List of rulers of Transylvania, from the first mention of a ruler in the 10th century, until 1918.
Contents |
The administration of the eastern parts of the Hungarian Kingdom, referred as Partes Transsylvana (Latin for "parts beyond the forests"), was in the hands of a voivode (Hungarian: vajda) 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 The word voivod or voievod first appeared in historical documents in 1193.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 Fehér. The whole territory of Transylvania came under the jurisdiction of the voievod after 1263, when the functions of Count of Szolnok (Doboka) and Count of Fehér 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 units e.g. royal free cities, Universitas Saxorum and Székely Land), 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 independence as the Principality of Transylvania under Ottoman suzerainty until it was finally integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy around 1700. The Habsburg rulers continued to use the title Prince of Transylvania (and later Grand Prince of Transylvania) as part of their official title until the end of Austria-Hungary in 1918. 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 Hungary. At the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1919, Transylvania, along with other regions of eastern Hungary, became part of the Kingdom of Romania. It was divided between Romania and Hungary in 1940 but reverted back to Romania in 1945.
Affiliation | Ruler | Years | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
Gelou | Gelou, legendary Duke of Vlachs, is mentioned exclusively in the 13th century Gesta Hungarorum written by an unknown chronicler referred to as Anonymus. Hungarian historiography claims that Gelou is a fictional person created by Anonymus from a toponym by etymology. Romanian historiography claims that he was an actual person. | ||
Tuhutum/Töhötöm | 904 - ? | One of the legendary seven Hungarian chieftains, as given by Anonymus | |
Gyula (or Prokuj) | ? – 1003 | Ruler of the upper Tisza region and northern Transylvania. Defeated by his nephew, Stephen I of Hungary | |
Kean | fictional person, voivode of the southern Transylvanian Bolgars and Slavs, defeated by Stephen I of Hungary c. 1003-1015. He is mentioned in the chronicle family of Chronicon Pictum The name was created from the word khan as an impersonification of the dignity "Khan". | ||
Arpads | St. Stephen I (István) | 1003–1038 | first Christian King of Hungary (1000), maternal grandson of Gyula the Old, defeated Gyula the Young and the Bulgarians ("Kean") |
Voivods under the Kings of Hungary | |||
Mercurius (Transylvanian Voivod) | c. 1110 | attested as Mercurius princeps Ultrasylvanus | |
Leustachius | 1176–1199 | first attested voivode | |
Legforus | 1199–1200 | ||
Eth (Transylvanian Voivod) | ? | ||
Gyula I | ?–1201 | ||
Benedek | 1201–1206 | ||
Smaragd | 1206 | ||
Benedek | 1206–1209 | ||
Michael I | 1209–1211 | ||
Bertold of Andechs-Meran, Archbishop | 1211–1213 | ||
Nicholas 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 | ||
Andrew I | 1234–1235 | ||
Posza | 1235–1240 | ||
First Mongol invasion 1240-1242 | |||
Lóránt | 1242–1252 | ||
Interregnum | 1252–1261 | ||
Erény Kos | 1261 | ||
Arpads | Stephen II | 1261–1270 | |
Mátyás | 1270–1272 | ||
Nicholas II | 1272–1273 | 1st rule | |
John I | 1273–1274 | ||
Nicholas II | 1274–1275 | 2nd rule | |
Ladislaus I Borsa | 1275 | ||
Ugrin | 1275–1276 | ||
Matyas | 1276–1277 | ||
Nicholas III Pók | 1277 | 1st rule | |
Aba | 1278–1279 | ||
Stephen III | 1280 | ||
Roland Borsa | 1281–1282 | ||
Apor Pecz | 1283 | ||
Roland Borsa | 1284–1285 | ||
Second Mongol invasion 1284-1285. No Voivode is appointed during 1285-1288 | |||
Roland Borsa | 1288–1294 | opposed to the king as seigneur of the province during years of feudal anarchy. Defeated by King Andrew III of Hungary | |
Ladislaus II Khan | 1294–1315 | opposed to the king as seigneur of the province during years feudal anarchy. | |
Voivods under the Kings of Hungary | |||
Nicholas III | 1315–1318 | 2nd rule | |
D of Debrecen | 1318–1321 | ||
Thomas I Szecsényi | 1322–1342 | ||
Nicholas IV Sirokay | 1342–1344 | ||
Lackfi | Stephen IV | 1344–1350 | |
Thomas II Csor | 1350 | ||
Iločki | Nicholas V Kont | 1351–1356 | |
Lackfi | Andrew II Lackfi | 1356–1359 | |
Lackfi | Dionys Lackfi | 1360–1367 | |
Lackfi | Nicholas VI | 1367–1368 | |
Lackfi | Emeric Lackfi | 1368–1372 | |
Lackfi | Stephen V | 1373–1376 | brother of Emeric |
Ladislaus III | 1376–1391 | ||
Emeric I Bebek | 1392–1393 | ||
Frank de Szècsèny | 1392–1393 | ||
