Ugrin Csák
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Ugrin (III) from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli (III.) Ugrin, hr, Ugrin Čak, sr, Угрин Чак; died in 1311) was a prominent Hungarian baron and oligarch in the early 14th century. He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He actively participated in the various internal conflicts during the era of feudal anarchy since the reign of
Ladislaus IV of Hungary Ladislaus IV ( hu, IV. (Kun) László, hr, Ladislav IV. Kumanac, sk, Ladislav IV. Kumánsky; 5 August 1262 – 10 July 1290), also known as Ladislaus the Cuman, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290. His mother, Elizabeth, was ...
. He held various dignities in the royal court in the 1270s. Simultaneously, he established a province surrounding his centre
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
in the southern parts of the kingdom. Initially, he supported the efforts of
Andrew III of Hungary Andrew III the Venetian ( hu, III. Velencei András, hr, Andrija III. Mlečanin, sk, Ondrej III.; 1265 – 14 January 1301) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1290 and 1301. His father, Stephen the Posthumous, was the posthumous son of ...
, but later turned against him, and became the guardian and the most ardent domestic partisan of the young pretender
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
. After the extinction of the
Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty, consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds ( hu, Árpádok, hr, Arpadovići). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the Kingd ...
in 1301, he was among the so-called oligarchs or provincial lords, who ruled ''de facto'' independently their dominions. Charles I fought for the Hungarian throne during the civil war relying on his hinterland in Ugrin Csák's province. The elderly lord died in 1311, his dominion was soon integrated into the royal administration.


Family

Ugrin III was born into the Újlak (or Ilok) branch of the powerful and prestigious ''gens'' (clan) Csák, as the son of Pós (or Pous), who served as
Ban of Severin The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény ( hu, Szörényi bánság; ro, Banatul Severinului; la, Banatus Zewrinensis; bg, Северинско банство, ; sr, Северинска бановина, ) was a Hungarian political, mili ...
and
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 1235. Genealogist
Pál Engel Pál Engel (27 February 1938 – 21 August 2001) was a Hungarian medievalist historian and archivist, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He served as General Director of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences between 1996 ...
incorrectly distinguished two noblemen named Pós, assuming father-son relationship between them. In fact, Pós, who was considered Duke Béla's confidant in the 1220s, and the influential baron in the next decade, was identical. Accordingly, Ugrin's uncle was the renowned military leader,
Ugrin Csák, Archbishop of Kalocsa Ugrin from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli Ugrin; ''c''. 1190 – 11 April 1241) was a Hungarian prelate and military leader in the first half of the 13th century, who served as Archbishop of Kalocsa from 1219 until his death at the Battle ...
. Pós died by 1240, when his minor sons and their cousin Csák were involved in a lawsuit against the St. Michael church in Vas County. During the case, the children were represented by Demetrius Csák from the clan's Ugod branch and their uncle, Archbishop Ugrin. The document, issued by
Judge royal The judge royal, also justiciar,Rady 2000, p. 49. chief justiceSegeš 2002, p. 202. or Lord Chief JusticeFallenbüchl 1988, p. 145. (german: Oberster Landesrichter,Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 72. hu, országbíró,Zsoldos 2011, p. 26. sk, krajinsk ...
Andrew, son of Serafin Andrew, son of Serafin ( hu, Szerafin fia András; died 11 April 1241) was a Hungarian baron and landowner, who held several secular positions during the reign of kings Andrew II and Béla IV. His influence arose during the reign of Andrew II. ...
on 20 December 1240, confirms that Ugrin was born sometime in the 1230s and had at least one unidentified brother, whose name and fate is unknown. Despite Ugrin has lived at least seventy years, he had only one known son from his much younger unidentified wife,
Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...
