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Wallachian royalty and family background
The crown of Wallachia was not passed automatically from
father to son; instead, the leader was elected by the
boyars, with the requirement that the Prince-elect be of
nominally Basarab princely lineage (os de domn — "of
voivode bones", "of voivode marrow"), including out of
wedlock births.
Shadow Kiss by Richelle
Mead
This elective monarchy often resulted in
instability, family disputes and assassinations.
Eventually, the princely house split between two
factions: the descendants of Mircea the Elder, Vlad's
grandfather; and those of another prince, Dan II (Dăneşti
faction).
In addition to that, as in all feudal states,
there was another struggle between the central
administration (the prince) and the high nobility for
control over the country. To top it off, the two
powerful neighbors of Wallachia, the Kingdom of Hungary
and the Ottoman Empire, were at the peak of their
rivalry for control of southeastern Europe, turning
Wallachia into a battle ground.
Dracula - Vlad III the Impaler - Vlad's
family
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