Denis from the kindred Tomaj ( hu, Tomaj nembeli Dénes; died 11 April 1241) was a Hungarian influential baron in the first half of the 13th century, who served as the
Palatine of Hungary
The Palatine of Hungary ( hu, nádor or , german: Landespalatin, la, palatinus regni Hungariae) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were repres ...
under
King Béla IV from year 1235 to 1241, until his death at the
Battle of Mohi
The Battle of Mohi (11 April 1241), also known as Battle of the Sajó River''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East'', Vol. I, ed. Spencer C. Tucker, (ABC-CLIO, 2010), 279; "Although Mongol losses in t ...
.
Family
Denis (II) was born into the
''gens'' (clan) Tomaj of
Pecheneg
The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პაჭ ...
origin. The kindred descended from chieftain
Tonuzoba, who settled with his people in the
Principality of Hungary
The (Grand) Principality of HungaryS. Wise BauerThe history of the medieval world: from the conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, p. 586George H. HodosThe East-Central European region: an historical outline ...
during the reign of
Taksony in the mid-10th century. The eponymous ancestor of the kindred Tomaj – Tonuzoba's grandson – lived in the time of King
Stephen I of Hungary
Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen ( hu, Szent István király ; la, Sanctus Stephanus; sk, Štefan I. or Štefan Veľký; 975 – 15 August 1038), was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the ...
(r. 1000–1038). The clan initially possessed lands in
Heves County
Heves county ( hu, Heves megye, ) lies in northern Hungary, between the right bank of the river Tisza and the Mátra and Bükk mountains. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Pest, Nógrád, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Jász-Nagykun ...
, but later acquired estates in
Zala,
Szabolcs and
Szolnok
Szolnok (; also known by other #Name and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. A City with county rights, city with county rights, it is located on the banks of the Tisza river, i ...
counties too.
His father was Denis (I), whose name is known only. He had three brothers, Privartus (Pelbárt), Csák and possibly Urkund (Örkénd or Örkény). The marriage of Denis (II) with an unidentified noblewoman produced four sons: Üne (I), Samud, Denis (III) – progenitor of the powerful Losonci and Bánffy de Losoncz noble families – and Nicholas (I), ancestor of the lesser noble Tomaji and Bezdédi families.
[Engel: ''Genealógia'' (Genus Tomaj 1., main branch)]
Early career
Denis began his career as a partisan of King
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II ( hu, II. András, hr, Andrija II., sk, Ondrej II., uk, Андрій II; 117721 September 1235), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1205 and 1235. He ruled the Principality of Halych from 11 ...
. His name is first mentioned, when he served as
Master of the horse
Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today.
(Ancient Rome)
The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...
from 1222 to 1224. Thereafter, Denis was made
Master of the treasury
The master of the treasury or treasurerSegeš 2002, p. 316.Rady 2000, p. 113. (german: Königlicher Ober-SchatzmeisterFallenbüchl 1988, p. 80. or , hu, tárnokmester,Zsoldos 2011, p. 61. la, magister tavarnicorum, or , sk, taverník hr, tave ...
in 1224, replacing
Denis, son of Ampud. He functioned in this capacity until 1231. Beside that, he also administered Szolnok County at least between 1228 and 1230. His position proves that Szolnok County was not part of the territorial domain of King Andrew's son, Béla,
Duke of Transylvania
The Duke of Transylvania ( hu, erdélyi herceg; la, dux Transylvaniae) was a title of nobility four times granted to a son or a brother of the Hungarian monarch. The dukes of the first and second creations, Béla (1226–1235) and Stephen (1 ...
(the duke, who disagreed with his father's reform measures, was transferred from
Slavonia
Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baran ...
to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
as kind of "internal exile" in 1226).
For his loyalty, Denis was granted the villages
Széplak and
Gyeke in
Kolozs County
Kolozs County was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and of the Principality of Transylvania. Its territory is now in north-western Romania (north-western Transylvania). The capital ...