, whose career rose to its peak during the early reign of
Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...
and died in 1359 or 1360. The Újlak branch became extinct with Ugrin's grandson Ladislaus, who died in 1364 without heirs.Engel: ''Genealógia'' (Genus Csák, 8. Újlak branch)


Early career

After the indirect reference to his person in the above-mentioned document from 1240, Ugrin first appeared in contemporary records in 1268, when he already served as Ban of Severin. In that year, he donated the villages of
Felsőpetény Felsőpetény is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the nort ...
and
Alsópetény Alsópetény ( sk, Dolné Peťany) is a village and municipality in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Sl ...
in
Nógrád County Nógrád ( hu, Nógrád megye, ; sk, Novohradská župa) is a counties of Hungary, 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 bor ...
to his faithful ''
familiaris In the Middle Ages, a ''familiaris'' (plural ''familiares''), more formally a ''familiaris regis'' ("familiar of the king") or ''familiaris curiae''In medieval documents, ''curiae'' may also be spelled ''curiæ'' or ''curie''. ("of the court"), ...
'' Denis Zsadány. It is uncertain whether Ugrin has supported Béla IV or his son Duke Stephen in their emerging conflict and
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in the early 1260s. Following Stephen' victory and the division of the kingdom, the
Banate of Severin The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény ( hu, Szörényi bánság; ro, Banatul Severinului; la, Banatus Zewrinensis; bg, Северинско банство, ; sr, Северинска бановина, ) was a Hungarian political, mili ...
belonged to Stephen's realm. However, Ugrin narrates in his charter that he was granted the dignity due to "King Béla's goodness". Ugrin's lands laid in both realms during that time. As historian Péter Galambosi considers, Ugrin was made ban by Duke Stephen, but later joined the allegiance of Béla, who confirmed him in that position. In the same year, 1268, but also without exact date,
Alexander Karászi Alexander (I) Karászi ( hu, Karászi (I.) Sándor; died 1274/76) was a Hungarian military leader and baron in the second half of the 13th century. He was a faithful confidant of Younger King Stephen in the 1260s. In this capacity, he played an ac ...
was referred to as the "current" Ban of Severin by Duke Stephen. Ugrin did not hold any positions during the short reign of Stephen V. Initially, he possibly belonged to the Kőszegi
Gutkeled The coat-of-arms of the Hungarian Gutkeled clan Gutkeled (spelling variants: Gut-Keled, Guthkeled, Guth-Keled) was the name of a ''gens'' (Latin for "clan"; ''nemzetség'' in Hungarian) in the Kingdom of Hungary, to which a number of Hungarian nob ...
baronial group, which had kidnapped Stephen's eldest son and heir Ladislaus in the summer of 1272. Stephen V died shortly thereafter. The minor Ladislaus was crowned king, and fell under the influence of
Henry I Kőszegi Henry (I) Kőszegi from the kindred Héder ( hu, Héder nembeli (I.) Kőszegi Henrik, hr, Henrik II. Gisingovac, german: Heinrich II. von Güns; died 26/29 September 1274), commonly known as Henry the Great, was a Hungarian influential lord in th ...
's party. Ugrin was made
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 ...
and ''
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
Syrmia County Syrmia County ( hr, Srijemska županija, sr, Сремска жупанија, hu, Szerém vármegye, german: Komitat Syrmien) was a historic administrative subdivision (''županija'') of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was ...
( hu, Szerém) in the autumn of 1272. Despite the rapid "changes of government" between the Kőszegis and their rival, the Trencsén branch of the Csáks, in the subsequent months, Ugrin retained his positions for a year, until the autumn of 1273, which reflected the relative insignificance of his political influence and court dignity in that time. His relationship with the Kőszegi group had deteriorated by then, as a result he lost his positions, when they again took the supreme power in the royal council. Ugrin joined the rival group, which was dominated by his distant relatives, Matthew II and
Peter I Csák Peter (I) from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli (I.) Péter; ''c''. 1240 – 1283 or 1284) was a powerful Hungarian baron, landowner and military leader, who held several secular positions during the reign of kings Stephen V and Ladislaus IV ...
