GHICA, GHIKA or GHYKA, a family which played a great part in the modern development of Rumania, many of its members being princes of Moldavia and Walachia. According to Rumanian historians the Ghicas were of humble origin, and came from Kiupru in Albania.
(c. 1600-1664), the founder of the family, is said to have been a playmate of Kiipruli Aga, the famous vizier, who recognized George while he was selling melons in the streets of Constantinople, and helped him on to high positions. George became prince of Moldavia in 1658 and prince of Walachia in 1659-6o. He moved the capital from Tirgovishtea to Bucharest. From him are derived branches of the family which became so conspicuous in the history of Moldavia and Walachia.
The Walachian branch starts afresh from the great ban DEMETRIUS or DUMITRU GHICA (1718-1803), who was twice married and had 14 children. (See RUMANIA : History.) One of these, Gregory, prince of Walachia 1822-28, starts a new era of civilization, by breaking with the traditions of the Phanariot (Greek) period and assisting in the development of a truly na tional Rumanian literature. His brother, Prince Alexander Ghica, appointed jointly by Turkey and Russia (1834-42) as hospodar of Walachia, died in 1862. Under him the so-called reglement organique had been promulgated; an attempt was made to codify the laws in conformity with the institutions of the country and to secure better administration of justice. Prince Demetrius Ghica, who died as president of the Rumanian senate in 1897, was the son of the Walachian prince Gregory.
was the father of ELENA (1827 1888), a well-known novelist, who wrote under the name of Dora d'Istria. She married a Russian prince, Koltsov Mazalskiy, in 1849, but the marriage was unhappy, and in 1855 she left St. Petersburg for Florence, where she died in 1888. There she pub lished works characterized by lightness of touch and brilliance of description, such as Pelerinage au tombeau de Dante, La Vie monastique dans les eglises orientales (1844), La Suisse allemande, etc. One of her last works was devoted to the history of her own family, Gli Albanesi in Roumenia: Storia dei Principi Ghika nei secoli XVII.–XIV. (Florence, 1873).
was twice prince of Walachia. His grandson JOHN (IOAN) GHICA (1817-1897), a lifelong friend of Turkey, was educated in Bucharest and in the West, and studied engineering and mathematics in Paris (1837-4o) ; return ing to Moldavia he was involved in the conspiracy of 1841, which was intended to bring about the union of Walachia and Moldavia under one native prince (Michael Sturdza) . The conspiracy failed and John Ghica became a lecturer on mathematics at the uni versity which was founded by Prince Sturdza in Jassy. In 1848 he joined the party of revolution and in the name of a provisional government then established in Bucharest went to Constantinople to approach the Turkish government. Whilst there he was ap pointed Bey of Samos (1853-59), where he extirpated piracy. In 1859 after the union of Moldavia and Walachia, Prince Cuza induced John Ghica to return. He was the first prime minister under Prince (afterwards King) Charles of Hohenzollern. He joined the anti-dynastic movement of 1870-71. In 1881 he was appointed Rumanian minister in London and retained office until 1889. He died on May 7, 1897 in Gherghani.
