Torda County (german: Komitat Torda,
[Fallenbüchl 1994, p. 153.] hu, Torda vármegye,
la, comitatus Thordensis)
was a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in
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 ...
between the 11th century and 1876.
History
Kingdom of Hungary
Counties (districts formed around royal fortresses) were the basic units of royal administration in the Kingdom of Hungary from the 11th century. The fortress initially serving as the seat of Torda County was located at a distance of about
[Kristó 1988, p. 92.] from modern Torda (now
Turda
Turda (; hu, Torda, ; german: link=no, Thorenburg; la, Potaissa) is a city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the Europe ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
), above the village Várfalva (now
Moldovenești
Moldovenești (formerly ''Orfalău'' and ''Varfalău''; hu, Várfalva; german: Burgdorf) is a commune in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania, 12 km southwest of Turda, in the valley of the Arieș.
History
The oldest record about the ancient c ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
), on the river Aranyos (now
Arieș
The Arieș ( hu, Aranyos) is a left tributary of the river Mureș in Transylvania, Romania. It discharges into the Mureș in Gura Arieșului, southwest of Luduș. Its total length (including its headwater Arieșul Mare) is , and its drainage ba ...
in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
).
[Bóna 1994, p. 163.] A cemetery near the castle was used from the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries.
The earliest royal charter mentioning the castle is from 1075, but only its
interpolated version has been preserved. The earliest authentic charter referring to the same castle is dated to 1177. Although the county itself was only first mentioned in 1227, a reference in the charter of 1075 to taxes levied on salt at the castle implies the existence of a system of administration. Reference to an unnamed ''
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 Torda was preserved in a charter from 1221.
The ''ispáns'' of Torda were appointed by the
''voivodes'' of Transylvania, the representative of 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 1758 ...
in the province.
[Engel 1996, pp. 11., 246.]
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom
Principality of Transylvania
Austria-Hungary
List of ''ispáns''
Fourteenth century
Fifteenth century
Sixteenth century
Seventeenth century
Eighteenth century
Nineteenth century
See also
*
Maros-Torda County
Maros-Torda was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (eastern Transylvania) and has been administratively succeeded by county Mureș which consist of about half the territory of ...
*
Torda-Aranyos County
Torda-Aranyos was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (central Transylvania). The capital of the county was Torda (present-day Turda).
Geography
Torda-Aranyos county shared bo ...
Footnotes
References
* Bóna, István (1994). ''The Hungarian–Slav Period (895–1172)''. In: Köpeczi, Béla; Barta, Gábor; Bóna, István; Makkai, László; Szász, Zoltán; Borus, Judit; ''History of Transylvania''; Akadémiai Kiadó; .
* Curta, Florin (2006). ''Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250''. Cambridge University Press. .
* Engel, Pál (1996). ''Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1301–1457, I.''
Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1301–1457, Volume I" História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. Budapest. .
* Engel, Pál (2001). ''The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895-1526''. I.B. Tauris Publishers. .
* Fallenbüchl, Zoltán (1994). ''Magyarország főispánjai, 1526–1848 - Die Obergespane Ungarns, 1526–1848''
Lord-lieutenants of counties in Hungary, 1526–1848
* Kristó, Gyula (1988). ''A vármegyék kialakulása Magyarországon''
Development of Counties in Hungary Magvető Kiadó. .
* Kristó, Gyula (2003). ''Early Transylvania (895-1324)''. Lucidus Kiadó. .
* Zsoldos, Attila (2011). ''Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1000–1301'' ("Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1000–1301"). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. Budapest. .
{{Coord, 46.560833, 23.783611, display=title
Kingdom of Hungary counties in Transylvania