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The Prince of Transylvania ( hu, erdélyi fejedelem, german: Fürst von Siebenbürgen, la, princeps Transsylvaniae, ro, principele TransilvanieiFallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.) was the head of state of the Principality of Transylvania from the last decades of the 16th century until the middle of the 18th century.
John Sigismund Zápolya John Sigismund Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai János Zsigmond; 7 July 1540 – 14 March 1571) was King of Hungary as John II from 1540 to 1551 and from 1556 to 1570, and the first Prince of Transylvania, from 1570 to his death. He was ...
was the first to adopt the title in 1570, but its use only became stable from 1576.


Origins

The integration of
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 ...
into the newly established
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
began around 1003. The province became subject to intensive colonization, leading to the arrival and settlement of colonists of diverse origin, including the Hungarian-speaking
Székelys The Székelys (, Székely runes: 𐳥𐳋𐳓𐳉𐳗), also referred to as Szeklers,; ro, secui; german: Szekler; la, Siculi; sr, Секељи, Sekelji; sk, Sikuli are a Hungarian subgroup living mostly in the Székely Land in Romania. ...
and the
Ethnic Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
. The territory of Transylvania was divided for administrative purposes into territorial units called " counties" and "
seats A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair e ...
". The seven Transylvanian counties ( Doboka/Dăbâca, Fehér/Alba, Hunyad/Hundedoara, Kolozs/Cluj, Küküllő/Târnava, Szolnok/Solnoc, and Torda/Turda) were institutions primarily run by local noblemen. However, their heads or '' ispáns''Makkai 1994, p. 207. were subject to the authority of a higher official, the '' voivode'' who was appointed by the
kings of Hungary The King of Hungary ( hu, magyar király) was the ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Apostoli Magyar Király'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 175 ...
. The
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 ...
had a number of administrative, military and judicial responsibilities. For instance, joint general assemblies of the seven counties were convoked and headed by the voivode or his deputy, customarily at Torda/Turda. These assemblies primarily functioned as courts-of-justice,Pop 2005, p. 230. but judges for the counties were also elected by them. Instead of counties, the
Transylvanian Saxon The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ...
community was primarily organized into seats and districts.Pop 2005, p. 233. They were independent of the authority of the voivodes. In 1469, King
Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several mi ...
of Hungary authorized all Saxons' seats to elect their own heads.Makkai 1994, p. 235. Seven years later, the same monarch set up the "
Saxon University The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
" unifying all Saxon seats and districts in Transylvania, which was headed by the elected major of
Hermannstadt Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cib ...
(Nagyszeben, Sibiu). Initially, the Székelys were likewise independent of the authority of the voivodes, since they were led by their own count, an official appointed by the sovereign. Although the Saxons and the Székelys endeavoured to preserve their direct connection to the monarchs, "the first institutional contacts between the nobility, the Székelys and the Saxons were established through the voivode" from the early 14th century.Makkai 1994, p. 223. For instance, the representatives of the Saxons and the Székelys were often present at the general assemblies of the noblemen headed by the voivodes. Furthermore, voivodes were also appointed Count of the Székelys by the monarch from the middle of the 15th century, thus the two offices were united by custom. In contrast with the representatives of the noblemen, the Saxons and the Székelys, Romanian ''
cneazes , or (Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependin ...
'' were only twice (in 1291 and in 1355) invited to the general assemblies. The leaders of the noblemen from the seven counties, the Saxons, and the Székelys formed an alliance against "all internal and external threat to the province" in the days of the Budai Nagy Antal Revolt in 1437. This formal alliance of the "
Three Nations of Transylvania Unio Trium Nationum (Latin for "Union of the Three Nations") was a pact of mutual aid codified in 1438 by three Estates of Transylvania: the (largely Hungarian) nobility, the Saxon ( German) patrician class, and the free military Székelys. The ...
" was confirmed in 1459, aimed primarily against
Michael Szilágyi Michael Szilágyi de Horogszeg ( hu, horogszegi Szilágyi Mihály; c. 1400 – 1460) was a Hungarian general, Regent of Hungary, Count of Beszterce and Head of Szilágyi–Hunyadi Liga. Family He was born in the early 15th century as vic ...
, the regent-governor of the Kingdom of Hungary. During the rebellion of peasants led by
György Dózsa György Dózsa (or ''György Székely'',appears as "Georgius Zekel" in old texts ro, Gheorghe Doja; 1470 – 20 July 1514) was a Székely man-at-arms (and by some accounts, a nobleman) from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasa ...
in 1514, Voivode
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferd ...
convoked the assembly of the Three Nations.


