Lists of political office-holders in Transylvania
List of rulers of Transylvania, from the first mention of a ruler in the tenth century, until 1918.
Overview
From approximately the year 1000, Transylvania was a largely autonomous Voivodate within the Kingdom of Hungary. 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 adminstrative 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.
List
Affiliation | Ruler | Years | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
Gelou (Gyula the Old) | ? – 904 | "Gelou Dux Ultrasilvanus" | |
Tuhutum | 904 - ? | ||
Prokuj (Gyula the Young) | ? – 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 of Transylvania subject to the King of Hungary | |||
Mercurius | c. 1110 | ||
Leustachius | 1176–1199 | ||
Legforus | 1199–1200 | ||
Eth | ? | ||
Gyula I | ?–1201 | ||
Benedict | 1201–1206 | ||
Smaragd | 1206 | ||
Benedict | 1206–1209 | ||
Michael | 1209–1211 | ||
Bertold of Andechs-Meran, Archbishop | 1211–1213 | ||
Miklos I | 1213 | ||
Gyula I | 1213 | ||
Simeon | 1213–1215 | ||
Hippolitus | 1215–1217 | ||
Raphael | 1217–1218 | ||
Neka | 1218–1221 | ||
Paul | 1221–1231 | ||
Gyula II | 1230–1233 | ||
Dennis | 1233–1234 | ||
András I | 1234–1235 | ||
Posza | 1235–1240 | ||
First Mongol invasion 1240-1242 | |||
Lawrence | 1242–1252 | ||
Interregnum | 1252–1261 | ||
Ereny Akos | 1261 | ||
Arpads | Stephen Arpád | 1261–1270 | |
Matyas | 1270–1272 | ||
Miklos | 1272–1273 | ||
John | 1273–1274 | ||
Miklos | 1274–1275 | ||
Ladislas Borsza | 1275 | ||
Ugrin | 1275–1276 | ||
Matyas | 1276–1277 | ||
Miklos Pok | 1277 | ||
Aba | 1278–1279 | ||
Stephen | 1280 | ||
Roland Borsza | 1281–1282 | ||
Apor Pecz | 1283 | ||
Roland Borsza | 1284–1285 | ||
Second Mongol invasion 1284-1285, followed by direct Hungarian rule 1285-1288 | |||
Roland Borsza | 1288–1294 | opposed Hungarian rule | |
Ladislas II Kan | 1294–1315 | opposed Hungarian rule | |
Ladislas III Kan | 1294–1315 | not confirmed by the King | |
Miklos Meggyesi Pok | 1315–1318 | ||
Doja of Debrecen | 1318–1321 | ||
Thomas of Szecseny | 1322–1342 | ||
Miklos of Siroka | 1344–1350 | ||
Lackfi | Stephen Lackfi | 1344–1350 | |
Lackfi | Thomas Csor | 1350 | |
Miklos Konth | 1351–1356 | ||
Lackfi | András Lackfi | 1356–1359 | |
Lackfi | Dionys Lackfi | 1360–1367 | |
Lackfi | Nicolae 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 | ||
Nicolae Csaki & Nicolae Marczali | 1401–1403 | ||
Ioan Tamasi & Iacob Lackfi | 1403–1409 | ||
Stibor of Stiboricz | 1410–1414 | ||
Nicolae Csaki | 1415–1426 | ||
Ladislau IV. Csaki | 1426–1437 | son of Nicolae Csaki | |
Petru Cseh | 1436–1438 | ||
Desideriu de Losoncz | 1441-1440 | ||
Ladislau V. Jakcs | January 1441 | ||
John Hunyadi (János Hunyadi) | 1441–1446 | ||
Emeric Bebek I & Nicolae de Ujlak | 1446–1447 | ||
Emeric Bebek II & John Hunyadi | May-October 1448 | ||
Ioan de Rozgony | 1449-1460 | ||
Nicolae de Ujlak | 1449-1458 | ||
Sebastian de Rozgony | 1458-1461 | ||
Nicolae de Ujlak | 1460 | ||
Ladislau de Kanizsa | 1460 | ||
Nicolae de Ujlak & Ioan Pongracz de Dindeleag | 1462-1465 | ||
Sigismund de Szentgyörgy & Ioan de Szentgyörgy (de Sancto Giorgia) | 1465-1467 | ||
Ioan Pongracz de Dindeleag & Nicolae Csupor | 1468–1472 | ||
Blasius Magyar | [[1472-1475 | ||
Ioan Pongracz de Dindeleag | 1475–1476 | ||
Petru Gereb de Vingrad | 1478–1479 | ||
Báthory | Stephen Báthory of Ecsed | 1479–1493 | |
Bartolomeu Dragfi | 1493–1499 | ||
Ladislau de Losoncz | 1493–1495 | ||
Petru de Szentgyörgy şi de Bozin | 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. |
