Wallachia’s Michael “the Brave” (Mihai Viteazul), has…

Wallachia’s Michael “the Brave” (Mihai Viteazul), has bribed his way at the Porte to become prince in Autumn 1593.

Very little is known about his childhood and early years as an adult.

He is argued by most historians to have been the illegitimate son of Wallachian Prince Pătraşcu cel Bun, while others believe he merely invented his descent in order to justify his rule.

His mother was named Teodora, of Oraşul de Floci, and was a member of the Greek Cantacuzino family.

Michael's political career has been quite spectacular, as he had become the Ban of Mehedinţi in 1588, stolnic at the court of Mihnea Turcitul by the end of 1588, and Ban of Craiova in 1593 during the rule of Alexandru cel Rău.

The latter had had him swear before twelve boyars that he was not of princely descent.

Still, conflict does break out in May 1593 between Alexandru and Michael, who is forced to flee to Transylvania, accompanied by his half-brother Radu Florescu, Radu Buzescu and several other supporters.

After spending two weeks at the court of Sigismund Báthory he leaves for Constantinople, where with help from his cousin Andronic Cantacuzino and Patriarch Jeremiah II he negotiates Ottoman support for his accession to the Wallachian throne.

He is supported by the English ambassador in the Ottoman capital, Edward Barton, and aided by a loan of two hundred thousand florins.

Michael is invested Prince by the Sultan in September 1593 and starts his effective rule on October 11.

Not long after his enthronement, however, he rounds up extortionist Turkish lenders, locks them in a building, and burns it to the ground, effectively turning against the Ottoman Empire.