End of the independent Kingdom of Hungary

In 1526, in the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
, the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
defeated the royal army of Hungary and killed King Louis II. The Ottomans then withdrew. The throne was claimed by Louis' brother-in-law Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, and by John Zápolya, both backed by factions of Hungarian magnates. Ferdinand drove John out of Hungary, whereupon John offered allegiance to Ottoman Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
in return for support. Suleiman invaded
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous c ...
while John regained his throne. Suleiman was repulsed from Austria, and by a treaty in 1538, Ferdinand became King of Hungary, holding the western parts, while John became King, holding the eastern parts, including Transylvania (called by historians the "
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom The Eastern Hungarian Kingdom ( hu, keleti Magyar Királyság) is a modern term coined by some historians to designate the realm of John Zápolya and his son John Sigismund Zápolya, who contested the claims of the House of Habsburg to rule the ...
"). Thus from being a fully sovereign kingdom, Hungary had become either a possession of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
or an Ottoman vassal state.


Separation of the Principality of Transylvania

In 1538, John named Ferdinand his successor as King. But he had a son,
John Sigismund Zápolya John Sigismund Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai János Zsigmond; 7 July 1540 – 14 March 1571) was King of Hungary as John II from 1540 to 1551 and from 1556 to 1570, and the first Prince of Transylvania, from 1570 to his death. He was ...
, just before he died in 1540. The Hungarian Diet elected him King as John II Sigismund, and when Ferdinand invaded, the Regent Bishop Martinuzzi called on Suleiman to protect his vassal. Suleiman drove out Ferdinand, then put central Hungary under direct Turkish rule. He allocated Transylvania and eastern
Royal Hungary Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
to John II Sigismund. In 1551, Bishop Martinuzzi arranged for John II Sigismund to abdicate his royal title in favor of Ferdinand, in return for being recognized as vassal lord of the "East Hungarian" lands. All the territories of the Kingdom of Hungary which had remained free of direct Ottoman occupation were thus reunited under Ferdinand's rule in 1551. But Ottoman attacks continued, and Ferdinand could not protect "Eastern Hungary". In 1556, the Diet invited "King John's son" (that is, John II Sigismund) and his mother to resume the government of the territories east of the
Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza b ...
. John II Sigismund continued to style himself "elected king" of Hungary until 1570. In 1570, John II Sigismund again abdicated as King in favor of Ferdinand's successor,
Emperor Maximilian II Maximilian II (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 until his death in 1576. A member of the Austrian House of Habsburg, he was crowned King of Bohemia in Prague on 14 May 1562 and elected King of Germany (Kin ...
. This was expressed in the treaty of Speyer. John II Sigismund adopted the new style "Prince of Transylvania and Lord of parts of Hungary".Szegedi 2009, p. 101. John Sigismund's successor,
Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory ( hu, Báthory István; pl, Stefan Batory; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576), Prince of Transylvania (1576–1586), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586 ...
, however, adopted the title the one-time royal governors of Transylvania used and styled himself ''voivode''.Barta 1994, p. 260. Furthermore, he secretly swore allegiance to King Maximilian I of Hungary. Stephen Báthory only adopted the style ''Prince'' when he was elected
King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
in 1576.Barta 1994, p. 265. Upon his death in 1586, his princely title was inherited by his nephew,
Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory ( hu, Báthory Zsigmond; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duke of Racibórz and Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transylvania as voi ...
. The new style of the
rulers of Transylvania List of rulers of Transylvania, from the 10th century, until 1867. Overview Before 1556, the administration of the eastern parts of the Hungarian Kingdom, referred as ''Partes Transsylvana'' (Latin for "parts beyond the forests"), was in the ...
and the
Partium Partium (from Latin ''partium'', the genitive of '' pars'' "part, portion") or ''Részek'' (in Hungarian) was a historical and geographical region in the Kingdom of Hungary during the early modern and modern periods. It consisted of the eastern ...
was also confirmed by King Maximilian I's successor,
Emperor Rudolph II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Hou ...
on January 28, 1595.


The prince and his prerogatives


Style and titles

Transylvanian monarchs used the following style and titles: "His Excellency, by the grace of God, ''Prince of Transylvania, Lord of parts of Hungary, and
Count of the Székelys The Count of the Székelys ( hu, székelyispán, la, comes Sicolorum) was the leader of the Hungarian-speaking Székelys in Transylvania, in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. First mentioned in royal charters of the 13th century, the counts were ...
''". In addition,
Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory ( hu, Báthory Zsigmond; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duke of Racibórz and Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transylvania as voi ...
adopted the title of "
Prince of Wallachia This is a list of rulers of Wallachia, from the first mention of a medieval polity situated between the Southern Carpathians and the Danube until the union with Moldavia in 1859, which led to the creation of Romania. Notes Dynastic rule is hard ...
and
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Cent ...
" in 1595.