Petru de Pereny | 1526–1534 | appointed by John I Zápolya | |
Báthory | Stephen Báthory of Somlyó | 1529–1534 | appointed by John I Zápolya |
Hieronymus Laski | 1531–1534 | ||
István Maylád | 1534–1536 | ||
Imre Balassa | 1536–1540 | ||
Fráter György | 1542–1551 | guardian of John II Sigismund Zápolya | |
Báthory | Andreas Báthory | 1542–1551 | lieutentant of Ferdinand of Austria |
István Dobó & Francise Kendi | 1552–1556 | ||
vacant | 1556–1570 | direct rule of John II Sigismund Zápolya as claimant to the Kingship 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. |
Bathory | 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 | rival voivod 1571–??? | ||
Bathory | Christopher Báthory | 1575-1581 | older brother of Stephen Báthory, administered Transylvania as voivod during the absence of his brother. |
Princes of Transylvania and parts of Hungary subject to the King of Hungary | |||
Bathory | Sigismund Báthory | 1581–1598 | son of Christopher, abdicated in April 1598 in favor of Habsburg Rudolf, King of Hungary |
Habsburg | Rudolf | April-August 1598 | |
Bathory | Sigismund Báthory | August 1598 – March 1599 | returned in August 1598, again abdicated in March 1599 favor of his cousin Andrew Cardinal Báthory. |
Bathory | Andrew Cardinal Báthory | March-November1599 | Cousin of Sigismund, driven out by Habsburg general Girgio Basta and Michael of Wallachia |
Habsburg | Rudolf | 1599–1600 | ruled through the governors: *Michael of Wallachia, 1599–1600 *Giorgio Basta, 1600-1601 |
Bathory | Sigismund Báthory | 1601 | attempted to regain Transylvania, recognized by the diet of Cluj but defeated by Basta and Michael, eventually abdicated in 1602 in favor of King Rudolf II |
Habsburg | Rudolf | 1601–1606 | ruled through the governor Giorgio Basta, 1600-1604 |
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 | |
Bathory | Gabriel Báthory | 1608–1613 | nephew of Andrew Cardinal Báthory |
Gabriel Bethlen | 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 | |
Rákóczi | George II Rákóczi | 1657–1658 | restored by a diet, deposed by the Turks |
Achatius Barcsai | 1658–1659 | ||
Rákóczi | George II Rákóczi | 1659–1660 | fell in battle against the Turks |
John Kemény | 1661–1662 | backed by the Habsburg King Leopold | |
Apafi | Michael I Apafi | 1661–1690 | backed by the Turks, opposed King Leopold, made peace with the Habsburg King in 1685/7 |
Apafi | Michael II 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 |
Emeric 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 | Francis II Rákóczi | 1704 - 1711 | grand-son 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 *Stephen Wesselényi, 1710-1713 *Sigismund Kornis, 1713-1731 *Stephen Wesselény, 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 *Andreas Hadik, 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 *George Bánffy II, 1787-1822 |
Habsburg-Lorraine | Leopold II | 1790–1792 | governor: George Bánffy II, 1787-1822| |
Habsburg-Lorraine | Francis II | 1792–1835 | governors: *George Bánffy II, 1787-1822 *John Jósika 1822-1834 *Ferdinand d'Este 1835-1837 |
Habsburg-Lorraine | Ferdinand I | 1835–1848 | *John Kornis, 1838-1840 *Joseph Teleki, 1842-1848 |
Habsburg-Lorraine | Franz Joseph I | 1848–1916 | governors: *Ludwig Wohlgemuth, 1849-1851 *Karl B. Schwarzenbeger, 1851-1858 *Friedrich von Liechtenstein, 1858-1861 *Emeric Mikó 1860-1861 *Ludwig Fohot of Crenneville, 1861-1867 |
In the wake of the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich, 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 |