. Following the
Battle of Föveny A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, where Henry Kőszegi was killed, Ugrin was made Ban of Severin in September 1274. He held the office until June 1275, when the Kőszegis retook the power. A new civil war broke out between
Joachim Gutkeled Joachim from the kindred Gutkeled ( hu, Gutkeled nembeli Joachim, hr, Joakim Pektar; died in April 1277) was a Hungarian influential lord in the second half of the 13th century. As a key figure of the struggles for power between the powerful bar ...
and Peter Csák in the following months; Ugrin took the first step in the emerging conflict, when attacked Joachim's troops near Föveny, where the aforementioned battle took place one year earlier. However, Ugrin failed and the following royal charter issued by the Kőszegi-dominated royal council in the name of Ladislaus IV called him "treasonous". Before December 1275, another shift in the government occurred; Ugrin Csák elevated into the dignity of
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 ...
. He was appointed Judge royal on 10 December. He held the dignity until January 1276, when he became voivode again and served in that capacity in the first half of that year. These high-ranking positions show that Ugrin's influence gradually increased within the baronial group, becoming its third most important leader after his relatives, brothers Matthew II and Peter I Csák. Ugrin was again Ban of Severin in 1276.


Provincial lord


Establishment of his province

Joachim Gutkeled died while battling against the Babonići in April 1277. A month later, the general assembly declared Ladislaus IV to be of age, who was also authorized to restore internal peace with all possible means. These events ended the five-year chaotic conditions in the realm. Ugrin was appointed Master of the treasury around November 1277, and held the dignity until December 1279. Beside that he was also ''ispán'' of Bánya (Árkibánya) ispánate, which laid in the territory of
Nyitra County Nyitra County ( hu, Nyitra vármegye; german: link=no, Neutraer Gespanschaft/Komitat Neutra; la, Comitatus Nitriensis; sk, Nitriansky komitát / Nitrianska stolica / Nitrianska župa) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary ...
. He was made Ban of Macsó and
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
in 1279. He was styled as "ban and lord" of the two territories by a royal document in the summer of 1279. He was again referred to as "lord of Bosnia" in December in that year. According to historian Péter Galambosi, his title reflects an extended power over his court dignities. Accordingly, when Ladislaus IV concluded an agreement with the Gutkeleds, and gave royal pardon to Joachim's brothers in June 1278, Ugrin Csák was entrusted to govern the southern part of the Hungarian kingdom, which meant a significant victory for the Csák clan. When Ladislaus IV imprisoned papal legate Philip of Fermo in late 1279, Ugrin lost his dignity during a major change in the composition of the royal council. However, thereafter Ladislaus himself was also captured by some lords. In less than two months, both the legate and the king were set free and Ladislaus took a new oath to enforce the Cuman laws. In accordance with the agreement, Ugrin was appointed Master of the treasury again in the spring of 1280. However he lost the position within months. Based on some indirect data in the contemporary documents, it is plausible that Ugrin became disgraced in the royal court for the remaining part of the reign of Ladislaus. This includes that the king's mother, Queen Dowager
Elizabeth the Cuman Elizabeth the Cuman (1244–1290) was the Queen consort of Stephen V of Hungary. She was regent of Hungary during the minority of her son from 1272 to 1277. The Cumans were the western tribes of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. Her people follo ...
was created Duchess of Macsó and Bosnia in 1279, which seriously violated and threatened the local interests of Ugrin. With this appointment, Ladislaus IV intended to restore royal power over the southern border area against Ugrin, who increasingly dominated the region with his informal power. Ugrin retired to his province across the river
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
for the upcoming decades. He extended his influence over the whole territory of Syrmia County. He built his residence, Újlak Castle ( hr, Ilok) in
Valkó County Valkó County ( hu, Valkó vármegye, hr, Vukovska županija, sr, Вуковска жупанија) was an administrative unit (county) of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. It was established in the 13th century, and included most territories ...
in the 1280s, after obtained the lordship from his distant relative
Dominic Csák Dominic from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli Domokos; died after 1300) was a Hungarian lord in the 13th century. Initially, he was a confidant of '' rex iunior'' Stephen, but later joined the partisans of the elderly Béla IV of Hungary. Dur ...
under unknown circumstances. Ugrin also acquired some lands in
Požega County Požega County ( hr, Požeška županija; hu, Pozsega vármegye) was a historic administrative subdivision (''županija'') of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Sain ...
