From: "JELIKO" <p01289@psilink.com>

Subject: 1526 and after, was: Official language

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Paul Grigore Hodor and Joe Pannon were discussing the post 1526 events,
and I would like to add a few comments to that because even after some
exchanges it was not very clear.

I will try to be telegraphic with dates as much as possible. It is also
important to understand that at that time the Hungarian parliament
consisted of representation by the nobles.

1526 Aug 29 King Louis II with approx. 26,000 troops (from approx 3.5
million population) the main army attacks Suleiman I at Mohacs and loses
most of his troops (15,000-16,000), he himself dies near the battlefield.
At that day Szapolyai is still at Szeged with his troops (approx 10,000)
on his way to join Louis II. At that time Szapolyai is the largest
landlord in Hungary, his holdings are the northwestern part of
Transdanubia, Szepes county (now in Slovakia), parts of Northern Hungary
(now in Slovakia), the northern part of the TransTisza area and some lands
near the Maros (now in Romania). By office title he is the vajda of
Transylvania the chief comes of Szepes and the comes of the Szekely's.

The widow queen Maria (the sister of Habsburg Ferdinand, prince of the
Austrian lands and the brother of Charles the V, the then German-Roman
emperor) escapes to Pozsony (Bratislava).

Suleiman leaves Hungary in Oct 1526. There is no occupation of Hungary by
the Turks except the Belgrade area (today Sremska in Serbia).
The Hungarian nobles in Szekesfehervar elect Szapolyai king on Nov 10,
1526. Ferdinand based on an agreement with the Jagello's but not
sanctioned by the Hungarian parliament also claims the Hungarian throne
(and the Czech one also which he in fact occupies). Ferdinand has control
only in Sopron and Pozsony. The Croat nobles accept Ferdinad as king
(Please note the area at that time was not the same as today's Croatia)
On Dec 17 in Pozsony, Ferdinand, at that time the prince of Austria, the
king of Chechia, Moravia and Silesia is elected king of Hungary by several
nobles whose land by then was given to others by Szapolyai (sour grapes).

In the spring of 1527 Hungary recovers sufficiently under the Szapolyai
rule that taxes are collected and no warfare occurs, Szapolyai, as king
has control over all areas with the exception of the above named towns.
In March of 1527 there was another parliament in Buda naming officials for
the government of Janos I including Peter Perenyi as vajda of
Transylvania.

Charles V, writes letter to the Hungarian nobles offering military
assistance against the Turks if his brother's claim is accepted, but
cannot help because he is at war with the French, England, the Papal
state, Venice, etc.

Already in Jan 1527, Suleiman sends ambassadors to Szapolyai to Esztergom.
Szapolyai also send ambassadors to France, Poland, Venice, Saxony,and even
attempts to get Charles V on his side but his ambassadors to the emperor
are captured by Ferdinand.

Later, in May 1527, the troops of Charles V won a great victory and occupy
(sack) Rome. Finally there is money and troops available to Ferdinand and
he attacks Hungary in July 1527 and sends many emissaries to Hungarian
nobles offering rich rewards for turning to his favor and spreading the
word the Szapolyai is an ally of the Turks, which at that time was not
correct, but it served its purpose (infidels versus Christians issue).
(Interestingly at that time the "most catholic king Francis I of France is
already allied with the Turks). Szapolyai and his military commenders are
rather inept and unfortunate (getting killed in battles and sieges) and
Ferdinand occupies mainly western Hungary while Szapolyai's main army is
battling Ivan Cherny in the southern part of Hungary.

In Sept of 1527 Szapolyai withdraws toward Transylvania, but Georg
Reicherstorffer an agent of Ferdinand convinces the Saxon cities to switch
sides and another agent of Ferdinand convinces the vajda of Transylvania
Peter Perenyi to switch to Ferdinand also. Perenyi hands over the crown
also to the Ferdinand party. Szapolyai loses the rest of the battles and
escapes to Poland in March of 1528.

Howver the Turks did not consider Ferdinand a King of Hungary and two
months after Ferdinand attack started their troop movements against the
Habsburgs. Thus the only way for Szapolyai to counteract Ferdinand was to
consider an alliance with the Turks mainly as a result of Transylvania
switching to Ferdinand Lyaski a Polish follower of Szapolyai and a friend
of the Venetians (Alvise Gritti) goes to Istambul to start negotiations
with Suleiman for the alliance against Ferdinand. The result is:

"To you Janos majesty, from the grace of God the king of Hungary,
Dalmatia, Croatia, Moravia, etc., I sultan Suleiman shah, the invincible
prince of the Turks, sweare...." and the alliance was formed against
Ferdinand.

In the spring of 1529 Szapolyai controls most of the Tisza area and again
near Szeged (Tape), Szapolyai meets up with his ally's commander Mehmed
leading the Turkish assisting forces. Suleiman also orders the Wallachians
to attack Transylvania to help Szapolyai regain it from Ferdinand. In the
summer of 1529 Suleiman himself moves his army and on the way to besiege
Vienna, he reinstates Szapolyai as King of Hungary in Buda.

I hope that this helps in clearing some of the events which had in fact
very little to do with Transylvania. If anyone is interested we can go on
until 1541 or 1556 (there are differing opinions) at which time the actual
principality was formed. It obviously was not a Hungary versus
Transylvania issue.