Knyaz Manuc Bey (the common

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

rendering of ''Manuk

Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...

'', the

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

name of Emanuel Mârzayan; 1769–1817) was an Armenian merchant,

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. C ...

and inn-keeper.

Life

He was born in Rousse (modern-day

Ruse, Bulgaria Ruse (also transliterated as Rousse, Russe; ) is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, approximately south of Bucharest, R ...

), at that time subject of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, as a son of Mardiros Mârzayan and his wife, Mamilia Oglu, daughter of Hamum Oglu. A grain merchant, he amassed considerable wealth, and was rumored at the time to be the wealthiest man in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. In 1803, he was awarded the

rank of ''

paharnic The ''Paharnic'' (plural: ''Paharnici''; also known as ''Păharnic'', ''Paharnec'', or ''Păharnec''; Moldavian dialect: ''ceașnic'', , ''pakharnikos'', , ''paharnik'') was a Historical Romanian ranks and titles, historical Romanian rank, one of ...

'' by

Constantine Ypsilanti Constantine Ypsilantis ( ''Konstantinos Ypsilantis''; ; 1760 – 24 June 1816) was the son of Alexander Ypsilantis, a key member of an important Phanariote family, Grand Dragoman of the Porte (1796–1799), hospodarEast, ''The Union of Moldav ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

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 ...

. On 24 October 1808, by

Firman A firman (; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods such firmans were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The English word ''firman'' co ...

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Mahmud II Mahmud II (, ; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. Often described as the "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud instituted extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms ...

all Moldavian and Wallachian boyars were required to recognize the primacy of Manuk Bey and therefore recognize the rank of

in the

Principality of Moldova Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially independent and later autonom ...

as a reflection of the status of a member of the government of the

Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildi ...

, as

Grand dragoman The Dragoman of the Sublime Porte (Ottoman Turkish language, Ottoman Turkish: ; ), Dragoman of the Imperial Council (), or simply Grand Dragoman (, ) or Chief Dragoman (), was the senior interpreter of the Imperial Council (Ottoman Empire), Ottom ...

, Deputy minister of foreign affairs and

Grand Treasurer Podskarbi in the Kingdom of Poland and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was minister responsible for the treasury. Since 1569 also a senatorial office. The title although meaning treasurer can be deconstructed as "''underingtreasury' ...

. In late 1808, the highly influential Manuc was advanced by his protector, the Ottoman general

Alemdar Mustafa Pasha Alemdar Mustafa Pasha (also called Bayraktar Mustafa Pasha; 1755 – 15 November 1808) was an Ottoman military commander and grand vizier. He was born into the family of a janissary, possibly in Rusçuk (modern-day Ruse, Bulgaria), although v ...

, to occupy the

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

n throne, but was prevented from taking the throne by the fall of his protector; he himself had to flee

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

to avoid execution. Settling in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

(after a short period of refuge in

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

), Manuc-Bey kept the inn known today as ''

Manuc's Inn Manuc's Inn (, ) is the oldest operating hotel building in Bucharest, Romania. It also houses a popular restaurant, several bars, a coffee-house, and (facing the street) several stores and an extensive bar. Its massive, multiply balconied court ...

''; in time, he also acquired estates in

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

, near

Hîncești Hîncești () is a city and municipality in Moldova. Hîncești is situated on the Cogâlnic River, southwest of the Moldovan capital, Chișinău. Since 2003 it has been the seat of Hîncești District. History Hîncești was established i ...

and Reni, and was to remain the main financial backer of

Ypsilanti Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north ...

, lending the treasury 160,000

thaler A thaler or taler ( ; , previously spelled ) is one of the large silver coins minted in the states and territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy during the Early Modern period. A ''thaler'' size silver coin has a diameter o ...

s in all. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812, he was also a mediator (1809) between the

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

Imperial Army of

Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (, , ; – ), spelled Miloradovitch in contemporary English sources, was a Russian general prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. On his father’s side, Miloradovich descended from the Serb noble family ...

and a rebel Ottoman

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

Giurgiu Giurgiu (; ; ) is a city in southern Romania. The seat of Giurgiu County, it lies in the historical region of Muntenia. It is situated amongst mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube facing the Bulgarian city of Ruse on the op ...

. A Russian

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...