. He was referred to as the ''ispán'' of the county in 1293. Initially, he was a loyal confidant of King
Andrew III Andrew III the Venetian ( hu, III. Velencei András, hr, Andrija III. Mlečanin, sk, Ondrej III.; 1265 – 14 January 1301) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1290 and 1301. His father, Stephen the Posthumous, was the posthumous son of ...
, who ruled Hungary since 1290, after Ladislaus' assassination. According to a royal charter issued by Andrew III in July 1298, Ugrin and his ''familiares'' crossed the river Sava and defeated an invading
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
army, who had plundered the region of Macsó. The two generals of the Tatars were executed and their heads were sent to
Buda Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...
. It is possible the army was hired by Bulgarian warlords
Darman and Kudelin Darman ( bg, Дърман; also ''Drman'', ''Dǎrman'', ''Durman'', ''Dorman'') and Kudelin ( bg, Куделин) were two Bulgarian boyars of Cuman origin who jointly ruled the regions of Braničevo and Kučevo (in modern Serbia) in the late 1 ...
against
Stephen Dragutin Stefan Dragutin ( sr-cyr, Стефан Драгутин, hu, Dragutin István; 1244 – 12 March 1316) was King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282. From 1282, he ruled a separate kingdom which included northern Serbia, and (from 1284) the neigh ...
's
realm A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Etym ...
, who ruled the neighboring Hungarian banates and northern Serbia, altogether known as Lower Syrmia. These events presumably occurred at the turn of 1291 and 1292. In the latter year, Andrew sent Ugrin to Primorje in order to escort his mother
Tomasina Morosini Tomasina Morosini (c. 1250 in Venice – 1300 in Óbuda), Duchess of Slavonia, was a member of the prominent Venetian Morosini family. Her son was Andrew III, the Venetian King of Hungary. Life She was the daughter of Michele Sbarra Morosini, Pat ...
to Hungary, but he was captured and imprisoned by certain "disloyal barons". He was freed from captivity by
Radoslav Babonić Radoslav () is a common Slavic masculine given name, derived from ''rad-'' ("happy, eager, to care") and ''slava'' ("glory, fame"), both very common in Slavic dithematic names. It roughly means "eager glory". It is known since the Middle Ages. Th ...
,
Ban of Slavonia Ban of Slavonia ( hr, Slavonski ban; hu, szlavón bán; la, Sclavoniæ banus) or the Ban of "Whole Slavonia" ( hr, ban cijele Slavonije; hu, egész Szlavónia bánja; la, totius Sclavoniæ banus) was the title of the governor of a territor ...
upon the king's order. The Kőszegis rose up in open rebellion against Andrew in spring 1292, acknowledging
Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesma ...
, as King of Hungary. Under this situation, Ugrin's territory functioned as a buffer zone between the royal lands and
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-Baranja ...
, where the majority of lords accepted Charles' suzerainty. However Andrew III appointed his mother Duchess of Slavonia to administer Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia. Due to her activities, the Babonići, Šubići, and the Dalmatian towns acknowledged Andrew's rule. As previously Queen Elizabeth, Tomasina also became Ugrin's rival in the region. Ugrin held Syrmia and Valkó counties firmly under his control, but Tomasina's duchy prevented his western expansion into Požega County.


Charles' guardian

Andrew III made his maternal uncle, Albertino Morosini,
Duke of Slavonia The Duke of Slavonia ( hr, slavonski herceg; la, dux Slavoniae), also Duke of Dalmatia and Croatia ( hr, herceg Hrvatske i Dalmacije; la, dux Dalmatiae et Croatiae) and sometimes Duke of "Whole Slavonia", Dalmatia and Croatia ( hr, herceg cijele S ...
