Radu Șerban (? – 23 March 1620) was a

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

n nobleman who reigned as the principality's ''

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

'' during two periods from 1602 to 1610 and during 1611.

Biography

A supposed descendant of

Neagoe Basarab Neagoe Basarab (; – 15 September 1521) was the Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia between 1512 and 1521. Born into the boyar family of the Craiovești (his reign marks the climax of the family's political influence) as the son of Pârvu Craioves ...

, he attained high office during the reign of

Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...

.Alexander D. Xenopol, ''History of Romanians in Dacia Traiana'', Ed. Romanian book, Bucharest, 1925, vol. VI, pp. 7-18. After ascending the throne, he continued the policy of independence of Wallachia first put forth by Michael the Brave. Having struggled with great difficulties inside and outside the country, he managed to cope successfully during a reign lasting almost ten years and successfully defeated

Simion Movilă Simion Movilă (after 1559 14 September 1607), a boyar of the Movilești family, was twice Prince of Wallachia (November 1600 – June 1601; October 1601 – July 1602) and Prince of Moldavia from July 1606 until his death. Family He was the gra ...

and the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. He has been noted for his particular political skill and military prowess, proving to be one of the more noteworthy princes of Wallachia.

Notes

1620 deaths 17th-century princes of Wallachia Year of birth unknown People of the Long Turkish War Craiovești family {{Romania-bio-stub