(present-day Goreni and Geaca in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, respectively) by Andrew II in 1228. Prior to that, both settlements were confiscated from
Simon Kacsics
Simon from the kindred Kacsics ( hu, Kacsics nembeli Simon, hr, Šimun Kačić; died after 1228) was a Hungarian distinguished nobleman from the ''gens'' Kacsics (Kačić). He was one of the leading instigators of Queen Gertrude's assassinatio ...
because of his alleged involvement in the
assassination of Queen
Gertrude of Merania. Andrew donated these lands despite the fact that the villages belonged to the territorial domain of Duke Béla. The donation was made with the knowledge and consent of the duke, who was otherwise in a tense relationship with his father. Denis gradually became a prominent landowner in Transylvania. He invited and settled
Saxon craftsmen in
Szászrégen (present-day Reghin, Romania) in the same period. He possessed
Idecs (today Ideciu de Jos, Romania) too (the Losoncis later built a fort there). He also acquired lands in
Nógrád County
Nógrád ( hu, Nógrád megye, ; sk, Novohradská župa) is a county ( hu, megye) of Hungary. It sits on the northern edge of Hungary and borders Slovakia.
Description
Nógrád county lies in northern Hungary. It shares borders with Slovakia an ...
around 1230, possibly from the fortune of
Kacsics clan. One of the estates,
Losonc (today Lučenec,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
) and the surrounding villages became the eponymous residence of his descendants. It is possible that Denis or his namesake son built the castle of
Divény (present-day Divín, Slovakia). He also possessed the nearby estate
Gács (today Halič, Slovakia), where his descendants erected a stone castle.
After 1228, Denis Tomaj gradually developed a good relationship with Duke Béla, who took power in the royal council after another wave of dissatisfaction in that year, when Andrew II was forced to authorize his son to revise his previous land grants throughout Hungary. It is plausible that Denis assisted this intention in Szolnok County and the surrounding areas in Transylvania, and had no conflict with the duke. Andrew II regained influence over the royal council in 1231, expelling the partisans of Duke Béla from the government. The king suspended the review of royal donations and restored his financial reforms. Denis, because of his "bipolar policy", also lost his office and political influence for years. Denis Tomaj disappears from sources in the period between 1231 and 1235. Former historiography incorrectly claimed that Denis Tomaj is identical with that namesake baron, who served as
Voivode of Transylvania
The Voivode of Transylvania (german: Vojwode von Siebenbürgen;Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77. hu, erdélyi vajda;Zsoldos 2011, p. 36. la, voivoda Transsylvaniae; ro, voievodul Transilvaniei) was the highest-ranking official in Transylvania wit ...
between 1233 and 1234. However, historian Attila Zsoldos proved that Béla's loyal partisan and childhood friend
Denis Türje
Denis (II) from the kindred Türje ( hu, Türje nembeli (II.) Dénes) or nicknamed Denis the Big-nosed ( hu, Nagyorrú Dénes; la, cum magno nasu; died 1255) was a powerful Hungarian baron, landowner and military leader in the first half of the 1 ...
held that office in the same period.
Palatine of Hungary
Shortly before Andrew's death, Denis Tomaj was appointed Palatine of Hungary sometime at the turn of 1234 and 1235. Denis already bore the title shortly after March 1235. Based on a fragmented seal, historian Mór Wertner considered Denis Tomaj replaced Denis, son of Ampud in the position still in 1234. It is possible that Duke Béla had practically taken control of the country before the death of his ailing father. There is also an alternative argument that Andrew II, with the appointment of Denis – whose person was seen as a compromise between father and son –, sought to ease the transition and moderate Béla's anger towards the king's loyal supporters. Nevertheless, Denis avoided political purge and persecution, unlike many others, after Béla's ascension to the Hungarian throne in September 1235. Beside the most prestigious dignity in Hungary, Denis again functioned as ''
ispán
The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
'' of Szolnok County between 1235 and 1241. A single document also styles him as ''ispán'' of
Bihar County
Bihar was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary and a county of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and Principality of Transylvania (since the 16th century, when it was under the rule of the Princes of Transylvania). Most of ...
