John (knez)

John,^[1] also Joan^[2] or Ioan,^[3] was a cneaz (local chieftain or ruler)^[2][4] mentioned in the Diploma of the Joannites issued by King Béla IV of Hungary (1235–1270) on 2 July 1247; the diploma granted territories to the Knights Hospitaller in the Banate of Severin and Cumania.^[5] John held a kenazate which was given to the knights by the king.^[5] His kenazate lay in southern Oltenia.^[2]

The diploma of Béla IV also refers to the kenazates of Farcaş and voivode Litovoi and to voivode Seneslau.^[5] Seneslau and Litovoi are expressly said to be Vlachs (Olati) in the king's diploma.^[5]

The Romanian historian Ioan-Aurel Pop suggests that the kenazate of John was one of the incipient Romanian states south of the Carpathian Mountains.^[2] In the diploma, his name is given in its Latin form (Johannes), and so contains no hint of the nationality of its bearer.^[5]

See also

• Founding of Wallachia
• List of princes of Wallachia