Gabriel Bethlen

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The native form of this personal name is Bethlen Gábor. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Gabriel Bethlen
Calvinist

Gabriel Bethlen (Hungarian: Bethlen Gábor; 15 November 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, supported by the Ottomans, led his Calvinist principality against the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies.

Early life

Gabriel was the elder of the two sons of Farkas

Ictar-Budinț in Romania), due to the Ottoman occupation of the central territories of the Kingdom of Hungary.[3] Stephen Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, granted Marosillye to him and made him captain-general of the principality.[4] Druzsiána Lázár was descended from a Székely noble family.[1][4] Both Farkas Bethlen and his wife died in 1591, leaving their two sons, Gabriel and Stephen, orphaned.[4]

The brothers were put under the guardianship of their maternal uncle, András Lázár de Szárhegy.[1][4] They lived in the Lázár Castle in Szárhegy in Székely Land (now Lăzarea in Romania) for years.[4] Gabriel's court historian, Gáspár Bojti Veres, described Lázár as a "grumpy and fierce" soldier who did not care much about their formal education.[2]

According Gabriel's first extant letter (from 1593), Sigismund Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, seized the brothers' estates "at the word of many coaxing people" without paying a compensation to them in 1591 or 1592, but a "few primary kinsmen" convinced the prince to offer restitution or other landed property to them.[1][5] Gabriel also mentioned in the letter that he decided to visit the prince's court in Gyulafehérvár (now Alba Iulia in Romania).[6]

Career

Beginnings

Modern historians try to reconstruct the major events of Gabriel's youth based on sources (primarily memoirs and letters) completed decades later, because only two documents written between 1593 and 1602 mentioned him.[7] One of the later sources is Gabriel's own letter from 1628, in which he stated that Stephen Bocskai had raised him and "placed great credence" in him.[8] Gabriel also stated that Bocskai was his "kin".[8] Another important source was written by Gabriel's retainer, Pál Háportoni Forró, who stated that Gabriel had held "great and honorable offices" and performed "the greatly laborious duties of emissary" in his youth.[8] Based on these sources, modern historians assume that Bocskai boosted Gabriel's career in Sigismund Báthory's court,[9][2] but no contemporaneous document mentioned his presence in the prince's retinue.[6]

Sigismund Báthory joined the anti-Ottoman

Royal Hungary) to take possession of Transylvania.[12][13]

Anarchy

Sigismund Báthory regretted his abdication and returned to Transylvania in August 1598.

Habsburg monarchs were unable to defend Transylvania against the Ottomans.[11] Gabriel himself stated that he visited Prague in the retinue of Sigismund Báthory at an unspecified date.[15]

Gabriel supported

Battle of Sellenberk (at present-day Șelimbăr in Romania) on 8 October 1599.[16] Gabriel received wounds in the battle and his wounds healed slowly.[16] Michael the Brave was expelled from Transylvania by Rudolph's commander, Giorgio Basta.[17] During the following years, Transylvania was regularly pillaged both by Basta's unpaid mercenaries, and by Ottoman and Crimean Tatar troops.[17][16] Gabriel and his brother, Stephen, divided their inherited estates, with Gabriel receiving Marosillye.[6] Their agreement also refers to the anarchic situation, mentioning the possibility that "either pagan or some godless prince or the governor" would seize Gabriel's property.[6]

Gabriel joined the Transylvanian noblemen who rose up against Basta.

Maros River and fled to Temesvár in the Ottoman Empire (now Timișoara in Romania).[16][15] He forged letters which suggested that the leading Transylvanian noblemen supported Moses Székely to persuade the Ottomans to support Székely, according to the contemporaneous Ambrus Somogyi.[18] When Székely broke into Transylvania in March 1603, Gabriel was the commander of his vanguard.[16] Székelys' troops conquered most fortresses along the Maros and laid siege to Gyulafehérvár. During the siege, the princely palace burned.[16][19] Székely was installed as prince in May, but Radu Șerban, Prince of Wallachia, annihilated his army near Barcarozsnyó (now Râșnov in Romania) on 17 July.[16][20] Székely was killed in the battlefield, and his supporters (among them Gabriel) fled to the Ottoman Empire.[16]

The Transylvanian refugees started to regard Gabriel as their leader.

Ottoman grand vizier to elect Gabriel prince and seeking Ottoman assistance to their return to Transylvania.[21] The grand vizier granted the permission, but one of the refugees, Boldizsár Szilvási, prevented Gabriel's election, pointing out that a prince could not be elected by a group of refugees, but by the Diet of Transylvania.[21]

Bocskai's supporter

Gabriel decided to persuade the wealthy Stephen Bocskai to rise up against Rudolph's commissioners.[22] After royal troops attacked the refugees' camp near Temesvár on 13 September 1604, rumours about the capture of a secret correspondence between Bethlen and Bocskai began circulating.[18] Fearing reprisals, Bocskai withdrew to his fortress at Sólyomkő (now Şoimeni in Romania) and make preparations to resist.[18] He hired irregular Hajdú troops and defeated a royal army on 15 October.[23][24]

Bocskai took possession of Kassa (now

Ottoman Sultan, Ahmed I, styled Bocskai as prince of Transylvania.[24] The delegates of the noblemen and the Székelys elected Bocskai prince on 21 February 1605.[25] According to a letter of Bethlen, Bocskai ordered him to capture "certain castles", for which he had to postpone his marriage in May.[22]

Gabriel finally married his bride, Zsuzsanna

perpetual ispán (or head) of Hunyad County.[22]

Bethlen was a

Jesuit, translate and print the Bible. He composed hymns and from 1625, employed Johannes Thesselius
as kapellmeister.