in November 1236 (he plausibly held the office for a brief time in 1235–1236). Shortly after his appointment, Andrew donated a half portion of the land
Kozár in Szolnok County to Denis. Upon the instruction of Béla IV, Denis performed a diplomatic mission "beyond the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
", i.e. in the
Italian Peninsula in 1239. It is presumable that he visited the
Roman Curia, because in that year,
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...
authorized the Hungarian king to employ
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
in royal financial administration, in exchange for Béla's renouncing of the taking back of royal estates.
In the first half of the 13th century, Denis Tomaj issued proportionately the most number of palatinal diplomas until the institutional reform of
Roland Rátót. His eighteen charters with full text were preserved, thirteen of them are original (i.e. not transcribed or copied) documents. Beside that there are also other documents and two notes from the ''
Regestrum Varadinense'', which can be linked to his judicial activity. His vice-palatines or "palatinal vice-judges" were Endre or Andrew (1235) then
Albert Bogátradvány (1236–1239). His notary was
Matthias Hermán in 1239. Since the beginning of Denis' term, the palatinal bailiffs (''pristaldus'') were begin to styled as "''homo noster''" ("our man"), which will completely displace the former term by the beginning of the 14th century. Several members of his bailiffs originated from the
''gens'' (clan) Rosd, a network of relatives evolved within the professional staff.
During his term, there was no a permanent palatinal court, the current lawsuits were discussed by his staff at the site in question. His judicial activity covered various parts of the kingdom. He delivered judgments over cases in, for instance, Bihar (1235, possibly),
Hont,
Zala (1236),
Pozsony
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...
(1237) and
Szatmár (1239) counties. During his judicial tours, Denis appeared in the settlements of a neighborhood at predetermined times so that plaintiffs and defendants could find him, as evidenced by a lawsuit in 1236 in Zala County, involving the future prelate
Zlaudus Ják. Denis' term was mostly covered by the lawsuits initiated by the
Pannonhalma Abbey and its forceful abbot
Uros
The Uru or Uros ( ure, Qhas Qut suñi) are an indigenous people of Bolivia. They live on an approximate and still growing 120 self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca near Puno. They form three main groups: the Uru-Chipaya, Uru-Murat ...
. After Béla IV granted asylum to the
Cuman
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian exonym ), were a Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation. After the Mongol invasion (1237), many so ...
refugees, who arrived to the Hungarian border fleeing from the
advancing Mongols in 1239, the king placed the Cumans under the direct jurisdiction of Denis Tomaj. Historian Tibor Szőcs argued Denis unusually, contrary to his successors, held ispánates in Eastern Hungary beside his position of Palatine, which laid near to the Cuman tribes' lands, thus he could be the first office-holder who became
judge of the Cumans The judge of the Cumans ( hu, kunok bírája or ''kunbíró''; la, iudex Cumanorum) was a short-lived legal office, then an ''ex officio'' title in the Hungarian royal court, existed since the second half of the 13th century. In 1270, the Palatine ...
.
In 1239–1240, Denis Tomaj intended to establish a
Cistercian abbey in Dénesvölgye ( la, Vallis Dyonisii; lit. "Denis' Valley") along the stream Tugár (Tuhár) at the
namesake village (present-day Slovakia), northwest of the lordship of Losonc. The General Chapter of the Cistercians instructed Szepes Abbey (or Savnik) to send monks to the newly erected monastery in 1240. If this is not possible, Dénesvölgye would become a
filiation of the
Morimond Abbey
Morimond Abbey is a religious complex in Parnoy-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne department, in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. It was the fourth of the four great daughter abbeys of Cîteaux Abbey, of primary importance in the spread of the Ci ...
