Pantazi Ghica (Romanian pronunciation: [panˈtazi ˈɡika]; also known
under the pen names Tapazin, G. Pantazi, and Ghaki;[1] 15 March 1831
â€" 17 July 1882) was a Wallachian, later Romanian politician and
lawyer, also known as a dramatist, poet, short story writer, and
literary critic. A prominent representative of the liberal current, he
was the younger brother and lifelong collaborator of Ion Ghica, who
served as Prime Minister of the Romanian Kingdom in 1866-1867 and
again in 1870-1871. Pantazi Ghica began his political career as a
participant in the Wallachian Revolution of 1848, a collaborator of
the Romantic historian and activist Nicolae Bălcescu, and a member of
the radical grouping headed by C. A. Rosetti. Although twice involved
in the administration of Buzău County, Ghica lived much of his life
in exile or in Bucharest, and was also a soldier for the Ottoman
Empire during the Crimean War. After 1875, he was a prominent member
of the National Liberal Party.Generally seen as a mediocre writer, he
was foremost noted for his associations with the literary figures
Nicolae Filimon, Vasile Alecsandri, Dimitrie Bolintineanu, Alexandru
Odobescu and Alexandru Macedonski, as well as for his extended polemic
with the conservative literary society Junimea. Ghica's work and
political convictions were criticized and often ridiculed by Junimist
intellectuals such as Titu Maiorescu, Mihai Eminescu, and Ion Luca
Caragiale. He is most likely one of the unnamed liberal politicians
who are negatively portrayed in Eminescu's poem Scrisoarea a
III-a.Pantazi Ghica suffered from kyphosis. Notably, this physical
defect is mentioned for satirical effect in Eminescu's poem and in
Caragiale's autobiographical work, Din carnetul unui vechi
sufleur.Pantazi was born into the Ghica family, a prestigious group of
Phanariote hospodars and boyars in the Danubian Principalities, whose
origins were Greek and Albanian.[2] He was the twelfth of fifteen
children born to Ban Dimitrie Ghica and his wife Maria Câmpineanu (a
boyaress of the Câmpineanu family).[3] Ion, Pantazi, Temistocle and
Maria Ghica were the only four children to survive into adulthood.[4]
under the pen names Tapazin, G. Pantazi, and Ghaki;[1] 15 March 1831
â€" 17 July 1882) was a Wallachian, later Romanian politician and
lawyer, also known as a dramatist, poet, short story writer, and
literary critic. A prominent representative of the liberal current, he
was the younger brother and lifelong collaborator of Ion Ghica, who
served as Prime Minister of the Romanian Kingdom in 1866-1867 and
again in 1870-1871. Pantazi Ghica began his political career as a
participant in the Wallachian Revolution of 1848, a collaborator of
the Romantic historian and activist Nicolae Bălcescu, and a member of
the radical grouping headed by C. A. Rosetti. Although twice involved
in the administration of Buzău County, Ghica lived much of his life
in exile or in Bucharest, and was also a soldier for the Ottoman
Empire during the Crimean War. After 1875, he was a prominent member
of the National Liberal Party.Generally seen as a mediocre writer, he
was foremost noted for his associations with the literary figures
Nicolae Filimon, Vasile Alecsandri, Dimitrie Bolintineanu, Alexandru
Odobescu and Alexandru Macedonski, as well as for his extended polemic
with the conservative literary society Junimea. Ghica's work and
political convictions were criticized and often ridiculed by Junimist
intellectuals such as Titu Maiorescu, Mihai Eminescu, and Ion Luca
Caragiale. He is most likely one of the unnamed liberal politicians
who are negatively portrayed in Eminescu's poem Scrisoarea a
III-a.Pantazi Ghica suffered from kyphosis. Notably, this physical
defect is mentioned for satirical effect in Eminescu's poem and in
Caragiale's autobiographical work, Din carnetul unui vechi
sufleur.Pantazi was born into the Ghica family, a prestigious group of
Phanariote hospodars and boyars in the Danubian Principalities, whose
origins were Greek and Albanian.[2] He was the twelfth of fifteen
children born to Ban Dimitrie Ghica and his wife Maria Câmpineanu (a
boyaress of the Câmpineanu family).[3] Ion, Pantazi, Temistocle and
Maria Ghica were the only four children to survive into adulthood.[4]
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