, in July 1299, stirring up the Slavonian and Croatian noblemen to revolt. A powerful Croatian baron, Paul Šubić, sent his brother,
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
, to Italy in early 1300 to convince
Charles II of Naples Charles II, also known as Charles the Lame (french: Charles le Boiteux; it, Carlo lo Zoppo; 1254 – 5 May 1309), was King of Naples, Count of Provence and Forcalquier (1285–1309), Prince of Achaea (1285–1289), and Count of Anjou and Maine ( ...
to send his grandson to Hungary to claim the throne in person. The king accepted the proposal and the twelve-year-old Charles arrived to Hungary with his escort. They landed at
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
in
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
in August 1300. From Split, Paul Šubić escorted him to
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, where Ugrin Csák swore loyalty to Charles, who also handed over Požega Castle to him. Ugrin placed the young pretender under his guardianship. He was also called Charles' protector ( la, conservator). Other sources confirm that he already took an oath of allegiance to the pretender prior to that. According to the ''
Illuminated Chronicle The ''Chronicon Pictum'' (Latin for "illustrated chronicle", English: ''Illuminated Chronicle'' or ''Vienna Illuminated Chronicle'', hu, Képes Krónika, sk, Obrázková kronika, german: Illustrierte Chronik, also referred to as ''Chronica Hung ...
'', Ugrin was one of those lords, who requested
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...
to provide a new king for Hungary. In February 1300, Charles II listed Ugrin's name among those Hungarian barons, who urged him to send his grandson to Hungary. His ''familiaris'' and skilled diplomat, Benedict also visited the Neapolitan court several times in that period. It is possible that Ugrin turned against Andrew already in 1298, as he did not countersign the decrees of the national diet in that year, which aimed to destroy forts built without permission and ordered the punishment of those who had seized landed property with force. Ugrin did present neither before the king's judicial court in 1300, during a lawsuit regarding his former palace in
Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...
. Andrew III died on 14 January 1301. With his death, the
House of Árpád A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
became extinct. A civil war between various claimants to the throne – Charles of Anjou, Wenceslaus of Bohemia, and
Otto of Bavaria Otto of Bavaria may refer to: * Otto I, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria (955–982) * Otto of Nordheim (c. 1020–1083) * Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria (1117–1183) * Otto VIII, Count Palatine of Bavaria (before 1180 – 7 March 1209) * Otto II ...
– followed Andrew's death and lasted for seven years. Hungary and Croatia had disintegrated into about a dozen independent provinces, each ruled by a powerful lord, or oligarch. Among them, Ugrin's distant relative,
Matthew III Csák Máté Csák or Matthew III Csák (between 1260 and 1265 – 18 March 1321; hu, Csák (III.) Máté, sk, Matúš Čák III), also Máté Csák of Trencsén ( hu, trencséni Csák (III.) Máté, sk, Matúš Čák III Trenčiansky), was a Hungar ...
dominated the northwestern parts of Hungary (which now form the western territories of present-day Slovakia),
Amadeus Aba Amadeus Aba or Amade Aba ( hu, Aba Amadé; sk, Omodej Aba; ? – 5 September 1311) was a Hungarian oligarchy, oligarch in the Kingdom of Hungary who ruled ''de facto'' independently the northern and north-eastern Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary ...
controlled the northeastern lands, the Kőszegis ruled
Transdanubia Transdanubia ( hu, Dunántúl; german: Transdanubien, hr, Prekodunavlje or ', sk, Zadunajsko :sk:Zadunajsko) is a traditional region of Hungary. It is also referred to as Hungarian Pannonia, or Pannonian Hungary. Administrative divisions Trad ...
,
James Borsa James Borsa the Bald ( hu, Borsa Kopasz Jakab; 12601325/1332), was an influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He was Palatine between 1306 and 1314, Ban of Slavonia in 1298, and Master of the horse ...
dominated
Tiszántúl Tiszántúl or Transtisza (literal meaning: "beyond Tisza") is a geographical region of which lies between the Tisza river, Hungary and the Apuseni Mountains, Romania, bordered by the Maros (Mureș) river. Alongside Kiskunság, it is a part of Gre ...