, Manuc took part in the negotiations for the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Russian and Ottoman empires, which were held in his inn in Bucharest. Towards the end of his life, he retired to his estate of Hîncești, where his son later built a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

. Manuc died in an accident in 1817, and was buried in the Armenian Church in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

Personal life

Manuc-Bei married two times: His first wife was daughter of a rich Armenian merchant, whom he married in 1786. It is not recorded that there were any children born out of this marriage. In 1794, he married secondly Maria

Harutyun Harutyun ( and in Western Armenian Յարութիւն) also spelled Haroutioun, Harutiun and its variants Harout, Harut and Artin is a common male Armenians, Armenian name; it means "Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection" in Armenian. People with ...

(d. 17 September 1828), daughter of Hagi

. Together, they had two sons and four daughters: * Prince Murad (in documents Murat, Ivan, John) (1810-1893), married Countess Elena Davidovna Delyanova (1821-1870), sister of Count

Ivan Delyanov Count Ivan Davidovich Delyanov () (December 12, 1818 in Moscow – January 10, 1898) was a Russian statesman of Armenian descent and a son of Delyanov David Artemyevich, a Major-General of the Russian Imperial Army. Biography Delyanov gra ...

: ** Princess Maria (b. 1842) ** Princess Ekaterina (1845-1920), married on 9 July 1881 with an Italian senator, Pietro L.

Marchese A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...

Schedoni ** Princess Olga (b. 1854-1920), married Count Bonifacius von Hatzfeld-Trachenberg (1854-1921) ** Prince Grigore ''Grisha'' (1855-1902), was infatuated with Natalie Keșco, but instead of him, she married her cousin King

Milan I of Serbia Milan Obrenović IV ( sr-cyr, Милан Обреновић, Milan Obrenović; 22 August 1854 – 11 February 1901) reigned as the Prince of Serbia from 10 June 1868 until 1882, when he became King of Serbia, a title he held until his abdica ...

, Grigore died unmarried * Prince Feyrat (in documents Grigore,Feriad) (1815-1890), officer in the

Russian Imperial Guard The Russian Imperial Guard, officially known as the Leib Guard ( ''Leyb-gvardiya'', from German ''Leib'' "body"; cf. Life Guards / Bodyguard), were combined Imperial Russian Army forces units serving as counterintelligence for preventing sabot ...

, died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

* Princess Mariam (in documents Maria) (d. 22 February 1822) * Princess Pemba (in documents Kaniane, Keiani, Gaiane, Gayrana), (d. 3 February 3 1824), married on 6 February 1820 Yakov Avitisyan, later changed family name to Melikterabov * Princess Gadara (in documents Gadiria, Gatera, Ecaterina) (1806-1880), married Christopher Lazarev (1789-1871), son of Joachim Lazarevich Lazarev (1743-1826), founder of the Institute of Oriental Languages ''Lazarev'' in Moscow and nephew of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Ivan Lazarevich Lazarev Hovhannes Lazarian (), better known under his Russian name as Ivan Lazarevich Lazarev (, 4 December 1735 – 5 November 1801), was a Armenians in Russia, Russian-Armenian financier and millionaire. A court banker to Catherine the Great, he was the ...

* Princess Tebera (in documents Ghebera)http://atlas.usv.ro/www/codru_net/CC17/1/06_testament.pdf

References

Neagu Djuvara Neagu Bunea Djuvara (; 18 August 1916 – 25 January 2018) was a Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. Biography Early life A native of Bucharest, he was descended from an aristocratic Aromanian famil ...

, ''Între Orient și Occident. Țările române la începutul epocii moderne'' ("Between Orient and Occident. The Romanian lands at the beginning of the modern era"),

Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...

, Bucharest, 1995, pp. 169, 287, 348–349 * Constantin C. Giurescu, ''Istoria Bucureștilor. Din cele mai vechi timpuri pînă în zilele noastre'' ("History of Bucharest. From the earliest times to this day"), Editura Pentru Literatură, Bucharest, 1966, pp. 270–271.

External links

*
Article One of his palatial residences
in

(now in the

Republic of Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...

, and
a short description
*

includes a tidbit about Manuc-Bey in Paris. {{DEFAULTSORT:Manuc Bei 1769 births 1817 deaths People from Ruse, Bulgaria Bulgarian people of Armenian descent Armenians from the Ottoman Empire Romanian people of Armenian descent Dragomans Romanian nobility Wallachian innkeepers 18th-century businesspeople from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century businesspeople from the Ottoman Empire 18th-century translators 19th-century people from the Principality of Wallachia