Prince of Transylvania

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the rulers of the Principality of Transylvania in the 16th and 17th centuries. For the royal officials responsible for the administration of Transylvania within the Kingdom of Hungary between the 11th and 16th centuries, see Voivode of Transylvania. For the members of the Hungarian royal family bearing the title Duke of Transylvania in the 13th or 14th century, see Duke of Transylvania.

The Prince of Transylvania (

Latin: princeps Transsylvaniae, Romanian: principele Transilvaniei[1]) 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 was the first to adopt the title in 1570, but its use only became stable[clarification needed
] from 1576.

Origins

Administrative division of Transylvania in the early 16th century
Administrative division of Transylvania in the early 16th century

The integration of

seats".[6]

The seven Transylvanian counties (

ispáns[8] were subject to the authority of a higher official, the voivode who was appointed by the kings of Hungary.[9] The Voivode of Transylvania had a number of administrative, military and judicial responsibilities.[10] For instance, joint general assemblies of the seven counties were convoked and headed by the voivode or his deputy[citation needed], customarily at Torda (today Turda).[8] These assemblies primarily functioned as courts-of-justice,[11] but judges for the counties were also elected by them.[8]

Saxon sees and districts in 17th century Transylvania.

Instead of counties, the

Transylvanian Saxon community was primarily organized into seats and districts.[12] They were independent of the authority of the voivodes.[13] In 1469, King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary authorized all Saxons' seats to elect their own heads.[14] Seven years later, the same monarch set up the "Saxon University" unifying all Saxon seats and districts in Transylvania, which was headed by the elected major of Nagyszeben (German: Hermannstadt, Romanian: Sibiu).[14] 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.[12]

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.

cneazes were only twice (in 1291 and in 1355) invited to the general assemblies.[11]

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"

Budai Nagy Antal Revolt in 1437.[18] This formal alliance of the "Three Nations of Transylvania" was confirmed in 1459, aimed primarily against Michael Szilágyi, the regent-governor of the Kingdom of Hungary.[19] During the rebellion of peasants led by György Dózsa in 1514, Voivode John Zápolya convoked the assembly of the Three Nations.[20]

End of the independent Kingdom of Hungary

In 1526, in the

King Louis II. The Ottomans then withdrew.[citation needed
]

The throne was claimed by Louis' brother-in-law

Hungarian magnates. Ferdinand drove John out of Hungary, whereupon John offered allegiance to Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in return for support. Suleiman invaded Austria 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").[citation needed
]

Thus from being a fully sovereign kingdom, Hungary had become either a possession of the House of Habsburg or an Ottoman vassal state.[citation needed]

Separation of the Principality of Transylvania

King John Sigismund of Hungary with Suleiman the Magnificent in 1556.

In 1538, John named Ferdinand his successor as King. But he had a son,

Royal Hungary
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.[21] 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.[22] 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. This was expressed in the treaty of Speyer. John II Sigismund adopted the new style "Prince of Transylvania and Lord of parts of Hungary".[23][24]

John Sigismund's successor,

rulers of Transylvania and the Partium[citation needed] was also confirmed by King Maximilian I's successor, Emperor Rudolph II on January 28, 1595.[27]

The prince and his prerogatives

Gabriel Bethlen

Style and titles

Transylvanian monarchs used the following style and titles: "His Excellency, by the grace of God,

Moldavia" in 1595.[29]

International status

From 1570 to 1699, the princes of Transylvania were not recognized as independent monarchs. At times they acknowledged Ottoman

Dâr al ahd'), that is a territory with a transitory status between the lands fully integrated in the Ottoman Empire and independent states.[30] 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, "guaranteed 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.[31]

Succession and regency

Prerogatives

End of the institution

After the Rákóczi's War of Independence the princes were effectively replaced with governors. The last prince Francis II Rákóczi 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

  1. ^ Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.
  2. ^ Georgescu 1991, pp. 15-16.
  3. ^ Pop 1999, pp. 40-41.
  4. ^ Georgescu 1991, p. 16.
  5. ^ Makkai 1994, pp. 178-183.
  6. ^ Pop 1999, pp. 53-54.
  7. ^ Pop 1999, p. 53.
  8. ^ a b c Makkai 1994, p. 207.
  9. ^ Pop 1999, pp. 50., 50-53.
  10. ^ Pop 1999, p. 50.
  11. ^ a b Pop 2005, p. 230.
  12. ^ a b Pop 2005, p. 233.
  13. ^ Pop 1999, p. 42.
  14. ^ a b Makkai 1994, p. 235.
  15. ^ a b Makkai 1994, p. 223.
  16. ^ Bán 1989, p. 169.
  17. ^ Makkai 1994, p. 226.
  18. ^ Georgescu 1991, p. 41.
  19. ^ Makkai 1994, p. 228.
  20. ^ Makkai 1994, p. 238.
  21. ^ Felezeu 2009, p. 22.
  22. ^ Barta 1994, pp. 258-259.
  23. ^ Felezeu 2009, p. 25.
  24. ^ a b c d e Szegedi 2009, p. 101.
  25. ^ a b Barta 1994, p. 260.
  26. ^ a b Barta 1994, p. 265.
  27. ^ Barta 1994, p. 295.
  28. ^ Deák 2009, p. 88.
  29. ^ Pop 2009, pp. 78-79.
  30. ^ Pop 2009, p. 286.
  31. ^ Felezeu 2009, pp. 49-50, 52-53.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princes of Transylvania.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prince_of_Transylvania&oldid=1162989440"