, and
Ladislaus Kán Ladislaus ( or according to the case) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. It may refer to: * Ladislaus of Hungary (disambiguation) * Ladislaus I (disambiguation) * Ladislaus II (disambiguation) * Ladislaus III (disambiguation) * Ladi ...
governed
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 ...
, while Paul Šubić ruled over Littoral Croatia and Bosnia as a de facto king. Ugrin Csák was the ''de facto'' ruler of Upper Syrmia. He was styled as ''ispán'' of Syrmia, Valkó, Bács and Požega counties in August 1303, thus he was considered the omnipotent lord in the region. Historian Pál Engel argued he held these dignities since the beginning of the 14th century until his death. Ugrin was the most ardent domestic supporter of Charles' claim to the Hungarian throne for a decade until his death. The so-called ''Chronicon Posoniense'' ("Chronicle of Pressburg"; present-day
Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, 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 — approxim ...
,
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 ...
) also emphasized his importance several times, which fact suggests that the chronicle was written in the court of the Csáks' Újlak branch. In the lists of barons, which were part of the royal charters issued by Charles in the first decade of the 14th century, Ugrin's name was constantly placed to the first place, ahead of the king's another mainstay Amadeus Aba. Following Andrew's death, Ugrin had an important role in the subsequent events; under his guidance, Charles hurried
Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the regional capital of Central Transdanubia, and the centre of Fejér ...
, then Esztergom, where he was crowned king irregularly in the spring of 1301. Being Pope Boniface's candidate for the Hungarian throne, Charles had always been unpopular, because the Hungarian lords feared that they would "lose their freedom by accepting a king appointed by the Church", as the ''Illuminated Chronicle'' narrates. The majority of the lords supported Wenceslaus instead of him. After Wenceslaus's coronation, Charles withdrew to Ugrin Csák's domains in the southern regions of the kingdom. Despite his advanced age, Ugrin participated in the unsuccessful siege of Buda in September 1302. Through his diplomat Benedict, he also played a decisive role in the concluding alliance between Charles and his cousin
Rudolph III of Austria Rudolf I ( – 3/4 July 1307), Rudolf of Habsburg, was a member of the House of Habsburg, the King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland from 1306 until his death. He was also Duke of Austria and Styria from 1298. Early life Rudolf was the elde ...
, in Pressburg on 24 August 1304. According to the ''Chronicon Posoniense'', Ladislaus Kán handed over his prisoner, the self-declared claimant Otto of Bavaria sometimes in the second half of 1307 in
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
to Ugrin, who "expelled" Charles' last rival pretender from Hungary. In the same year,
Vincent, Archbishop of Kalocsa Vincent ( hu, Vince; died between May and September 1311) was a Hungarian prelate at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, who served as Bishop of Syrmia till 1306, then Archbishop of Kalocsa from 1306 until his death. He supported the claim ...
withdrew the punishment of
excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
against
Peter Monoszló Peter (II) from the kindred Monoszló ( hu, Monoszló nembeli (II.) Péter; 1240s – 27 November 1307) was a Hungarian prelate, who served as the Bishop of Transylvania from 1270 until his death. The current St. Michael's Cathedral in Gyulafehé ...
,
Bishop of Transylvania :''There is also a Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Alba Iulia and a Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.'' The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia ( hu, Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Érsekség) is a Latin Church Cath ...
at the request of Charles and Ugrin Csák. The elderly bishop, formerly, refused to fulfill the pope's order to excommunicate Ladislaus Kán and confiscate his unlawfully acquired lands. Ugrin was made Master of the treasury around September 1307 and held the office until late 1309 or early 1310. His dignity became temporarily the most prestigious position in the royal court, as half dozen of lords arbitrarily took the title
Palatine A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
, which caused the "devaluation" of that dignity.
