The Basarab dynasty was an early Romanian dynasty which had an important role in the establishing of the Wallachian Principality. Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ...

Name and origins

The dynasty was named after Basarab I, who gained the independence of Wallachia from the Hungarian Kingdom Posada Battle Basarab I was an early ruler of the principality of Wallachia, known as ÃŽntemeietorul (The Founder) (c. ... Motto: (none current) Anthem: Himnusz (Isten, áldd meg a magyart) by Ferenc Kölcsey Capital Budapest Largest city Budapest Official language(s) Hungarian (Magyar) Government President Prime minister Democratic republic László Sólyom Ferenc Gyurcsány Foundation Foundation: Independence: December, 1000 November 16, 1918 Area  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Water (%)   93,030...

Basarab I's name was originally "Basaraba" and lost the ending "-a" when it was borrowed in Romanian. The name is of Cuman origin and most likely meant "father ruler". "Basar" was the present participle of the the verb "to rule", derivatives attested in both old and modern Kypchak languages. Iorga stated that the second part of the name "-aba" is a honorary title, also found in many Cuman names, such as Terteraba, Arslanapa, Ursoba, etc. Cuman language was a Turkic language spoken by the Kipchaks (also known as the Cumans) similar to todays Crimean Tatar language. ... portrait of Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (a. ...

Also Basarab's father, Thocomerius, bore a Cuman name, identified as "Toq-tämir", a rather common Cuman and Tatar name in the 13th century. Russian chronicles of 1295 talk of "Toktomer", a prince of the Mongol Empire in Crimea. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Mongol Empires largest extent outlined in red; Timur-i-Lenks empire is shaded The Mongol Empire (1206–1368) was the largest contiguous land empire in world history ruling 35 million km² (13. ...

But while the names indicate a Cuman origin, the contemporany sources are quite clear on Basarab being a Vlach (Romanian). Charles I of Hungary speaks of him as "Bazarab infidelis Olacus noster" (Bazarab, our treacherous Vlach). White = Romanians Green = Istro-Romanians Yellow = Aromanians Orange = Megleno-Romanians Vlachs (also called Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs) is a blanket term covering several distinct modern Latin people descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. ... Charles I of Hungary (Anjou France 1288 or 1291 - Hungary July 16, 1342), also called Charles Robert, Carobert and Charles I Robert, was the king of Hungary from August 27, 1310. ...

A parallel can be found with the Asen dynasty, also Vlachs of Cuman origins, who founded a dynasty and eventually were assimilated as Bulgarians. The Asen dynasty ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280. ...

References

• Vasary, Istvan (2005) "Cumans and Tatars", Cambridge University Press: pp. 149-155