János Ghyczy de Ghicz, Assakürt et Ablánczkürt (c. 1520 – 7 January 1589)Markó 2006, p. 107. was a Hungarian noble in the Principality of Transylvania, member of the Royal Council, who served as

Governor of Transylvania The governor of Transylvania was a viceroy representing the Habsburg monarchs in the Principality (from 1765 Grand Principality) of Transylvania between 1691 and 1867. List of governors Seventeenth century Eighteenth century Nineteenth centu ...

for the underage

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

then

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory (; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duchy of Racibórz, Duke of Racibórz and Duchy of Opole, Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transy ...

from 1 May 1585 to 17 December 1588.

Life

He was born around 1520 as the sixth and youngest child of Lénárt Ghyczy and Sára Waghy. He married Anna Káthay. He served in Kapuvár as ''familiaris'' of

Tamás Nádasdy Baron Tamás Nádasdy de Nádasd et Fogarasföld (I), called the ''Great Palatine'' (1498–1562), was Hungarian nobility, Hungarian nobleman, great landowner and a politician, statesman. Early life Born into the Nádasdy, House of Nádasdy, h ...

in 1558. Two years later he moved to Érsekújvár (today: ''Nové Zámky, Slovakia'') serving besides his brother, György and held the ''officiolatus'' of within the

Archdiocese of Esztergom In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. He entered the royal service in 1562. he became cavalry lieutenant with 26 horses in the Castle of Gyula in 1564. In the next year he fought against the united Transylvanian-Ottoman Army, led by John Sigismund Zápolya and Pasha Hassan, alongside the garrison of Gyula and Lazarus von Schwendi's army. He seriously wounded from a

lance The English term lance is derived, via Middle English '' launce'' and Old French '' lance'', from the Latin '' lancea'', a generic term meaning a wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generic term meaning a spear">wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generi ...

. He defended Gyula which besieged by the troops of Pasha Pertaf in July 1566. After the fall of the castle (September) he survived the massacres and fled to

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

. He entered into the service of Prince John Sigismund Zápolya who gave him Csókfalva (today part of Ghindari, Romania) and Bede (today: ''Bedeni, Romania)'' in Marosszék (later:

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 o ...

). After that he was a confidential follower of

Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576). The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...

since 1571, he received vast estates for his services. Ghyczy served as Captain General of Várad from 1576 to 1585. After that he was appointed Governor of Transylvania besides the underage

. He was also a member of the Royal Council between 1585 and 1589. During the Diet of Spring 1587, the cousin of the young prince, Stephen Báthory de Somlyó intended to overthrow Ghyczy and take control of the country. However, the

Ottoman Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildin ...

prevented the ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

'' of Báthory and confirmed Ghyczy in his position. He resigned due to illness in the Diet of Medgyes (today: ''Mediaș, Romania'') in December 1588. He died soon afterwards. He was buried in the Gyulafehérvár Cathedral on 21 January 1589.

References

Sources

* Markó, László: A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig – Életrajzi Lexikon ''pp. 107–108.'' ''(The High Officers of the Hungarian State from Saint Stephen to the Present Days – A Biographical Encyclopedia)'' (2nd edition); Helikon Kiadó Kft., 2006, Budapest; . {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghyczy, Janos 1589 deaths Hungarian nobility in Transylvania Hungarian politicians Hungarian soldiers Janos Year of birth unknown Year of birth uncertain