Ioan Gheorghe Caragea
Encyclopedia
John Caradja or John George Caradja (Greek
: Ἰωάννης Γεώργιος Καρατζάς, Ioannis Georgios Karatzas; ; ; 1754, Constantinople
– 1844, Athens
) was a Phanariote
Prince of Wallachia
, who reigned between 1812 and 1818. He became famous due to the code of law known as the Legiuirea Caragea ("Caragea's Law" or "Caradja's Law"), which was the first modern code of the Danubian Principalities
, but also because of the effective measures taken during the bubonic plague
outbreak of 1813. The epidemic became commonly known as Caragea's plague
.
A member of the Caradja family, he was related to the Mavrocordatos
. His nephew, Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
, was Court Secretary in Bucharest
under his rule. Together with his uncle, Alexander Mavrocordatos went into exile to the Italian Peninsula
, via the Austrian Empire
(1818).
authorities in 1812, under the rule of Sultan
Mahmud II
. According to the report of the Imperial French
Ambassador to Constantinople
, in order to become hospodar, Caradja had to pay 8,000 bags of gold (4 million lei
). During the first night he spent in Bucharest, the princely residence of Dealul Spirii
(Curtea Nouă
) burnt down.
Soon after, one of the men from his staff, who had come with him from Istanbul, died of bubonic plague, and Wallachia was struck by one of the worst epidemics in its history (see Caragea's plague
). An estimated 70,000 people died of the plague in the entire country, with some 40,000 victims in Bucharest. Caradja fled the city and settled at the nearby Cotroceni Monastery.
In 1813 and 1814, Caradja supported his third cousin, Costache, the son of the former reigning Prince Nicolae Caradja
(reigned 1782-1783), in controlling the city of Ploieşti
, initially as a gift for Costache's wedding with Princess Raluca Moruzi, whose family once owned the land on which the city was built. The inhabitants of Ploieşti revolted, and the ispravnics
were afraid to take any measure. After another decree which confirmed the previous one, the shopkeepers of Ploieşti decided to close all the shops in Ploieşti as a protest, and on 14 April of the same year, every activity of the city stopped. Caradja sent to prison without trial the heads of the rebellion, but he revoked the order upon learning that one of them was a Russian
sudit
.
In June 1816, a conspiracy against Caradja and the members of his Divan was averted and the heads of the revolutionary movement (including two Austrian sudiţi) were executed. The boyar
s suspected of being associated with the plotters (among them Constantin Filipescu, Vornic Constantin Bălăceanu and Great Logofăt
Grigore Ghica) were exiled to their estates.
In 1818, Caradja issued his code of law, which established high feudal
taxes for the peasants, but also modernized the jurisprudence. Caradja managed to gather large amounts of money, by means of direct taxes (for peasants and guild
s), and the selling of boyar titles, mines and custom tariffs. The incomes of the prince grew from 1.5 million lei to 3.7 million lei.
Fearing an Ottoman intervention, on 29 September 1818 Caradja fled the country. In the morning of that day, he participated in a religious ceremony dedicated to the late Radu Golescu; after lunch, he pretended to go with the whole family for a walk outside the city. After four hours, a messenger sent by Caradja announced to the boyars that he had left the country and had named an interim căimăcămie
of Ban
Grigore Brâncovenu, Vornic Barbu Văcărescu, Vistier Grigore Ghica and Logofăt Samurcaş.
Caradja left with a guard made out of 300 Albanian
mercenaries
(arnăuţi), who took him to Braşov
, in Austrian-ruled Transylvania
. Along the way, all bridges from Bucharest to Braşov were destroyed, so that no one could follow him. Caradja had prepared his run for some time, sending large amounts of money to Switzerland
, Russia and England
.
A few weeks later, he left for Pisa
, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
, and afterwards settled in Athens
where he lived for the rest of his life out of the wealth accumulated in Wallachia. He donated large amounts of money to the cause of Filiki Eteria
and the Greek revolutionary movement
, and large properties to the city of Athens.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ἰωάννης Γεώργιος Καρατζάς, Ioannis Georgios Karatzas; ; ; 1754, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
– 1844, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
) was a Phanariote
Phanariotes
Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Phanariote Greeks were members of those prominent Greek families residing in Phanar , the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople, where the Ecumenical Patriarchate is situated.For all their cosmopolitanism and often Western education, the Phanariots were...
Prince of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, who reigned between 1812 and 1818. He became famous due to the code of law known as the Legiuirea Caragea ("Caragea's Law" or "Caradja's Law"), which was the first modern code of the Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities
Danubian Principalities was a conventional name given to the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, which emerged in the early 14th century. The term was coined in the Habsburg Monarchy after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in order to designate an area on the lower Danube with a common...
, but also because of the effective measures taken during the bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
outbreak of 1813. The epidemic became commonly known as Caragea's plague
Caragea's plague
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.-Alleged source:...
.
