Founding of Moldavia

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The founding of Moldavia (Romanian: Descălecatul Moldovei) began with the arrival of the Vlach (Romanian) voivode (military leader) Dragoș from Maramureș, vassal to the Kingdom of Hungary, who crossed the Carpathian Mountains in the 1340s as part of a Hungarian expedition against the Golden Horde. Due to his success, king Louis I the Great made him voivode of Moldavia and his estates in Maramures were given to his brothers. Following his death in 1353, his son Sas of Moldavia became voivode of Moldavia.

Immediately after the death of Sas, before his son Balc was able to consolidate his reign, the area was invaded by Bogdan I, another Vlach voivode from Maramureș who had fallen out with the Hungarian king. Bogdan crossed the Carpathians in 1359, defeated Balc and the subsequent Hungarian armies, ending the reign of the House of Dragoș, and establishing the independence of the Principality of Moldavia. The House of Bogdan-Mușat would reign in Moldavia until the 17th century. Moldavia remained a principality until 1859, when it united with Wallachia, initiating the development of the modern Romanian state.