Bărbat was the brother and successor of voivode Litovoi whose territory had comprised northern Oltenia (Romania).
[1] King Ladislaus IV dispatched a punitive force,[3] and Litovoi was killed during the battle against the Hungarian army.
[2] Bărbat was taken prisoner[2] and sent to the royal court[4] where he was forced not only to pay ransom but also to recognize Hungarian rule.
[1] After Bărbat accepted Hungarian suzerainty under the duress of circumstances, he returned to his country.
[2] All these events are recounted in the king’s letter of grant of 8 January 1285, in which king Ladislaus IV donated villages in Sáros County (today in Slovakia) to Master George, son of Simon, who had been sent against Litovoi.