Pál Kinizsi (Romanian: Pavel Chinezul) (1432–1494) was a Hungarian general, legendary commoner commander[1] in the army of king Matthias Corvinus. He was Comes of Temes (Comes Temesiensis)[2] since 1484 and Captain General of the Lower Parts of the Kingdom of Hungary (generalis capitaneus inferiorum partium regni). He is famous for his victory over the Ottomans in the Battle of Breadfield in October 1479.
According to Serbian historians, he was of Serbian origin.[3] His father was a miller in the Bihar County.
He first became the first commander of Belgrade, then the ban of Temeswar.[4] He brought thousands of Serbs with him following the wars against the Ottomans in Serbia.[5]
After the death of king Matthias in 1490 he supported Polish (by birth) king Vladislas II of Hungary and the great magnates against Matthias' illegitimate son and designated successor John Corvinus. He destroyed the former king's mercenary Black Army which had became a robber band after its dissolution. He then was crippled by a stroke and died shortly afterwards.
Kinizsi, a miller's son[6] is also a hero of some Hungarian and Romanian folk tales along with king Matthias Corvinus as an extremely strong former miller's apprenctice. According to these tales, the king was hunting in the Bakony forest near the mill where he worked and asked for a drink; Kinizsi, to show his strength, served the cup on a millstone. The king, impressed, took him into his service, where Kinizsi's strength, prowess and loyalty earned him rapid promotion. He is said to have wielded two greatswords in battle and to have danced a victory dance after the Battle of Kenyérmező with a captured or dead Turk under each arm and a third held with his hair or belt in his teeth.
He married Benigna Magyar,[7] the daughter of Balázs Magyar,[8] another general of Corvinus. His central estate was the Castle of Nagyvázsony. He had no known issue.