International status

From 1570 to 1699, the princes of Transylvania were not recognized as independent monarchs. At times they acknowledged Ottoman suzerainty, and at other times accepted the rule of the Kingdom of Hungary. According to the teachings of the
Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools (maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named afte ...
school of
Islamic jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ex ...
, Transylvania was part of the "House of Agreement" ''(
Dâr al ahd' In classical Islamic law, the major divisions are ''dar al-Islam'' (lit. territory of Islam/voluntary submission to God), denoting regions where Islamic law prevails, ''dar al-sulh'' (lit. territory of treaty) denoting non-Islamic lands which have ...
)'', that is a territory with a transitory status between the lands fully integrated in the Ottoman Empire and independent states. Accordingly, when ascending the throne each prince received an official document from the sultan which described the prince's rights and obligations. These documents or '' ahidnâmes'' confirmed the right of the Transylvanian estates to elect their princes freely, "guaranted the territorial integrity of the principality", and promised military assistance to the Prince in case of invasion by his enemies. On the other hand, the princes were obliged to pay a yearly tribute and to assist the Ottomans in their military operations.Felezeu 2009, pp. 49-50, 52-53.


Succession and regency


Prerogatives


End of the institution

After the
Rákóczi's War of Independence Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–11) was the first significant attempt to topple the rule of the Habsburgs over Hungary. The war was conducted by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by Francis II Rákó ...
the princes were effectively replaced with
governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
. The last prince
Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confederat ...
spent the rest of his life in exile.


See also

* List of Princes of Transylvania * List of rulers of Transylvania * List of consorts of Transylvania


Footnotes


References

* Bán, Péter (1989). Entry ''székely ispán'' in: Bán, Péter; ''Magyar történelmi fogalomtár, II. kötet: L–Zs'' ("Thesaurus of Terms of Hungarian History, Volume I: A–Zs"). Gondolat. . * Barta, Gábor (1994). ''The Emergence of the Principality and its First Crises (1526–1606)''. In: Köpeczi, Béla; Barta, Gábor; Bóna, István; Makkai, László; Szász, Zoltán; Borus, Judit; ''History of Transylvania''; Akadémiai Kiadó; . * Deák, Éva (2009). "Princeps non Principissa"'': Catherine of Brandenburg, Elected Prince of Transylvania (1630–1648)''. In: Cruz, Anne J.; Suzuki, Mihoko; ''The Rule of Women in Early Modern Europe; University of Illinois Press''; . * Fallenbüchl, Zoltán (1988). ''Magyarország főméltóságai'' ("Great Officers of State in Hungary"). Maecenas Könyvkiadó. . * Felezeu, Călin (2009). ''The International Political Background (1541–1699)'' and ''The Legal Status of the Principality of Transylvania in Its Relations with the Ottoman Porte''. In: Pop, Ioan-Aurel; Nägler, Thomas; Magyari, András; * Georgescu, Vlad (1991). ''The Romanians: A History''. Ohio State University Press. . * Makkai, László (1994). ''The Emergence of the Estates (1172–1526)''. In: Köpeczi, Béla; Barta, Gábor; Bóna, István; Makkai, László; Szász, Zoltán; Borus, Judit; ''History of Transylvania''; Akadémiai Kiadó; . * Markó, László (2000). ''A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig: Életrajzi Lexikon'' ("Great Officers of State in Hungary from King Saint Stephen to Our Days: A Biographical Encyclopedia"). Magyar Könyvklub. * Pop, Ioan-Aurel (1999). ''Romanians and Romania: A Brief History''. Boulder (distributed by Columbia University Press). . * Pop, Ioan-Aurel (2005). ''Romanians in the 14th–16th Centuries: From the "Christian Republic" to the "Restoration of Dacia"''. In: Pop, Ioan-Aurel; Bolovan, Ioan; ''History of Romania: Compendium''; Romanian Cultural Institute (Center for Transylvanian Studies). . * Pop, Ioan-Aurel (2009). ''Michael the Brave and Transylvania''. In: Pop, Ioan-Aurel; Nägler, Thomas; Magyari, András; ''The History of Transylvania, Vol. II. (From 1541 to 1711)''; Romanian Academy, Center for Transylvanian Studies; . * Szegedi, Edit (2009). ''The birth and evolution of the Principality of Transylvania (1541–1690)''. In: Pop, Ioan-Aurel; Nägler, Thomas; Magyari, András; ''The History of Transylvania, Vol. II. (From 1541 to 1711)''; Romanian Academy, Center for Transylvanian Studies; .


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Of Transylvania