Ştefan Tomşa or Ştefan VII was the ruler of Moldavia in 1563 and 1564.

Career

Tomşa served as hatman and came to power as leader of a 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....

 revolt against the Lutheran Ioan Iacob Heraclid

Ioan Iacob Heraclid

Ioan Iacob Heraclid , also known as Jacob Heraclides, was a Greek soldier and ruler of Moldavia from November 1561 to November 1563, most notable for being the first officially Protestant monarch in Eastern Europe....

, whose attempts to impose the new usages in Moldavia

Moldavia

Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...

 offended the Eastern Orthodox sensibilities of nobles. Ioan Iacob, better known in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

n history as Despot Vodă, sought refuge in the city of Suceava

Suceava

Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...

. The city fell to Ştefan Tomşa's forces in October 1563, and the new ruler killed his predecessor with a mace.

Ştefan Tomşa defeated an invasion by the neighbouring 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...

n prince Petru cel Tânăr, but was unable to obtain recognition by the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman 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...

 as ruler of Wallachia. Alexandru Lăpuşneanu

Alexandru Lapusneanu

Alexandru Lăpuşneanu was Prince of Moldavia between September 1552 and 18 November 1561 and then between October 1564 and 5 May 1568....

, who had been deposed by Ioan Iacob in 1561, was returned to power with Ottoman assistance in March 1564, and Ştefan Tomşa fled to neighbouring Poland.

There he was executed on a pretext by the Polish-Lithuanian King Sigismund II Augustus

Sigismund II Augustus

Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...

. He was buried in Lwów.

His sons were later rulers of the Romanian principalities, Ştefan II Tomşa in Moldavia, and Leon Tomşa in Wallachia.