Maurocordatos

Maurocordatos, or MAVROCORDATO, a Fanariote family, distinguished for ability and political influence, and descended from Greek merchants of Chios and Constantinople.—ALEXANDER MAUROCORDATOS (circa 1637-1709) studied medicine in Italy, and, having a talent for languages and diplomacy, became dragoman or interpreter to the Porte in 1681, and rendered valuable service in the negotiations with Austria of the immediately following years, his labours finding their culmination in the treaty of Carlowitz (1699). For some time after that he was one of a triumvirate in whose hands all power in the Ottoman empire rested.—His son, NICHOLAS (died 1730), was the first Greek who was hospodar of Moldavia and Wallachia.—CONSTANTINE, son of Nicholas, became hospodar of Wallachia in 1730, and abolished serfdom in that country.—His brother's grandson, ALEXANDER MAUROCORDATOS, born at Constantinople on 15th February 1791, took an active part in the Greek struggle for liberty, and prepared the declaration of independence and the plan of a provisional government, being himself elected president of the executive body. Then he undertook in 1822 an expedition to Epirus, which ended in the unsuccessful battle of Peta; but he saved the Peloponnese by his resolute defence of Missolonghi (1822-23). Notwithstanding the opposition of Colocotroni and Dimitrios Ypsilanti, he laboured earnestly in the cause of Greek independence and union. But unpopularity dogged his efforts, because he was a steadfast admirer of English policy and institutions, and a fierce opponent of the pro-Russian government of Capo D'Istria. After the accession of King Otho, he was at different times cabinet-minister and ambassador of Greece at various courts. At the outbreak of the Crimean war he was placed once more at the head of the government—a dignity, however, which he soon resigned. He died at Egina, 18th August 1865.