109-683: Hunyadi may refer to: Hunyadi family , a Hungarian noble family from the Middle Ages John Hunyadi , Hungarian general and Regent-Governor of the Kingdom of Hungary Laszlo Hunyadi , Hungarian statesman Matthias Corvinus ( Hunyadi Mátyás or Corvin Mátyás ), King of Hungary Hunyadi , the 29th day of the month in the Pataphysical calendar Topics referred to by
218-542: A Vlach father", and a Venetian man, Sebastiano Baduario, referred to the Romanians as King Matthias's people. Historians of the 15th and 16th centuries, with perspectives that were either against or in favour of the family, wrote differing reports of the family's status before King Sigismund's grant. Jan Długosz described John Hunyadi as "a man of unknown origin", and he is likewise mentioned as "a Vlach by birth, not highly born" by Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini . On
327-626: A brave soldier. Ladislaus Hunyadi was the older of the two sons of John Hunyadi the elder by Elizabeth Szilágyi. He was born around 1432. At the age of 20, he was appointed ispán , or count, of Pozsony County , which made him a "true baron". He became Ban of Croatia in 1453 and master of the horse in 1456. With his father's death, Ladislaus inherited an enormous domain in 1456. The ambitious Ladislaus had his father's main opponent, Ulrich II, Count of Celje , captured and murdered on 9 November. The King, who promised amnesty to Ladislaus under duress, had him arrested in next year. Ladislaus
436-515: A delegation to Vienna . On 5 March the Austrian and Hungarian Estates jointly requested Frederick III to renounce the guardianship of their young sovereign. Frederick, who had been crowned Holy Roman Emperor , initially refused to satisfy their demand. Hunyadi convoked a Diet to discuss the situation, but before the Diet made any decision the united troops of the Austrian and Bohemian Estates forced
545-837: A fourth perspective on the origins of the family. He said that they may well have been of Slavic descent. Neither Paul Lendvai nor András Boros-Kazai excluded the possibility of the Hunyadis being of Slavic origin. Bone samples were collected in the Corvinus grave from the remains of John Corvinus and Christopher Corvinus in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lepoglava by the Institute of Hungarian Research in 2021 to define their genetic composition. This information will be crucial for possible identification of
654-491: A letter of 1489, Matthias Corvinus wrote that his grandmother's sister, whom the Ottoman Turks had captured and forced to join the harem of an unnamed Sultan , became the ancestor of Cem , the rebellious son of Sultan Mehmed II . Based on this letter, historian Kubinyi says that the "Greek connection cannot be discounted entirely". If Matthias Corvinus' report is valid, John Hunyadi—the hero of anti-Ottoman wars—and
763-446: A military commander, became the first member of the family to acquire the status of "true baron of the realm". He was appointed Ban of Severin in 1439, and Voivode of Transylvania in 1441. He was also granted the title Perpetual Count of Beszterce in 1452, thus receiving the first hereditary title created in the Kingdom of Hungary. At his death, John Hunyadi held many lands throughout the Kingdom. John Hunyadi's fame and fortune led to
872-512: A peace treaty between King Vladislaus and Dowager Queen Elisabeth. The Ottoman Sultan, Murad II dispatched Şihabeddin Pasha—the governor of Rumelia—to invade Transylvania with a force of 70,000. The Pasha stated that the mere sight of his turban would force his enemies to run far away. Although Hunyadi could only muster a force of 15,000 men, he inflicted a crushing defeat on the Ottomans at
981-484: A prominent enemy of the Ottomans and renowned throughout Christendom . He established a vigorous offensive posture in his battles, which enabled him to counteract the numerical superiority of the Ottomans through decisive maneuver. He employed mercenaries (many of them recently disbanded Czech Hussite troops), increasing the professionalism in his ranks and supplementing the numerous irregulars mustered from local peasantry, whom he had no reservations about employing in