Gyula Kristó Gyula Kristó (11 July 1939 – 24 January 2004) was a Hungarian historian and medievalist, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, MTA) is the most important and pres ...
considered the dignity of Master of the treasury elevated into its highest status because of Ugrin's privileged position in the inner circle of Charles. Ugrin was present at the Diet of Rákos on 10 October 1307, which confirmed Charles's claim to the throne. Due to his advanced age and possible declining health, he gradually retired from public life. He did not attend the synod of Buda in November 1308 nor the second coronation of Charles I on 15 June 1309 personally; he was represented by his envoys at both events. Historian Iván Bertényi argued Ugrin Csák functioned as Judge royal from 1304 to 1311, however majority of the historians do not accept his theory, and considered that the position of Judge royal was in a state of vacancy for a decade, until Charles's third coronation was performed in full accordance with customary law in August 1310. Ugrin Csák performed his judicial role exclusively in his province in Syrmia, thus he did not hold the dignity of Judge royal necessarily. The first known office-holder in the Angevin era was Ugrin's second nephew
John Csák John from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli János; died before 1324) was a Hungarian baron at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He served as Master of the horse in the 1290s. Following the extinction of the Árpád dynasty, he initial ...
.


His dominion

Ugrin Csák dominated the southern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, acquiring suzerainty over Upper Syrmia and other territories along the river Sava. Historian Gyula Pauler simply called him the "powerful lord of Syrmia" in the late 19th century.
Bálint Hóman Bálint Hóman (29 December 1885 – 2 June 1951) was a Hungarian scholar and politician who served as Minister of Religion and Education twice: between 1932–1938 and between 1939–1942. He died in prison in 1951 for his support of the fasc ...
considered his influence extended to Trans-Drava, Syrmia and the
Banate of Macsó The Banate of Macsó or the Banate of Mačva ( hu, macsói bánság, sr, Мачванска бановина) was an administrative division (banate) of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, which was located in the present-day region of Mačva, in ...
. According to Pál Engel and Attila Zsoldos, his dominion extended in the territory from Požega to Temesvár (present-day Timișoara, Romania), and ruled over the counties of Požega, Valkó, Bács, Syrmia, Torontál,
Keve Keve, the son of Csele of the Zemény clan, was a legendary Hun leader in the 4th century. Keve was captain of a group of soldiers who headed west into Pannonia in the late 4th century. They fought against the armies of Prince Macrinus from Lomb ...
and possibly Temes and Krassó. It is plausible that Ugrin dominated Syrmia County since the end of the 1270s as there were no records of any office-holders (''ispán''s) in the county since then. Around the same time, Ugrin also extended his influence in the neighboring Valkó County, where he built his centre Újlak (Ilok). Following his local rival Queen Tomasina's death, he acquired the whole county for himself. In 1303, the ''curialis comes'' of Valkó County styled himself as the "official" of Ugrin Csák, which demonstrates his lordship in the region. When Albertino Morosini left Hungary shortly after Andrew III's death, Ugrin marched into Požega County and captured his duchy. Ugrin also extended his influence over Bács County during the era of Interregnum. With this expansion, his dominion spread to the other 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 , pa ...
. His biographer, Péter Galambosi doubted Engel's theory that the counties to the east of Syrmia (Keve, Krassó and Temes) belonged to Ugrin's province. Because of his persistent loyalty to Charles, several historians did not list him among the oligarchs. The young pretender was put under the protection of Ugrin Csák. He resided in Bélakút Abbey (near present-day
Petrovaradin Petrovaradin ( sr-cyr, Петроварадин, ) is a historic town in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, now a part of the city of Novi Sad. As of 2011, the urban area has 14,810 inhabitants. Lying on the right bank of the Danube, across from t ...
,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
), which laid in the neighbor of Újlak, Ugrin's seat. In his dominion, Charles performed judicial powers, donated lands and customs, granted privileges of tax exemption and judicial freedom, while the possessions of those who died without an heir returned to the Crown. Charles donated lands and granted privileges in Ugrin's territory even after he left the province for Buda in 1307, when his troops seized the town. Therefore, Attila Zsoldos draws a distinction between the "oligarchs" and "provincial lords" regarding the role of the royal power in the provincial administration. While, accordingly, Ugrin was considered "only" provincial lord, Charles' other faithful partisans, Amadeus Aba or
Stephen Ákos Stephen (I) from the kindred Ákos ( hu, Ákos nembeli (I.) István; died 1315) was an influential Hungarian nobility, baron in the Kingdom of Hungary in the late and the early . He was born into an ancient Hungarian clan. He was a staunch suppor ...
