Under the Phanariote regime, the country had dissolved her levy army—though a core force had briefly reemerged under Nicholas Mavrogenes, who led a Wallachian peasant force into the Austro-Turkish War of 1788. Especially visible in Oltenia, the Pandurs traced their origins to the late 17th century, and had also functioned as a militia in 1718–1739, when Oltenia, or "Banat of Craiova", was a Habsburg territory. At times, they had been self-sustaining, with a lifestyle that bordered on hajduk brigandage.
During the Phanariote rule, the country's levy army was disbanded, but a core force led by Nicholas Mavrogenes emerged to fight in the Austro-Turkish War of 1788. The Pandurs, originating from the late 17th century and active as a militia in Oltenia (Banat of Craiova) under Habsburg rule, were known for their self-sufficiency and lifestyle that resembled banditry.