Alexander Mavrocordatos Firaris

Alexander (II) Mavrocordatos (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Μαυροκορδάτος, Romanian: Alexandru Mavrocordat al II-lea; 1 July 1754 – 8 February 1819), surnamed Firaris (Φιραρής) was a Phanariote who served as Prince of Moldavia from 1785 to 1786.

Alexander Mavrocordatos
Prince of Moldavia
Reign	12 January 1785 – 14 December 1786
Predecessor	Alexander Mavrocordatos Delibey
Successor	Alexander Ypsilantis
Born	1 July 1754 Istanbul
Died	8 February 1819 Moscow
House	Mavrocordatos family
Father	John II Mavrocordatos
Religion	Orthodox

Life

Alexander was the son of John II Mavrocordatos, and served as Grand Dragoman from 1782 to 1785, before being Hospodar (Prince) of Moldavia from January 1785 to December 1786, succeeding his cousin Alexander I Mavrocordatos.

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 he sided with the Russian Empire, which began to pose as a protector of Christians in the Balkans. At the end of the war he fled to Russia, whence his nickname ("firari" meaning "fugitivie" in Turkish). He obtained the title of Russian Prince and died in Moscow on February 8, 1819.

Alexander II Mavrocordatos had married Zaphira or Zamfira Caradja. The couple had only one daughter who became maid of honour to the Empress Catherine II of Russia.

Sources

• Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol Histoire des Roumains de la Dacie trajane : Depuis les origines jusqu'à l'union des principautés. E Leroux Paris (1896).
• Alexandre A.C. Sturdza L'Europe Orientale et le rôle historique des Maurocordato (1660–1830) Librairie Plon Paris (1913), p. 255-266.
• Nicolae Iorga Histoire des Roumains et de la romanité orientale. (1920)
• (in Romanian) Constantin C. Giurescu & Dinu C. Giurescu, Istoria Românilor Volume III (depuis 1606), Editura Ştiinţifică şi Enciclopedică, București, 1977.
• Mihail Dimitri Sturdza, Dictionnaire historique et généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople, M.-D. Sturdza, Paris, chez l'auteur, 1983 ASIN B0000EA1ET.
• Jean-Michel Cantacuzène, Mille ans dans les Balkans, Éditions Christian, Paris, 1992. ISBN 2-86496-054-0
• Gilles Veinstein, Les Ottomans et la mort (1996) ISBN 9004105050.
• Joëlle Dalegre Grecs et Ottomans 1453-1923. De la chute de Constantinople à la fin de l'Empire Ottoman, L'Harmattan Paris (2002) ISBN 2747521621.
• Jean Nouzille La Moldavie, Histoire tragique d'une région européenne, Ed. Bieler (2004), ISBN 2-9520012-1-9.
• Traian Sandu, Histoire de la Roumanie, Perrin (2008).
• Familiile boiereşti române / Octav-George Lecca / Ediţie îngrijită de Alexandru Condeescu București, Fundaţia culturală Libra / Editura Muzeul Literaturii Române, / ISBN 973-999 14-4-0 page 639