List of rulers of Transylvania

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List of rulers of Transylvania, from the first mention of a ruler in the tenth century, until 1918.

[edit] Overview

The administration of the eastern parts of the Hungarian Kingdom referred as Partes Transsylvana was in the hands of a voivod appointed by the King. The word voivod or voievod first appeared in historical documents in 1193. Prior to that, the term ispán was used for the chief official of the County of Alba. The whole historical territory of Transylvania came under the jurisdiction of the voievod after 1263, when the functions of Count of Szolnok (Doboka) and Count of Alba were terminated.

The Voivode of Transylvania (woyuoda Transsiluanus) was one of the barons of the kingdom. The voivode was, in effect, a territorial governor or viceroy appointed by the Hungarian crown. He was also the chief magistrate and military commander of Transylvania's (seven) counties (except some administrative untis eg free royal cities, Universitas Saxorum and Szekelyland), and this power inevitably drew the Székely and Saxon territories into his sphere of influence however these territories were governed by counts who were nominally independent of the voivode.

In the 16th century, the conflict between Habsburgs and the Ottoman Empire allowed Transylvania to gain a certain indepedence until it was finally integrated until the Habsburg Monarchy around 1700. The Habsburg rulers continued to use the title of Prince of Transylvania (and later Grand Prince of Transylvania) as part of their official title until the end of their monarchy. The territory was administered by an appointed governor until 1867, when it was dissolved as an administrative unit in the wake of the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich of 1867 and integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary. At the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1919, Transylvania became part of the Kingdom of Romania. It was divided between Romania and Hungary in 1940 but reverted back to Romania in 1945.

