ABSTRACT
In the sixteenth century, dependence on the Ottomans intensified. The 'ahidname' proclaimed that Moldavia was part of the House of Peace, paying tribute to the Emperor.1 The increasing Turkish influence made itself felt in the appointment of the Moldavian rulers, who tended to be selected by the Porte. Those elected by the Boyars, or Moldavian landed nobility, still needed to have their election ratified by the Sultan, and could easily lose their throne and their lives by being called to Constantinople and executed. Other princes prudently converted to Islam, and received appointments elsewhere in the Empire as Ottoman dignitaries. Moldavia itself suffered territorial losses, as areas like Braila, Tighina and the Bugeac passed under direct Ottoman administration. Equally, Moldavia's foreign policy was generally directed by the Ottomans, in spite of the efforts of the Capuchehaia, or Moldavian representative in Constantinople, to form anti-Ottoman alliances with other powers. Moldavia's Ottoman overlords also removed its right to mint its own coinage, leading to a reorientation of trade routes and commerce towards the Empire itself. However,
Moldavia did preserve its internal autonomy, its traditional institutions, administrative and social structures, and religious and cultural life.
