Taborite

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A modern conception of Tabor wagons and hand cannoneers
A modern conception of Tabor wagons and hand cannoneers

The Taborites (Czech Táborité, singular Táborita) were members of a religious community considered heretical by the Catholic Church. The Taborites were centered on the Bohemian city of Tábor during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century. The religious reform movement in Bohemia splintered into various religious sects. Beginning with the most radical, the various sects that existed were the: Adamites, Taborites, Orebites (Orphans), Utraquists and Praguers. Because the revolution's impetus came from the burning of Jan Hus, for the purpose of simplicity, many writers have put most of these sects under one umbrella term calling them the "Hussites".

Economically supported by Tabor's control of local gold mines, the citizens joined local peasants to develop a communist-like society. Taborites announced the Millennium of Christ and declared there would be no more servants and masters. They promised people would return to a state of pristine innocence.

Taborite theology represented one of the most radical departures from that of the hierarchical medieval church. They rejected the outer veneer of the corrupted church and insisted on the normativeness of biblical authority. Even though Taborite theologians were versed in scholastic theology, they were among the first intellectuals to break free from centuries-old scholastic methods.

The Taborites were particularly zealous in their religious practices and, like other such sects, some believed it was their duty to slay all heretics, i.e., non-Taborites. This was in most part a response to the burning of Jan Hus and the crusades that were launched against Bohemia. Because Bohemia was declared heretical by Rome, the slaying of any Bohemian by the crusaders was considered a service to the church.

Some of the most outstanding Taborite theologians were Mikulas Biskupec of Pelhrimov and Prokop Veliký (who died in the Battle of Lipany). The early radical theological ideas of Taborites were represented by Petr Kanis and Martin Huska.

Tabor's army was led by Jan Žižka, the blind Bohemian general who commanded his rag-tag army in defense of Bohemia against the crusading Imperial Army under Emperor Sigismund. Žižka did not believe that all heretics should be slain and often showed clemency to those he defeated. After one battle when his army disobeyed him and killed many prisoners, Žižka ordered the army to pray for forgiveness. This experience partly inspired him to write a famous military code of conduct - "Žižkův vojenský řád" - a document partly inspired by the biblical book of Deuteronomy. Žižka eventually left Tabor because that community became too radical for his beliefs and took over the leadership of the more moderate Orebites in Hradec Kralove. Due to the numerous crusades, the Taborites and Orebites often set aside their religious differences and cooperated militarily to defeat all crusades launched against Bohemia.

Once the external threat was removed by Hussite victories, the various Hussite factions turned on each other. Finally, the power of the Taborites was broken, after twenty years, with the Battle of Lipany on May 30, 1434. 13,000 of the 18,000-strong army were killed. In 1437 they signed a treaty with Czech king Sigismund.

Tabor formation
Tabor formation

Even though the Taborites ceased to play an important political role, their theological thinking strongly influenced the foundation and rise of the Unity of the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum) in 1457 today in English called the Moravian Church.

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