1090-456: A series of wars, Matthias occupied Lower Austria and Styria between 1480 and 1487. He officially adopted the title of Duke of Austria in 1487. Matthias married his first wife, Catherine of Poděbrady , in 1461. She died in childbirth in 1464. His second wife, Beatrice of Naples , whom he married in 1476, was infertile . In the last decade of his life, Matthias tried to ensure the succession of his illegitimate son, John Corvinus , to
1199-530: A third view of the Hunyadis' ancestry. He said that Voyk was of Cuman stock, one of the Wallachian boyars. Turkologist László Rásonyi concludes: "the names of János Hunyadi's father and grandfather and the use of raven in the coat-of-arms of the family clearly point to the Tatar-Cuman origin of the later Hunyadi family". Miklós Molnár, accepts the Wallachian origin of the family, but also represents
SECTION 10
#17327718231041308-584: A woman named Elizabeth, who was the daughter of a "rich boyar" from Morzsina in Hunyad County . Antonio Bonfini, on the other hand, wrote that John Hunyadi's mother was an unnamed Greek woman who was related to the Byzantine Emperors . Further legends emerged about the purported Roman origin of the family. Antonio Bonfini wrote that John Hunyadi "traced his kin to the Roman family of
1417-590: A year, until the end of 1438. The Ottomans had occupied the larger part of Serbia by the end of 1438. In the same year, Ottoman troops—supported by Vlad II Dracul , Prince of Wallachia —made an incursion into Transylvania, plundering Hermannstadt/Nagyszeben, Gyulafehérvár (present-day Alba Iulia, Romania) and other towns. After the Ottomans laid siege to Smederevo , the last important Serbian stronghold in June 1439, Đurađ Branković , Despot of Serbia fled to Hungary to seek military assistance. King Albert proclaimed
1526-651: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hunyadi family The House of Hunyadi was one of the most powerful noble families in the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th century. A member of the family, Matthias Corvinus , was King of Hungary from 1458 until 1490, King of Bohemia (ruling in Moravia , Lower Lusatia , Upper Lusatia , and Silesia ) from 1469 until 1490, and Duke of Austria from 1487 until 1490. His illegitimate son, John Corvinus , ruled
1635-552: Is evidently a Hungarian name. The grant mentioned that Voyk's father was named "Serbe", but did not say anything further about the origins of the family. Turkologist László Rásonyi , in his analysis of the family names and heraldry, says that Serbe's name is of Cuman origin and is related to the Kyrgyz and Kazakh word for unlucky ( šor ). He adds that the Turkic origin of Serbe's name explains that Voyk's name also comes from
1744-429: Is the subject of scholarly debate. Some modern historians describe him as a Vlach , or Romanian , knez or boyar , from either Wallachia or Transylvania . Others describe him as a Cuman or Slav nobleman. According to the 15th-century historian, Johannes de Thurocz , Voyk moved from Wallachia to Transylvania. Voyk's oldest son, John Hunyadi , was often mentioned as a "Vlach" by his contemporaries. John Hunyadi,
1853-729: Is widespread in Eurasia. This haplogroup belongs to the E-V13 clade which is part of the E-M78 branch. The father-son relationship was also verified. The closest ancient genetic matches to the paternal haplogroup of the Hunyadi descendants are a sample from the Otrar - Karatau culture in the Iron Age Kazakh steppe and a sample from Medieval Sardinia . The closest genetic sample matches from
1962-531: The Balkan Mountains in 1443–44 and defence of Belgrade (Nándorfehérvár) in 1456, against troops led personally by the sultan , established his reputation as a great general. The pope ordered that European churches ring their bells at noon to gather the faithful in prayer for those who were fighting. The bells of Christian churches are rung at noon to commemorate the Belgrade victory. John Hunyadi
2071-815: The Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI . In exchange, he demanded two Byzantine forts on the Black Sea, Silivri and Misivri , but the Emperor refused. Hunyadi convoked a Diet to Buda, but the barons and the prelates preferred to visit Ladislaus V in Vienna in November. At the Diet of Vienna, Hunyadi renounced the regency, but the King appointed him "captain general of the kingdom" on 30 January 1453. The King even authorized Hunyadi to keep
