New theory: Dracula’s lineage traced to Genghis Khan

Renowned Kazakhstani historian Zhaksylyk Sabitov presented an intriguing theory about the origins of Count Dracula’s alleged real-life inspiration, Romanian Prince Vlad III, on the Dope Soz podcast. He suggested that Vlad’s ancestry may be traced back to Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire.

According to this theory, Vlad III (Dracula) was the great-grandson of voivode (warlord) Nicolae Alexandru, who was the son of Basarab I, the founder and first independent ruler of Wallachia (one of the three principalities that formed modern Romania).

«We know that Basarab’s father was Tokhtamir (also known as Thocomerius or Tihomir), a prince of the Golden Horde (the 13th son of Jochi, making him a grandson of Genghis Khan). This suggests that Dracula may have a Genghisid lineage. Certainly, this is just a theory that needs further verification,» Sabitov said.

There are other competing theories about Dracula’s origins. One theory suggests that the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker’s novel «Dracula» could have had Kipchak (Turkic nomadic) ancestry.