Radu II Praznaglava (Radu II Empty Head/in Old Bulgarian/), (? – 1428?) was a ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, ruling for 4 terms, each time preceded by Dan II, his rival for the throne, and each time succeeded by him. Of those 4 periods on the throne of Wallachia, all were within a period of only 7 years, and 3 terms lasted less than a year. He ruled:
- August 1420 – 1422
- summer of 1423
- autumn of 1424
- January – spring of 1427
| Radu II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prince of Wallachia (1st reign) | |
| Reign | May – November 1421 |
| Predecessor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Successor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Prince of Wallachia (2nd reign) | |
| Reign | Summer 1423 |
| Predecessor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Successor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Prince of Wallachia (3rd reign) | |
| Reign | 10 December 1424 – May 1426 |
| Predecessor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Successor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Prince of Wallachia (4th reign) | |
| Reign | January – Spring 1427 |
| Predecessor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Successor | Dan II of Wallachia |
| Born | unknown |
| Died | 1431 |
| Dynasty | House of Basarab |
| Father | Mircea I of Wallachia |
| Religion | Orthodox |
Son of Mircea cel Batran,[1] he was probably the last voievod of Wallachia to assert control of Banat and southern Basarabia. Dobrogea was lost in 1417. His short intervals of rulership were marked by frequent and violent clashes with his rival and cousin, Dan II, for the throne of the principality. He found shelter and military support from the Ottoman Empire, and it was this submission to the Ottomans which ultimately caused Wallachia to lose Dobrogea and other territories. Radu II is last mentioned in the spring of 1427, when Dan II attacked him from Transylvania, retook the throne, and most probably killed him.
His nickname, as appears in Slavonic writings (Praznaglava), could also be translated as "simple-minded", but the more likely meaning is ”void of hair (bald)”.[2] He is considered an obscure ruler, which placed Wallachia under Ottoman suzerainty.
References
edit- ^ Ágoston, Gábor (2021-06-22). The Last Muslim Conquest: The Ottoman Empire and Its Wars in Europe. Princeton University Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-691-20538-0.
- ^ Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1969). A History of the Crusades. Univ of Wisconsin Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-299-10744-4.
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