A member of the Caradja family, he was related to the Mavrocordatos
Mavrocordatos
Mavrocordatos was the name of a family of Phanariot Greeks, distinguished in the history of the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia, Moldavia, and modern Greece...
. His nephew, Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
Prince Alexander Mavrocordatos
Alexandros Mavrokordatos was a Greek statesman and member of the Mavrocordatos family of Phanariotes....
, was Court Secretary in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
under his rule. Together with his uncle, Alexander Mavrocordatos went into exile to the Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
, via the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
(1818).
Biography
Caradja was named Prince by the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
authorities in 1812, under the rule of Sultan
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...
. According to the report of the Imperial French
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
Ambassador to Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, in order to become hospodar, Caradja had to pay 8,000 bags of gold (4 million lei
Romanian leu
The leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency means "lion". On 1 July 2005, Romania underwent a currency reform, switching from the previous leu to a new leu . 1 RON is equal to 10,000 ROL...
). During the first night he spent in Bucharest, the princely residence of Dealul Spirii
Dealul Spirii
Dealul Spirii is a hill in Bucharest, Romania, upon which, currently, the Palace of the Parliament is located....
(Curtea Nouă
Curtea Noua
Curtea Nouă was the residence of the Princes of Wallachia between 1776 and 1812.Located near the Mihai Vodă Monastery, on Dealul Spirii in Bucharest, it was built between 1775-1776 during the rule of Alexander Ypsilantis, and it meant to replace the old princely court at Curtea Veche.Curtea Nouă...
) burnt down.
Soon after, one of the men from his staff, who had come with him from Istanbul, died of bubonic plague, and Wallachia was struck by one of the worst epidemics in its history (see Caragea's plague
Caragea's plague
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.-Alleged source:...
). An estimated 70,000 people died of the plague in the entire country, with some 40,000 victims in Bucharest. Caradja fled the city and settled at the nearby Cotroceni Monastery.
In 1813 and 1814, Caradja supported his third cousin, Costache, the son of the former reigning Prince Nicolae Caradja
Nicolae Caradja
Nicolae Caradja , also known as Nicolae Vodă Caragea, was a Phanariote Prince of Wallachia, who reigned between 15 January 1782 and 17 July 1783. Previously, he was the great Dragoman of the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople ....
(reigned 1782-1783), in controlling the city of Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, initially as a gift for Costache's wedding with Princess Raluca Moruzi, whose family once owned the land on which the city was built. The inhabitants of Ploieşti revolted, and the ispravnics
Historical Romanian ranks and titles
This is a glossary of historical Romanian ranks and titles used in the principalities of Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania, and later in Romania. Many of these titles are of Slavic etymology, with some of Greek, Byzantine, Latin, and Turkish etymology; several are original...
were afraid to take any measure. After another decree which confirmed the previous one, the shopkeepers of Ploieşti decided to close all the shops in Ploieşti as a protest, and on 14 April of the same year, every activity of the city stopped. Caradja sent to prison without trial the heads of the rebellion, but he revoked the order upon learning that one of them was a Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
sudit
Suditi
For the commune in Ialomiţa County, see Sudiţi, Ialomiţa. For the villages in Buzău County, see Gherăseni and Poşta Câlnău.The Sudiţi were inhabitants of the Danubian Principalities who, for the latter stage of the 18th and a large part of the 19th century...
.
In June 1816, a conspiracy against Caradja and the members of his Divan was averted and the heads of the revolutionary movement (including two Austrian sudiţi) were executed. The boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s suspected of being associated with the plotters (among them Constantin Filipescu, Vornic Constantin Bălăceanu and Great Logofăt
Logothete
Logothete was an administrative title originating in the eastern Roman Empire. In the middle and late Byzantine Empire, it rose to become a senior administrative title, equivalent to a minister or secretary of state...
Grigore Ghica) were exiled to their estates.
In 1818, Caradja issued his code of law, which established high feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
taxes for the peasants, but also modernized the jurisprudence. Caradja managed to gather large amounts of money, by means of direct taxes (for peasants and guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s), and the selling of boyar titles, mines and custom tariffs. The incomes of the prince grew from 1.5 million lei to 3.7 million lei.
Kaymakam
Qaim Maqam or Qaimaqam or Kaymakam is the title used for the governor of a provincial district in the Republic of Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and in Lebanon; additionally, it was a title used for roughly the same official position in the Ottoman...
of Ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
Grigore Brâncovenu, Vornic Barbu Văcărescu, Vistier Grigore Ghica and Logofăt Samurcaş.
Caradja left with a guard made out of 300 Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
(arnăuţi), who took him to Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, in Austrian-ruled Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. Along the way, all bridges from Bucharest to Braşov were destroyed, so that no one could follow him. Caradja had prepared his run for some time, sending large amounts of money to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Russia and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
A few weeks later, he left for Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
, and afterwards settled in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
where he lived for the rest of his life out of the wealth accumulated in Wallachia. He donated large amounts of money to the cause of Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
and the Greek revolutionary movement
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, and large properties to the city of Athens.