The
Basarabs (also
Bazarabs or
Bazaraads, ) were a family which had an important role in the establishing of the
Principality of
Wallachia, giving the country its first line of
Princes, one closely related with the
Mușatin rulers of
Moldavia. Its status as a
dynasty is rendered problematic by the official
elective system, which implied that male members of the same family, including illegitimate offspring, were chosen to rule by a council of
boyars (more often than not, the election was conditioned by the military force exercised by candidates). After the rule of
Alexandru I Aldea (ended in 1436), the house was split by the conflict between the
Dănești and the
Drăculești, both of which claimed legitimacy. Several late rulers of the
Craiovești claimed direct descent from the House after its eventual demise, including
Neagoe Basarab,
Matei Basarab,
Constantin Șerban,
Șerban Cantacuzino, and
Constantin Brâncoveanu.