2180-883: The Corvini ". This story is connected to the Hunyadis' coat-of-arms, which depicts a raven , corvus in Latin , with a golden ring in its beak. Coins minted for Prince Vladislav I of Wallachia in 1365 depict a raven-like bird. Based on this similarity, Zsuzsa Teke and some other historians did not exclude the possibility that the Hunyadis were related to the Basarabs , the ruling dynasty of Wallachia. Another historian, Péter E. Kovács, wrote that that theory needed further verification. Johannes de Thurocz also wrote that King Sigismund, fascinated by Voyk's fame, "took him away from Wallachia to his own realm and settled him there", suggesting that Voyk moved from his Wallachian homeland to
2289-510: The Duchy of Troppau and five further Silesian duchies — Beuthen , Leobschütz , Loslau , Ratibor , and Tost —in 1485. King Matthias' all attempts to secure his son's succession to the throne proved to be useless shortly after his death. The prelates and the barons elected Vladislaus II Jagiellon king on 15 July 1490. He retained his domains and the Duchy of Troppau. The new monarch bestowed
SECTION 20
#17327718231042398-423: The Duchy of Troppau from 1485 until 1501, and five further Silesian duchies , including Bytom , Głubczyce , Loslau , Racibórz , and Tost , from 1485 until 1490. The Hunyadi coat-of-arms depicted a raven with a golden ring in its beak. The founder of the family, Voyk , received the eponymous Hunyad Castle (in present-day Hunedoara , Romania ) from Sigismund , King of Hungary , in 1409. His ethnicity
2507-597: The Hussites ' tactics on this occasion, because he later applied its featuring elements, including the use of wagons as a mobile fortress . On 9 December 1437 Sigismund died; his son-in-law, Albert was elected King of Hungary in nine days. According to historians Teke and Engel, Hunyadi soon returned to the southern frontiers of the kingdom which had been subject to Ottoman raids. In contrast with them, Mureşanu says that Hunyadi served King Albert in Bohemia for at least
2616-629: The Ialomița River in September. John Hunyadi and his 15,000 men defeated the 80,000-strong army of Begler Bey Sehabeddin at Zajkány (today's Zeicani ), near the Iron Gate of the Danube river in 1442. Hunyadi placed Basarab II on the princely throne of Wallachia, but Basarab's opponent Vlad Dracul returned and forced Basarab to flee in early 1443. Hunyadi's victories in 1441 and 1442 made him
2725-495: The Kingdom of Hungary . The late 15th-century historian Philippe de Commines referred to Voyk's son John as the "White Knight of Wallachia ". In accordance with these sources, Pál Engel, András Kubinyi, and other contemporary historians have written that the Hunyadi family descended from Wallachian boyars (noblemen). According to another view on the family's origins, which is championed by historians Camil Mureșanu and Ion-Aurel Pop, Voyk did not migrate from Wallachia, but
2834-574: The Lower Danube from the Ottomans. However, he did not risk a clash with the Ottoman garrisons stationed on the south bank of the river, and returned to Hungary before winter. Vlad Dracul soon concluded a peace treaty with the Ottomans. The Estates of the realm proclaimed Hunyadi regent, bestowing the title "governor" upon him on 6 June 1446. His election was primarily promoted by the lesser nobility, but Hunyadi had by that time become one of
2943-556: The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II were first cousins. On the other hand, historian Péter E. Kovács writes that Matthias Corvinus's story about his family connection with the Ottoman Sultans was nothing but a pack of lies. Hunyadi's year of birth is uncertain. Although Gáspár Heltai writes that Hunyadi was born in 1390, he must have actually been born between around 1405 and 1407, because his younger brother
3052-484: The crusader camp. However, his victories over the Turks prevented them from invading the Kingdom of Hungary for more than 60 years. His fame was a decisive factor in the election of his son, Matthias Corvinus , as king by the Diet of 1457. Hunyadi is a popular historical figure among Hungarians , Romanians , Serbs , Bulgarians and other nations of the region. A royal charter of grant issued on 18 October 1409 contains