, who exercised sovereign rights in their domains but remained loyal to the king, were regarded as "loyal oligarchs". While the Aba, Ákos and Kán sons rebelled against Charles after their fathers' deaths, Charles managed to restore full royal power without any resistance in Ugrin's domain after his death, despite the fact that he had a son, as royally appointed ''ispán''s appear at the head of the counties which had formerly belonged to his province. Ugrin's ''familiares'' entered the service of Charles, while retained the allegiance and loyalty to their lord, which reflects a power-sharing between the monarch and Ugrin Csák in his province. Among them, Denis Zsadány was a long-time servant of Ugrin. He was present, when the king restored the privileges and rights of the church of Buda in September 1308. He attended the second coronation of Charles as the envoy of Ugrin in June 1309. His skilled diplomat Benedict also represented him in the event; on his way to home, he was captured by the partisans of
Henry II Kőszegi Henry (II) Kőszegi ( hu, Kőszegi (II.) Henrik, hr, Henrik III. Gisingovac, german: Heinrich III. von Güns; died between March and May 1310) was a Hungarian influential lord at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. He was a member of the po ...
. His remaining fate is unknown. The renowned military leader, Paul Garai initially also belonged to Ugrin's household; he served as castellan of Požega Castle, when it was granted to the arriving Charles. He participated in the war against Bohemia in the autumn of 1304. The neighboring oligarch, Stephen Dragutin's troops pillaged Ugrin Csák's domains in 1307, but Garai made a counter-attack and defeated Dragutin's army, according to the narration of a royal charter issued on 13 October 1307. Records of the destructions that Dragutin and his troops made in Valkó and Syrmia counties most probably refer to Dragutin's frequent raids against Ugrin Csák's territories in 1309 and 1310. Dragutin's army was led by
John Smaragd John from the kindred Smaragd ( hu, Smaragd nembeli János; died after 1310) was a Hungarian nobleman at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, who served as ''ispán'' of Bács County in 1291. He led an unsuccessful Serbian invasion against Upp ...
, but he was defeated and captured by Paul Garai. Formerly, Ugrin's province also faced a series of attacks by the Kőszegis at the turn of 1304 and 1305; firstly they ravaged Požega County, then Valkó County (Henry Kőszegi issued his charter there in January 1305). Their troops marched to the town of Eng, which then was liberated by Paul Garai. Thereafter his army gradually ousted the invaders from Ugrin's territory. Ugrin Csák died by the end of 1311; his son Nicholas confirmed one of his former land donations in Požega County on 27 December 1317 and noted the act occurred in the sixth year after his father's death. Following Ugrin's death, his province had disintegrated without resistance and merged into the royal administration. Albeit Nicholas did not inherit his father's oligarchic power, he was able to retain his family's private equity, as he issued his charter in Újlak. Consequently, Ugrin Csák's dominion became the basis of the wealth of the emerging
Újlaki family The Újlaki family ( hr, Iločki; ), in old sources ''de Illoch'', ''de Wylak'', ''de Voilack'' etc., '' Hungarian: ''Újlaki'')'' was a Croatian– Hungarian noble family, descended in the male line from Gug (in some sources ''Göge''), a mem ...
, which was granted the lands once owned by Ugrin after his branch died out in 1364.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Csak, Ugrin 1230s births 1311 deaths Ugrin 13th-century Hungarian people 14th-century Hungarian people 14th century in Croatia History of Syrmia Medieval history of Vojvodina History of Slavonia 14th century in Serbia Judges royal Voivodes of Transylvania Bans of Macsó Masters of the treasury (Kingdom of Hungary) Oligarchs of the Kingdom of Hungary Bans of Severin Masters of the horse (Kingdom of Hungary)