Moldavia declared its independence from Hungary around 1359, a few years after Dragoş, who was from Maramureş—a territory in northern Transylvania—settled in the region. Dragoş was sent by the Hungarian Crown to the east of the Carpathian Mountains to establish a local defensive zone against Tatar threats from the east. Dragoş “dismounted his horse,” as the Moldavian chronicles indicate, somewhere near Suceava, settled there with his family and men, and governed the northern parts of the territory of medieval Moldavia until about 1354 when his son, Sas, took control under the title of Markgraf or Marquis (r. ca. 1354–ca. 1363). During these years, Moldavia remained under Hungarian suzerainty. The situation changed before the sixth decade of the fourteenth century when the Drăgoşeşti broke their alliance with Hungary. A document from March 20, 1360, issued by Louis I “the Great” (King of Hungary from 1342 and King of Poland beginning in 1370 and until his death in 1382), reveals his gratitude toward a certain Dragoş from Giuleşti and his sons who restored Hungarian control over the territory of Moldavia. This need to “reclaim” Moldavia may have come from an internal uprising against the Hungarian Crown toward the end of 1359 or early 1360, likely led by Sas, his father Dragoş, and their followers.

Sometime between spring 1360 and winter 1364/1365, Bogdan I, also from Maramureş, crossed the Carpathians but this time to escape a conflict with the Hungarians. He overturned the control of the Drăgoşeşti and took the throne of the region as ruler (r. ca. 1363–1367). After Bogdan I took the throne, the territory to the east of the Carpathian Mountains was known both as Moldavia and Bogdania, that is, the realm of Bogdan. A document from February 2, 1365, speaks of the ruler Bogdan and his sons (“Bokdan voyvoda et sui filii”) crossing secretly into Moldavia and engaging in a tough battle against Sas, his sons, and their supporters. Bogdan emerged victorious from this encounter that took place sometime in 1363. Furthermore, his actions reveal that he also took advantage of the political and military situation and interests of his neighbours at this time. For example, Algirdas, ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377 had just secured the borders of his realm from Tatar attacks after the Battle of Blue Waters (1362–1363).