3161-761: The Black Sea across the Balkan Mountains. They expected that the Venetian fleet would hinder Sultan Murad from transferring Ottoman forces from Anatolia to the Balkans, but the Genoese transported the Sultan's army across the Dardanelles . The two armies clashed near Varna on 10 November. Although outnumbered by two to one, the crusaders initially ruled the battlefield against the Ottomans. However,
3270-659: The Carpathian Basin to the Hunyadi genome were detected in Avar individuals, elite Hungarian Conquerors and in a Medieval Hungarian nobleman from the Hungarian Royal Basilica . John Corvinus belongs to the T2b mitochondrial haplogroup, his maternal lineage widespread haplogroup throughout Eurasia. His son Christopher Corvinus belongs to the rare T2c1+146 mitochondrial haplogroup, his maternal lineage
3379-447: The Diet of March 1450 ordered the confiscation of Branković's estates in the Kingdom of Hungary. Hunyadi and his troops departed for Serbia, forcing Branković to release his son. Hunyadi, Ladislaus Garai and Nicholas Újlaki concluded a treaty on 17 July 1450, promising each other assistance to preserve their offices in case King Ladislaus V returned to Hungary. In October Hunyadi made peace with Frederick III of Germany, which confirmed
Hunyadi - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-623: The Eastern European steppe. Voyk was born in Wallachia, according to the nearly contemporaneous historians Johannes de Thurocz and Gáspár Heltai. Voyk had been serving as a "court knight" in the royal court when he received the demesne of Hunyad from King Sigismund, suggesting that he was descended from a prominent Wallachian family. Modern historian Kubinyi wrote that Voyk most probably joined Sigismund in 1395. In this year, Sigismund invaded Wallachia and restored his vassal, Mircea
3597-971: The Elder , to the princely throne. He was last mentioned in a royal charter in 1414. Voyk died before 12 February 1419. On this day, a charter confirming the grant of 1409 was issued for Voyk's brother, Radol, and for Voyk's three sons: John the Elder, John the Younger, and Voyk. Voyk's oldest son John Hunyadi was born between about 1405 and 1407. In his youth, he served in the court of George Csáky, Filippo Scolari , and King Sigismund's other warlike barons. He married Elizabeth Szilágyi around 1429. Her father owned properties in Bodrog County . John Hunyadi developed his military skills during his journeys in Italy and Bohemia in Sigismund's entourage in
3706-607: The Emperor to hand over the young monarch to Count Ulrich of Celje on 4 September. In the meantime, Hunyadi had met Jiskra in Körmöcbánya (present-day Kremnica, Slovakia) where they concluded a treaty on 24 August. According to the treaty, Jiskra retained Léva (present-day Levica, Slovakia) and his right to collect the " thirtieth "—a custom duty—at Késmárk (present-day Kežmarok, Slovakia) and Ólubló (present-day Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia). In September Hunyadi sent envoys to Constantinople and promised military assistance to
3815-472: The Estates' offer and was also crowned king on 17 July. During the ensuing civil war between the two kings' partisans, Hunyadi supported Vladislaus. Hunyadi fought against the Ottomans in Wallachia, for which King Vladislaus granted him five domains in the vicinity of his family estates on 9 August 1440. Hunyadi, together with Nicholas of Ilok, annihilated the troops of Vladislaus' opponents at Bátaszék at
3924-673: The German monarch's position as guardian of Ladislaus V for further eight years. With the mediation of Újlaki and other barons, Hunyadi also concluded a peace treaty with Branković in August 1451, which authorized Hunyadi to redeem the debated domains for 155,000 gold florins. Hunyadi launched a military expedition against Jiskra, but the Czech commander routed the Hungarian troops near Losonc (present-day Lučenec, Slovakia) on 7 September. With
4033-466: The Good , Duke of Burgundy and other European powers demanded a new crusade, promising financial or military support. The formation of a "party"—a group of noblemen and clerics—under Hunyadi's leadership can be dated to this period. Their main purpose was the defence of Hungary against the Ottomans. According to a letter of Đurađ Branković, Hunyadi spent more than 63,000 gold florins to hire mercenaries in
4142-493: The Hunyadi family: ( * = born; † = died; ∞ = wife or husband; b. = before; c. = in about; m. = mentioned) 1490 1∞ Elizabeth of Celje 2∞ Catherine of Poděbrady John Hunyadi John Hunyadi ( Hungarian : Hunyadi János ; Romanian : Ioan de Hunedoara ; Croatian : Janko Hunjadi ; Serbian : Сибињанин Јанко , romanized : Sibinjanin Janko ; c. 1406 – 11 August 1456)
