Antioch was born into a
noble Moldavian family of
Tatar origin. His illiterate father
Constantin had been made
voivode of Moldavia by the
Ottomans in 1685. Constantin ensured his sons had a good education and, upon his death, Antioch's younger brother
Demetrius notionally succeeded him. He was swiftly passed over by the
Ottomans, however, in favor of
Constantin Duca, who was supported by his father-in-law, the
Wallachian voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu. Duca was deposed after two years for late payments of tribute and for having executed an inspecting
kapucu. Antioch began to rule but was eventually deposed through the machinations of the Wallachian voivode. Upon the return of Duca, the Cantemirs fled the country, returning to resume rule after Duca again fell into disgrace and lost
Brâncoveanu's friendship. Antioch's second period of rule was preceded and followed by voivodeships of his brother-in-law
Mihai Racoviță. Unlike his father, Antioch did not oppose the interests of
Poland. He also laid the groundwork for his brother's anti-Turkish alliance with
Peter the Great's
Russian Empire, which began expanding southward following the 1699
Treaty of Karlowitz. Despite Cantemir's high taxes, particularly during his second reign, he was a broadly popular figure and viewed as a just and kind ruler. Inspired by
Chrysanthus, the
Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, he established the
Princely Academy in his capital
Iaşi in 1707. He died in 1726 at
Golia Monastery. ==See also==