[1] A boyar of the Movilești family, Ieremia was placed on the throne in Iași by Polish Kanclerz (Chancellor) and hetman Jan Zamoyski after the ousting of Ștefan Răzvan.

Zamoyski's intervention had been prompted by Răzvan's acceptance of Imperial tutelage over Moldavia, after having received backing from Transylvanian Prince Sigismund Báthory and Emperor Rudolf II.

Poland and the Turks signed the Treaty of Cecora after the defeat of Tatar troops in October, with the Porte agreeing to Ieremia's rule.

The tide quickly turned, with hetmans Stanisław Żółkiewski and Jan Karol Chodkiewicz obtaining crucial victories in Moldavia itself and taking the fighting into Wallachia (see Battle of Bukowo), briefly expanding Polish rule to the main section of the Danube and placing Ieremia on back on his throne, with his brother Simion the new Prince in Bucharest.

His sons were all successive Moldavian rulers, while his daughters were married into Polish and Ruthenian noble Szlachta families: Anna Mohyła (1579–1667) to Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki in 1658 or 1661, Maria (d. December 10, 1638) to Stefan Potocki, Raina Mohyła (d. ca.1619) to Michał Wiśniowiecki, Catherina Movilă (died 1618) to prince Samuel Korecki.