4251-511: The King fled to Prague and took Matthias with him. The childless Ladislaus V died on 23 November 1457. A Diet was convened to elect the new monarch. Matthias' maternal uncle, Michael Szilágyi , arrived with more than 10,000 armed noblemen under his command, and the Diet proclaimed Matthias king on 24 January 1458. Matthias returned from Prague, but was only crowned with the Holy Crown of Hungary on 29 March 1464, because he had spent
4360-544: The Kingdom of Hungary—including Debrecen , Munkács (present-day Mukacheve, Ukraine), and Nagybánya (present-day Baia Mare, Romania)—to Hunyadi. King Vladislaus, whom Cardinal Cesarini urged to keep his oath, decided to invade the Ottoman Empire in autumn. Upon the Cardinal's proposal, he offered Hunyadi the crown of Bulgaria. The crusaders departed from Hungary on 22 September. They planned to advance towards
4469-674: The Magnanimous , King of Aragon and Naples . He even offered the crown to Alfonso in exchange for the King's participation in an anti-Ottoman crusade and the confirmation of his position as governor. However, King Alfonso refrained from signing an agreement. Hunyadi invaded Wallachia and dethroned Vlad Dracul in December 1447. According to the contemporaneous Polish chronicler Jan Długosz , Hunyadi had "the very man he promised to make voivode" blinded, and planned "to appropriate" Wallachia for himself. Hunyadi styled himself "voivode of
Hunyadi - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-529: The Ottoman troops who were plundering the southern marches in the early 1440s. In 1442, Hunyadi won four victories against the Ottomans, two of which were decisive. In March 1442, Hunyadi defeated Mezid Bey and the raiding Ottoman army at the Battle of Szeben in the south part of the Kingdom of Hungary in Transylvania . In September 1442, Hunyadi defeated a large Ottoman army of Beylerbey Şehabeddin ,
4687-480: The Provincial Governor of Rumelia . This was the first time that a European army defeated such a large Ottoman force, composed not only of raiders, but of the provincial cavalry led by their own sanjak beys (governors) and accompanied by the formidable janissaries . Although defeated in the battle of Varna in 1444 and in the second battle of Kosovo in 1448, his successful " Long Campaign " across
4796-543: The Székelys and Chief Captain of Nándorfehérvár (now Belgrade ) in 1441 and head of a several of southern counties of the Kingdom of Hungary, he assumed responsibility for the defense of the frontiers. He adopted the Hussite method of using wagons for military purposes . He employed professional soldiers, but also mobilized local peasantry against invaders. These innovations contributed to his earliest successes against
4905-495: The Transalpine land" and referred to the Wallachian town, Târgoviște as "our fortress" in a letter of 4 December. It is without doubt that Hunyadi installed a new voivode in Wallachia, but modern historians debate whether the new voivode was Vladislav II (to whom Hunyadi referred as his relative in a letter) or Dan (who seems to have been a son of Basarab II). In February 1448 Hunyadi sent an army to Moldavia to support
5014-420: The Turkic bay , meaning "prince" or "lord". Voyk's son, John Hunyadi, bore the nickname "Olah", meaning " Vlach ", in his youth, which implied that he was of Romanian stock. The court historian of Voyk's grandson King Matthias Corvinus , Antonio Bonfini , explicitly stated that John had been "born to a Vlach father". Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III likewise knew that King Matthias had been "born to
5123-414: The advantageous treaty, but Cardinal Cesarini urged the monarch to continue the crusade. On 4 August Vladislaus took a solemn oath of launching a campaign against the Ottoman Empire before the end of the year even if a peace treaty were concluded. According to Johannes de Thurocz, the King appointed Hunyadi to sign the peace treaty on 15 August. In a week, Đurađ Branković mortgaged his extensive domains in