, which would ensure adequate staffing, according to the document. However, the process of founding was stalled due to the
Mongol invasion
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire (1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
and the death of Denis in the spring of 1241. Decades later, his sons finished the construction of the abbey dedicated to Saint
Stephen I of Hungary
Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen ( hu, Szent István király ; la, Sanctus Stephanus; sk, Štefan I. or Štefan Veľký; 975 – 15 August 1038), was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the ...
. They, however, invited
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
friars instead of Cistercians to the newly erected monastery.
Mongol invasion and death
Following the
sack of Kiev and the disintegration of the
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
in December 1240, the
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
gathered in the lands bordering Hungary and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
under the command of
Batu Khan
Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Kh ...
. The Hungarian royal council learned of military developments around
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
. The Mongols demanded Béla's submission to their
Great Khan
Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...
Ögödei, but the Hungarian king refused to yield and decided to fortify the mountain passes along the eastern border. In early January 1241, Béla IV sent Denis Tomaj and his ''
banderium'' to protect the
Verecke Pass (also known as Russian Gate, present-day Veretskyi Pass in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
), the most important natural pass of the Northeastern
Carpathian Mountains. Local border guards of the ''
gyepűelve'' also joined Denis' troops. The Mongols determined to hinder Denis' reconnaissance activity by plundering and torching the borderland between Hungary and
Halych
Halych ( uk, Га́лич ; ro, Halici; pl, Halicz; russian: Га́лич, Galich; german: Halytsch, ''Halitsch'' or ''Galitsch''; yi, העליטש) is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The city gave its name to the P ...
.
Béla IV summoned a war council in
Buda in mid-February 1241.
Roger of Torre Maggiore's ''
Carmen miserabile'' narrates that Denis sent couriers to the meeting, who arrived in early March 1241 and reported that the Mongols reached the Verecke Pass and demolished the barricades, and the palatine would not be able to withstand them in an open battle with the small troops he had received from the king and the army of the surrounding counties. On 12 March 1241, the main Mongol army led by Batu and
Subutai stormed into Hungary after they forcibly demolished the wooden barricades with their forty thousand Russian axe-men, according to
Thomas the Archdeacon
Thomas the Archdeacon ( la, Thomas Archidiaconus; it, Tommaso Arcidiacono; hr, Toma Arhiđakon; c. 1200 – 8 May 1268), also known as Thomas of Spalato ( la, Thomas Spalatensis, hu, Spalatói Tamás), was a Roman Catholic cleric, historian and ...
's ''
Historia Salonitana
''Historia Salonitanorum atque Spalatinorum pontificum'' or the History of the Bishops of Salona and Split ( hr, Povijest biskupa Salone i Splita), commonly known simply as the ''Historia Salonitana'', is a chronicle by Thomas the Archdeacon from t ...
''. The Mongols annihilated the defense forces of approximately 5,000 soldiers led by Denis Tomaj, who, severely injured, could only escape with a few men and hurried to Buda to report his defeat and the beginning of the Mongol invasion to the Hungarian king. Thereafter, Denis remained in the royal camp which marched to
Pest on the left bank of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
then to the river
Sajó
The Sajó ( , Hungarian) or Slaná ( Slovak) is a river in Slovakia and Hungary.
Its length is 229 km, of which 110 km is in Slovakia. Its source is in the Stolica Mountains range of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It flows through the ...
. Denis Tomaj was killed in the Battle of Mohi on 11 April 1241.
References
Sources
Primary sources
* ''Master Roger's Epistle to the Sorrowful Lament upon the Destruction of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Tatars'' (Translated and Annotated by János M. Bak and Martyn Rady) (2010). In: Rady, Martyn; Veszprémy, László; Bak, János M. (2010); ''Anonymus and Master Roger''; CEU Press; .
Secondary sources
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomaj, Denis
1241 deaths
Palatines of Hungary
Hungarian military personnel killed in the Mongol invasion of Europe
Denis
13th-century Hungarian people
Masters of the treasury (Kingdom of Hungary)
Masters of the horse (Kingdom of Hungary)