[edit] List

Affiliation Ruler Years Remarks
Gelu/Gyalu  ? – 904 "Gelou Dux Ultrasilvanus"
Tuhutum/Töhötöm 904 - ?
Prokuj  ? – 1003 Ruler of the upper Tisza region and northern Transylvania. Defeated by Stephen I of Hungary
Kean voivode of the southern Transylvanian bolgars, defeated by Stephen I of Hungary c. 1003-1015
Arpads St. Stephen (István) 1003–1038 first Christian King of Hungary (1000), maternal grandson of Gyula the Old, defeated Gyula the Young and Kean
Voivods under the Kings of Hungary
Mercurius (Transylvanian Voivod) c. 1110
Leustachius 1176–1199
Legforus 1199–1200
Eth (Transylvanian Voivod)  ?
Gyula I  ?–1201
Benedek 1201–1206
Smaragd 1206
Benedek 1206–1209
Mihály 1209–1211
Bertold of Andechs-Meran, Archbishop 1211–1213
Miklós I 1213
Gyula I 1213
Simon (Transylvanian Voivod) 1213–1215
Hippolitus 1215–1217
Raphael 1217–1218
Néka 1218–1221
Pál 1221–1231
Gyula II 1230–1233
Dénes 1233–1234
András I 1234–1235
Posza 1235–1240
First Mongol invasion 1240-1242
Lóránt 1242–1252
Interregnum 1252–1261
Erény Kos 1261
Arpads Stephen Arpád 1261–1270
Mátyás 1270–1272
Miklós 1272–1273
János 1273–1274
Miklós 1274–1275
Ladislas Borsa 1275
Ugrin 1275–1276
Matyas 1276–1277
Miklós Pók 1277
Aba 1278–1279
István (Arpad ruler of Transylvania) 1280
Roland Borsa 1281–1282
Apor Pecz 1283
Roland Borsa 1284–1285
Second Mongol invasion 1284-1285, followed by direct Hungarian rule 1285-1288
Roland Borsa 1288–1294 opposed Hungarian rule
Kán László II 1294–1315 opposed Hungarian rule
Voivods under the Kings of Hungary
Miklós Medgyesi Pok 1315–1318
D of Debrecen 1318–1321
Szecsényi Tamás 1322–1342
Miklós Sirokay 1342–1344
Lackfi Stephen Lackfi 1344–1350
Lackfi Csor Tamás 1350
Miklós Konth 1351–1356
Lackfi András Lackfi 1356–1359
Lackfi Dionys Lackfi 1360–1367
Lackfi Miklós Lackfi 1367-1368
Lackfi Emeric Lackfi 1368–1372
Lackfi Stephen Lackfi 1373–1376 brother of Emeric
Ladislau de Losoncz 1376–1391
Emeric Bebek I 1392–1393
Frank de Szècsèny 1392–1393
Stibor of Stiboricz 1395–1401 knight of the Order of the Dragon
Miklos Csaki & Miklós Marczali 1401–1403
Lackfi János Tamasi & Iacob Lackfi 1403–1409
Stibor of Stiboricz 1410–1414 knight of the Order of the Dragon
Miklós Csáki 1415–1426
László IV. Csaki 1426–1437 son of Nicolae Csaki
Péter Cseh 1436–1438
Losonczi Dezső 1441-1440
László V. Jakcs January 1441
John Hunyadi (János Hunyadi / Iancu de Hunedoara) 1441–1446
Emeric/Imre Bebek I & Nicolae de Ujlak 1446–1447
Emeric/Imre Bebek II & John Hunyadi May-October 1448
Rozgonyi János 1449-1460
Ujlaki Miklós 1449-1458
Rozgonyi Sebestyén 1458-1461
Ujlaki Miklós 1460
Kanizsai László 1460
Ujlaki Miklós & Pongrácz János 1462-1465
Szentgyörgyi Zsigmond & Szentgyörgyi János 1465-1467
Pongrácz János & Csupor Miklós 1468–1472
Magyar Balázs [[1472-1475
Pongrácz János 1475–1476
Geréb Péter 1478–1479
Báthory (Ecsed) Stephen V Báthory 1479–1493
Dragfi János 1493–1499
Losonczi László 1493–1495
Szentgyörgyi Péter 1499–1510
Zápolya John I Zápolya
(Zápolya János)		 1511–1526 elected King of Hungary by one party of Hungarian nobles in 1526, while another party elected Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria.
Perény Péter 1526–1534 appointed by John I Zápolya
Báthory (Somlyó) Stephen VIII Báthory 1529–1534 appointed by John I Zápoly
Hieronymus Laski 1531–1534
István Maylád 1534–1536
Imre Balassa 1536–1540
Fráter György 1542–1551 guardian of John II Sigismund Zápolya
Báthory (Ecsed) Andrew Bonaventura Báthory 1551–1552 lieutenant of Ferdinand of Austria
István Dobó & Francise Kendi 1552–1556
vacant 1556–1570 direct rule of John II Sigismund Zápolya as claimant to the throne of Hungary
Princes of Transylvania and parts of Hungary
Zápolya John II Sigismund Zápolya (János Zsigmond) 1570-1571 Son of John Zápolya, renounced his royal claim in 1570 in favour of Emperor Maximilian and remained Prince of Transylvania and parts of Hungary until his death in 1571.
Báthory (Somlyó) Stephen Báthory 1571–1586 elected Voivod by a diet, King of Poland since 1575, assumed title of Prince of Transylvania and parts of Hungary
Gáspár Bekes 1571–1572 rival voivod, designated as successor by John II Sigismund Zápolya and supported by the Habsburg King, defeated by Stephen Báthory
Báthory (Somlyó) Christopher Báthory 1575-1581 older brother of Stephen Báthory, administered Transylvania as Voivod during the absence of his brother.
Báthory (Somlyó) Sigismund Báthory 1581/1586–1598 son of Christopher, succeeded his father as Voivod and his uncle as Prince; assumed regency in 1588; abdicated in April 1598 in favor of Habsburg Rudolf, King of Hungary
Habsburg Rudolf April-August 1598
Báthory (Somlyó) Sigismund Báthory August 1598 – March 1599 returned in August 1598, again abdicated in March 1599 favor of his cousin Andrew Cardinal Báthory.
Báthory (Somlyó) Andrew Cardinal Báthory March-November1599 Cousin of Sigismund, driven out by Michael of Wallachia and killed by his Szekely allies