Stibor of Stiboricz | 1395–1401 | knight of the Order of the Dragon, Clan of Ostoja | |
Nicholas VII Csaki & Nicholas VIII Marczali | 1401–1403 | ||
John II Tamasi & Iacob Lack de Szántó | 1403–1409 | ||
Stibor of Stiboricz | 1410–1414 | knight of the Order of the Dragon | |
Nicholas VII Csaki | 1415–1426 | 2nd rule | |
Ladislaus IV Csaki | 1426–1437 | son of Nicolae Csaki | |
Peter I Cseh | 1436–1438 | ||
Losonczi Dezső | 1441-1440 | ||
Ladislaus V Jakcs | January 1441 | ||
John III Hunyadi (János Hunyadi / Iancu de Hunedoara) | 1441–1446 | ||
Emeric I Bebek & Nicholas IX Uljaki | 1446–1447 | ||
Emeric II Bebek & John III Hunyadi | May–October 1448 | ||
John IV Rozgonyi | 1449–1460 | ||
Iločki | Nicholas IX Iločki | 1449–1458 | 2nd rule |
Rozgonyi Sebestyén | 1458–1461 | ||
Iločki | Nicholas IX Iločki | 1460 | 3rd rule |
Ladislaus VI | 1460 | ||
Nicholas IX Iločki & Pongrácz János | 1462–1465 | ||
Szentgyörgyi Zsigmond & John V Szentgyörgyi | 1465–1467 | ||
John VI Pongrácz & Nicholas X Csupor | 1468–1472 | ||
Magyar Balázs | 1472–1475 | ||
John VI Pongrácz | 1475–1476 | ||
Peter II Gereb | 1478–1479 | ||
Báthory (Ecsed) | Stephen VI Báthory | 1479–1493 | |
Drágfi | Bartolomeus Drágfi | 1493–1499 | |
Ladislaus VII Losonczi | 1493–1495 | ||
Peter III Szentgyörgyi | 1499–1510 | ||
Zápolya | John VII 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. |
Peter IV Perény | 1526–1534 | appointed by John VII Zápolya | |
Báthory (Somlyó) | Stephen VII Báthory | 1529–1534 | appointed by John I Zápolya |
Hieronymus Laski | 1531–1534 | ||
Stephen VIII Majláth (Ştefan Mailat) | 1534–1536 | ||
Emeric III 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 |
Stephen IX 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 VIII Sigismund Zapólya]] (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 X 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–November 1599 | Cousin of Sigismund, driven out by Michael of Wallachia and killed by his Szekely allies |
Drăculeşti | Michael II (Michael the Brave) | 1599–1600 | was recognized by the Transylvanian parliament (diet) only as imperial governor [1] subject to the Holy Roman Emperor, however, he was de facto ruler of Transylvania. Deposed in September 1600 by Hungarian nobles. Romanian historiography asserts that he was Prince of Transylvania. |
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 Michael the Brave, 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 | |||
Bocskay | Stephen XI Bocksay | 1605–1606 | rebelled against Habsburgs with support of Hungarian nobles and the Turks, confirmed in his position in the Treaty of Vienna (1606) |
Rákóczi (Felsõvadász) | 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 (Iktár) | Gabriel Bethlen | 1613–1629 | claimed the Kingship of Hungary 1619-1621 |
Bethlen (Iktár) | Stephen XII Bethlen | 1629–1630 | originally chosen to succeed his brother, opposed his sister-in-law |
Hohenzollern | Catherine of Brandenburg | 1629–1630 | daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, widow of Gabriel Bethlen |
Rákóczi (Felsõvadász) | 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 (Felsõvadász) | 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 |
Rhédey (Aba) | Francis Rhédey | 1657–1658 | backed by Charles X Gustav of Sweden (1654–1660). Francis Rhédey was a descendent from the Royal House of Aba - King Samuel Aba of Hungary |
Rákóczi (Felsõvadász) | George II Rákóczi | 1657–1658 | restored by a diet, deposed by the Turks |
Barcsay (Nagybarcsa) | Ákos Barcsay | 1658–1659 | |
Rákóczi (Felsõvadász) | George II Rákóczi | 1659–1660 | fell in battle against the Turks |
Kemény | John IX Kemény | 1661–1662 | backed by the Habsburg King Leopold |
Apafi (Apanagyfalu) | Michael III Apafi | 1661–1690 | backed by the Turks, opposed King Leopold, made peace with the Habsburg King in 1685/7 |
Apafi (Apanagyfalu) | Michael IV Apafi | 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 (Kesmarkium) | Imre Thököly | 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 (Felsõvadász) | Francis II Rákóczi | 1704–1711 | grandson of George II Rákóczi, rebelled against King Leopold, claiming the titles Prince of Transylvania and Ruling Prince of Hungary |
Habsburg | CharlesI | 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 Theresa | 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 Theresa | 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. Schwarzenberg, 1851-1858 * Friedrich von Liechtenstein, 1858-1861 * Mikó Imre 1860-1861 * Ludwig Folliot 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 |