Vlad Tepes Dracula had three aims: to strengthen the country’s economy, its defensive system and his own political power.
He took measures for the peasants’ wellbeing by building new villages and raising the agricultural surfaces.
One of Vlad Dracula’s merits was that he understood the importance of trade for the development of his country. He applied some protectionist actions affecting especially the monopoly of the Saxon merchants. He helped Wallachian merchants by limiting foreigner merchants’ trades only to three market towns: Targusor, Campulung and Targoviste.
In the aim to clean up his country Vlad Tepes Dracula gave new laws punishing the dishonest people, the liars, the thieves and the burglars in the same manner: running through the stake. The ruling prince treated the boyars with the same harshness, because they were guilty of weakening of the country through their internal struggles for power.
To strengthen his power Vlad Dracula reorganized the feudal landlords’ council, in which he promoted new people having no links with old boyar families, drastically shrinking their role in the state leadership.
The army was also reorganized and strengthened. He had a personal guard mostly of mercenaries (about 4000 soldiers). They were rewarded with the wealth and the money of those killed in battles. Another reward for the soldiers was their raise to the rank of “braves”. This means the pedestrians being transferred in the cavalry, receiving more money, but especially a higher social status.
The braves awarded by Vlad Tepes Dracula (also appear in chronicles under the name of courtiers) played an important part not only in the army but also in Wallachia’s administration or princely council.
Adding to his guard the people from his court he formed “the lesser army” (about 8000 people). The “greater army” was made from male population capable to fight (mostly peasants), called together in hard dangerous times (about 25000-30000 people).
Vlad Dracula reinforced Poienari fortress, Targoviste fortified town and also built a roayal court in Bucharest. The first mention of the Bucharest name is in a letter from 20th of September 1459, signed by Vlad III Dracula.
Vlad Dracula built only one church at Targusor (in the memory of his father and older brother who was killed near by), but he contributed with liberal bestowals to the Snagov Monastery and to the Comana Monastery fortifications, seeing them as strategic strongholds.
The history shows that Vlad’s internal policy drove to the general raise of his own country(these were the best times of Wallachia life since Mircea the Old and long time after Vlad Tepes Dracula rule). It must be a price for all these. Looking at Vlad’s image I’m sure he paid it.