5232-454: The age of six in 1505. His sister Elisabeth died during childhood. The family was given its land by Sigismund , King of Hungary , on 18 October 1409. On that day, Sigismund granted Hunyad Castle and its demesne to Voyk and four of his kinsmen. In addition to Voyk, the grant lists his two brothers, Magas and Radol, their cousin or uncle also named Radol, and Voyk's son, John , the future Regent of Hungary . Magas means "tall", and
5341-672: The autumn of 1449, but could not defeat them. On the other hand, the rulers of two neighboring countries— Stjepan Tomaš , King of Bosnia , and Bogdan II , Voivode of Moldavia —concluded a treaty with Hunyadi, promising that they would remain loyal to him. In early 1450 Hunyadi and Jiskra signed a peace treaty in Mezőkövesd , acknowledging that many prosperous towns in Upper Hungary —including Pressburg/Pozsony (present-day Bratislava, Slovakia) and Kassa (present-day Košice, Slovakia)—remained under Jiskra's rule. Upon Hunyadi's demand,
5450-510: The beginning of his career Hunyadi worked either for Demeter Csupor, Bishop of Zagreb or for the Csákys. According to the Byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles , the young Hunyadi "stayed for a time" at the court of Stefan Lazarević , Despot of Serbia , who died in 1427. Hunyadi's marriage with Elisabeth Szilágyi substantiates Chalkokondyles' report, because her father, Ladislaus
5559-411: The borders. By effectively defending the interests of local landowners at the royal court, Hunyadi strengthened his position in the provinces under his administration. For instance, he obtained land grants and privileges for local noblemen from the King. Hunyadi set about repairing the walls of Belgrade, which had been damaged during an Ottoman attack. In retaliation for Ottoman raids in the region of
SECTION 50
#17327718231045668-435: The campaign at the head of an army of 25–27,000 men in the autumn of 1443. In theory, Vladislaus commanded the army, but the true leader of the campaign was Hunyadi. Despot Đurađ Branković joined them with a force of 8,000 men. Hunyadi commanded the vanguards and routed four smaller Ottoman forces, hindering their unification. He captured Kruševac , Niš and Sofia . However, the Hungarian troops could not break through
5777-573: The child Ladislaus V's rule if King Vladislaus, whose fate was still uncertain, had not arrived in Hungary by the end of May. The Estates also elected seven " Captains in Chief ", including Hunyadi, each being responsible for the restoration of internal order in the territory allotted to them. Hunyadi was assigned to administer the lands east of the river Tisza . Here he possessed at least six castles and owned lands in about ten counties, which made him
5886-414: The countryside. In order to prevent the unification of the armies of Hunyadi and Skanderbeg, Sultan Murad II joined battle with Hunyadi on Kosovo Polje on 17 October. The battle , which lasted for three days, ended with the crusaders' catastrophic defeat. Around 17,000 Hungarian and Wallachian soldiers were killed or captured and Hunyadi could hardly escape from the battlefield. On his way home, Hunyadi
5995-407: The early 1430s. He and his younger brother (who was his namesake) were jointly appointed Ban of Szörény (present-day Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania) in 1439 by Sigismund's successor, King Albert . With this appointment, they acquired the status of "true barons". The senior John Hunyadi became Voivode of Transylvania and Count of the Székelys in 1441, with responsibility for the defense of
6104-412: The election of his son, Matthias Corvinus , as King of Hungary in 1458. He attempted to secure a hereditary line of succession for his son, John Corvinus . This did not happen, however, and John was only able to retain the Duchy of Glogau, along with some other family domains in Hungary, after Matthias died in 1490. John's only son, Christopher Corvinus , was the last male member of the family. He died at
6213-605: The field. In April 1443 King Vladislaus and his barons decided to mount a major campaign against the Ottoman Empire. With the mediation of Cardinal Cesarini, Vladislaus reached a truce with Frederick III of Germany , who had been the guardian of the child Ladislaus V. The armistice guaranteed that Frederick III would not attack Hungary in the subsequent twelve months. Spending around 32,000 gold florins from his own treasury, Hunyadi hired more than 10,000 mercenaries. The King also mustered troops, and reinforcements arrived from Poland and Moldavia . The King and Hunyadi departed for