Prince of Transylvania

See also: Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711)
1616 ten-ducat gold coin depicting Gabriel Bethlen as Prince of Transylvania
1616 ten-ducat gold coin depicting Gabriel Bethlen as Prince of Transylvania

In 1605, Bethlen supported

Stephen Bocskay and his successor Gabriel Báthory (1608–1613). Bethlen later fell out with Báthory and fled to the Ottoman Empire
.

In 1613, after Báthory was murdered, the Ottomans installed Bethlen as Prince of Transylvania and this was endorsed on 13 October 1613 by the Transylvanian Diet at Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca). In 1615, after the Peace of Tyrnau, Bethlen was recognised by Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor.[26]

Bethlen's rule was one of

Calvinist church, giving hereditary nobility to Protestant priests. Bethlen also encouraged learning by founding the Bethlen Gabor College, encouraging the enrollment of Hungarian academics and teachers and sending Transylvanian students to the Protestant universities of England, the Dutch Republic, and the Protestant principalities of Germany
. He also ensured the right of serfs' children to be educated.

Anti-Habsburg insurrection

Heroes' Square, Budapest, Hungary
Bethlen on horseback (print)

Bethlen maintained an efficient standing army of mercenaries. While keeping relations with the

Drugeth (1633-1661), the captain of Upper Hungary
.

In August 1619, Bethlen invaded Royal Hungary. In September, he took Kassa (Košice) where Protestant supporters declared him the leader of Hungary and protector of Protestants. He gained control of Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia). In September 1619, after refusing to convert to Calvinism, the Jesuits Marko Križevcanin, Stephen Pongracz and Melchior Grodeczki were martyred under Bethlen's authority."[27] The three were later canonized by the Catholic Church.

In October 1619, Bethlen took Pressburg (Pozsony, today's

lisowczycy) won the Battle of Humenné
and forced Bethlen to leave Austria and Upper Hungary.

Bethlen negotiated for peace at Pressburg, Kassa (now Košice) and Besztercebánya (now Banská Bystrica). In January 1620, without the Czechs, Bethlen received 13 counties in the east of Royal Hungary. On 20 August 1620, he was elected King of Hungary at the Diet of Besztercebánya and in September 1620, war with the Habsburgs resumed.

After defeating the Czechs on 8 November 1620 at the

Mukacheve), and Ecsed (Nagyecsed), and a duchy in Silesia
.

Transylvanian Thaler of Gabriel Bethlen showing his portrait and coat of arms (1621)

In 1623 - 1624 and 1626, Bethlen, allied with the anti-Habsburg Protestants, made campaigns against Ferdinand in Upper Hungary. The first campaign ended with the

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
.

Principality of Gabriel Bethlen

Death

Coat of arms of Bethlen

Bethlen died on 15 November 1629. His second wife, Catherine of Brandenburg, became Princess Regnant of Transylvania.

His first wife, Zsuzsanna Károlyi [hu], had died in 1622.

Bethlen's state correspondence survives as a historical document.

Ancestors

See also

  • Magna Curia

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Barcza 1987, p. 11.
  2. ^ a b c d Oborni 2012, p. 206.
  3. ^ R. Várkonyi & Campbell 2013, pp. 698–699.
  4. ^ a b c d e R. Várkonyi & Campbell 2013, p. 699.
  5. ^ Erdősi & Lambert 2013, p. 860.
  6. ^ a b c d Erdősi & Lambert 2013, p. 861.
  7. ^ Erdősi & Lambert 2013, pp. 861, 863.
  8. ^ a b c Erdősi & Lambert 2013, p. 864.
  9. ^ Barcza 1987, p. 12.
  10. ^ Keul 2009, p. 141.
  11. ^ a b c d Barcza 1987, p. 17.
  12. ^ a b Barta 1994, p. 295.
  13. ^ a b Kontler 1999, p. 164.
  14. ^ Keul 2009, p. 142.
  15. ^ a b c d e Erdősi & Lambert 2013, p. 862.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barcza 1987, p. 18.
  17. ^ a b Keul 2009, p. 143.
  18. ^ a b c G. Etényi, Horn & Szabó 2006, p. 162.
  19. ^ R. Várkonyi & Campbell 2013, p. 700.
  20. ^ Keul 2009, p. 150.
  21. ^ a b c Barcza 1987, p. 20.
  22. ^ a b c d e Barcza 1987, p. 21.
  23. ^ G. Etényi, Horn & Szabó 2006, pp. 167–169.
  24. ^ a b c Barta 1994, p. 298.
  25. ^ G. Etényi, Horn & Szabó 2006, p. 191.
  26. ^ Varkonyi A. Az Europai jelenlet alternativai, Bethlen Gabor fejedelemme valasztasanak evfordulojara." Magyar Tudomány October 2013. Accessed 15 October 2013. In Hungarian.
  27. ISBN 0865164444, 9780865164444
    .
  28. ^ Gábor Bethlen in the Bethlen de Iktár family
  29. ^ Farkas Bethlen in the Bethlen de Iktár family
  30. ^ Druzsianna Lázár in the Lázár family
  31. ^ Stephen Lázár in the Lázár family
  32. ^ Borbála Bogáth in the Bogáthy family
  33. ^ János Bogáth in the Bogáthy family
  34. ^ Magdolna Bánffy in the Bánffy de Losoncz family
  35. ^ Apafi family
  36. ^ László Bánffy in the Bánffy de Losoncz family

Sources

External links
Gabriel Bethlen
Regnal titles
Preceded by Prince of Transylvania
1613–1629 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Hungary
contested by Ferdinand II
1620–1621 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Duke of Opole
1622–1625 		Succeeded by
Wladislaus IV of Poland
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