilanti
Austrian occupation 1787–1791 military commander: Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg
Emanuel Giani Ruset 1788–1789 Rosetti also called Manole or Manolache
Russian occupation 1788–1791
Alexandru Moruzi 1792 Mourousi 1st rule
Mihai Suţu 1793–1795 Soutzos also called Draco
Alexandru Callimachi 1795–1799 Callimachi
Constantin Ipsilanti 1799–1801 Ypsilanti
Alexandru Suţu 1801–1802 Soutzos
Chancellor
Iordache Conta 1802
Alexandru Moruzi 1802 Mourousi 2nd rule
Scarlat Callimachi 1806 Callimachi 1st rule
Alexandru Moruzi 1806–1807 Mourousi 3rd rule
Russian occupation 1806–1812
Bessarabia is placed under Imperial Russian rule in 1812.
(See also President of Moldova, for the rulers of Moldova, a part of this territory which became independent in the 20th century.)
Alexandru Hangerli 1807
Scarlat Callimachi 1807 Callimachi deposed by Russians
Caimacam
Iordache Ruset-Roznovanu 1807 Rosetti
Caimacam Metropolitan
Veniamin Costache 1807–1812 1st term
Scarlat Callimachi 1812–1819 Callimachi
Mihail Suţu 1819–1821 Soutzos
Stolnici
Manu and Rizos-Nerulos 1819
Caimacam Metropolitan
Veniamin Costache 1821 2nd term
Filiki Eteria occupation 1821 military commander: Alexander Ypsilanti
Caimacam
Stefan Bogoridi
(Ştefan Vogoride) 1821–1822
Ioan Sturdza 1822–1828
Russian occupation 1828–1834 military commanders: Fyodor Pahlen, Pyotr Zheltukhin, and Pavel Kiseleff
Organic Statute government (1832–1856)
Mihail Sturdza 1834–1849
Grigore Alexandru Ghica 1849–1853 Ghica 1st rule
Russian occupation 1853–1854
Grigore Alexandru Ghica 1854–1856 Ghica 2nd rule
Protectorate established by the Treaty of Paris (1856–1859)
Extraordinary Administrative Council 1856
Caimacam
Teodor Balş 1856–1857
Caimacam
Nicolae Vogoride 1857–1858
Caimacams 1858–1859 Ştefan Catargiu, Vasile Sturdza and Anastasie Panu
(Catargiu resigns in 1858 and is replaced by Ioan A. Cantacuzino)
Alexander John Cuza 1859–1862 also ruled Wallachia in personal union
Formal union of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1862.

For later rulers, see Domnitor and King of Romania.