Drăculeşti Michael of Wallachia (Mihai Viteazul) 1599–1600 recognized by a diet as Prince subject to the King, recognized by the Sultan and later also by King Rudolf, deposed in September 1600 by Hungarian nobles
Habsburg Rudolf 1600-1601 ruled through the governor Giorgio Basta, 1600-1601
Báthory (Somlyó) Sigismund Báthory 1601 attempted to regain Transylvania, recognized by the diet of Kolozsvár/Klausenburg/Cluj but defeated by Basta and Mihai, eventually abdicated in 1602 in favor of King Rudolf II
Habsburg Rudolf 1601–1606 ruled through the governor Giorgio Basta, 1601-1604
Mózes Székely April - July 1603 rebelled against Habsburgs and defeated Basta with Tartar mercenaries and claimed the title of Prince but was defeated by Radu Şerban, Voivode of Wallachia
Princes of Transylvania between Ottomans and Habsburgs
István Bocskay 1605–1606 rebelled against Habsburgs with support of Hungarian nobles and the Turks, confirmed in his position in the Treaty of Vienna (1606)
Rákóczi Sigismund Rákóczi 1607–1608 elected by the estates against the wishes of Bocskay, Habsburgs and Ottomans; deposed by a military rebellion under Gabriel Báthory
Báthory (Somlyó) Gabriel Báthory 1608–1613 ally of Bocskay, came to power in a military rebellion
Bethlen Gábor 1613–1629 claimed the Kingship of Hungary 1619-1621
Catherine of Brandenburg 1629–1630 daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, widow of Gabriel Bethlen
Rákóczi George I Rákóczi 1630–1648
Habsburg Ferdinand III 1630–1645 claimed the Principality but accepted George I in 1645 in the treaty of Linz
Rákóczi George II Rákóczi 1648–1657 married Sophia Báthory, niece of Gabriel Báthory, claimed the Kingship of Poland in 1657, abdicated in favor of Habsburg Leopold, King of Hungary, deposed by a diet at Turkish command
Aba Francis Rhédey 1657–1658 backed by the Swedish King Carl X Gustaf (1654 - 1660). Francis Rhédey was a descendent from the Royal House of Aba - King Samuel Aba of Hungary
Rákóczi George II Rákóczi 1657–1658 restored by a diet, deposed by the Turks
Barcsai Ákos 1658–1659
Rákóczi George II Rákóczi 1659–1660 fell in battle against the Turks
Kemény János 1661–1662 backed by the Habsburg King Leopold
Apafi Apafi Mihály I 1661–1690 backed by the Turks, opposed King Leopold, made peace with the Habsburg King in 1685/7
Apafi Apafi Mihály II 1681–1692 elected as heir during his father's lifetime, and accepted as such by the Turks, ruled with George Bánffy as governor, moved to Vienna and forced to cede the Principality to King Leopold
Thököly Imre 1690 – 1699 earlier claimant of Upper Hungary, appointed Prince of Transsylvania by the Turks at the death of Michael I, held the country with Turkish support briefly in 1690/91
In 1692 the Habsburg Kings of Hungary permanently assumed the title of Prince of Transylvania, administering the country through governors.
Habsburg Leopold I 1690–1705 governors: *George Bánffy, [[1691-1696
*Rabutin de Bussy 1696-1708
Rákóczi Francis II Rakoczi 1704 - 1711 grandson of George II Rákóczi, rebelled against King Leopold, claiming the titles Prince of Transylvania and Ruling Prince of Hungary
Habsburg Charles VI 1711–1740 governors:
*Stephen Haller, 1709-1710
*Wesselényi István, 1710-1713
*Sigismund Kornis, 1713-1731
*Wesselény István, 1731-1732
*Francisc Anton Wallis, 1732-1734
*John Haller 1734-1755
Habsburg Maria Theresia 1740–1765 governors:
*Francisc Venceslav Wallis, 1755-1758
*Ladislaus Kemény, 1758-1762
*Adolf Buccow, 1762-1764
*Hadik András, 1764-1765
The Principality is elevated to the Grand Principality of Transylvania, with the Habsburg Grand Princes administering the country through governors.
Habsburg Maria Theresia 1765–1780 governors:
*Andreas Hadik 1765-1767
*Carol O'Donell 1767-1770
*Joseph Maria von Auersperg 1771-1774
*Samuel von Brukenthal 1774-1775, 1776-1787
Habsburg-Lorraine Joseph II 1780–1790 governors:
*Samuel von Brukenthal 1774-1775, 1776-1787
*Bánffy György II, 1787-1822
Habsburg-Lorraine Leopold II 1790–1792 governor: Bánffy György II, 1787-1822|
Habsburg-Lorraine Francis II 1792–1835 governors:
*George Bánffy II, 1787-1822
*Jósika János 1822-1834
*Ferdinand d'Este 1835-1837
Habsburg-Lorraine Ferdinand I 1835–1848 *John Kornis, 1838-1840
*Teleki József, 1842-1848
Habsburg-Lorraine Franz Joseph I 1848–1916 governors:
*Ludwig Wohlgemuth, 1849-1851
*Karl B. Schwarzenbeger, 1851-1858
*Friedrich von Liechtenstein, 1858-1861
*Mikó Imre 1860-1861
*Ludwig Fohot of Crenneville, 1861-1867
In the wake of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian government dissolved the Grand Principality and incorporated its territory into the Kingdom of Hungary. The Habsburg Kings continue to use the title of a Grand Prince of Transsylvania.
Habsburg-Lorraine Karl I 1916–1918

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