6322-554: The first half of the year. An eminent representative of Renaissance humanism in Hungary, John Vitéz became Hunyadi's close friend around that time. The advance of Christian forces in Ottoman territory also encouraged the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula to revolt in the peripheries of the Ottoman Empire. For instance, Skanderbeg , an Albanian noble, expelled the Ottomans from Krujë and all other fortresses once held by his family. Sultan Murad II, whose main concern
6431-652: The first reference to John Hunyadi. In the document, King Sigismund of Hungary bestowed Hunyad Castle (in present-day Hunedoara , Romania) and the lands attached to it upon John's father, Voyk and Voyk's four kinsmen, including John himself. According to the document, John's father served in the royal household as a "court knight" at that time, suggesting that he was descended from a respected family. Two 15th-century chroniclers— Johannes de Thurocz and Antonio Bonfini —write that Voyk had moved from Wallachia to Hungary upon King Sigismund's initiative. László Makkai, Malcolm Hebron, Pál Engel and other scholars accept
6540-426: The general insurrection of the nobility against the Ottomans, but few armed noblemen assembled in the region of Titel and were ready to fight. A notable exception was Hunyadi, who made raids against the besiegers and defeated them in smaller skirmishes, which contributed to the rise of his fame. The Ottomans captured Smederevo in August. King Albert appointed the Hunyadi brothers Bans of Severin, elevating them to
6649-451: The governorship in 1452. This was the first example of a grant of a hereditary title in the Kingdom of Hungary. John Hunyadi had by that time become the richest landowner in the Kingdom of Hungary, holding about 25 fortresses, 30 towns, and more than 1,000 villages. He died on 11 August 1456, shortly after his greatest victory over the Ottomans at the Siege of Belgrade . John the Younger
SECTION 60
#17327718231046758-692: The highest shared drift are with European Neolithic samples (which peoples can also be traced back to the Carpathian Basin ) and Hungarian Neolithic samples: Transdanubian Lengyel culture , Bodrogkeresztúr culture , Kőrös culture , Alföld Linear Pottery culture . The genome of Christopher Corvinus also has a shared drift with a sample from the Croatian Copper Age Vučedol culture , which was received from his mother. The Corvinus genome contains these admixture components: 50% Neolithic Anatolian, 31% Ancient North Eurasian , 8% Iranian Neolithic, 5% Western Hunter gatherer, 3% Early Bronze Age and 2% Han. At
6867-413: The individual level, the 10 most similar samples were from Russia , Croatia , Romania and Hungary , while at the population level, it clustered with populations from northern Italy , Spain , Basque Country , France , Croatia and Hungary . The greatest similarity to this medieval Corvinus genome is found with today's southern European and Carpathian Basin populations, and also with individuals from
6976-499: The mediation of Branković, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire signed a three-year truce on 20 November. The Austrian noblemen rose up in open rebellion against Frederick III of Germany, who governed the duchy in the name of Ladislaus the Posthumus at the turn of 1451 and 1452. The leader of the rebellion, Ulrich Eizinger sought the assistance of the Estates of Ladislaus's two other realms, Bohemia and Hungary. The Diet of Hungary, which assembled in Pressburg/Pozsony in February 1452, sent
7085-448: The most powerful baron in the region under his rule. Hunyadi was planning to organize a new crusade against the Ottoman Empire. For this purpose, he barraged the Pope and other Western monarchs with letters in 1445. In September he had a meeting, at Nicopolis , with Waleran de Wavrin (nephew of the chronicler Jean de Wavrin ), the captain of eight Burgundian galleys, and Vlad Dracul of Wallachia, who had seized small fortresses along
7194-447: The northern regions (in present-day Slovakia)—to sign an armistice for three years on 13 September. However, Jiskra did not keep the truce, and armed conflicts continued. In November Hunyadi proceeded against Frederick III of Germany, who had refused to release Ladislaus V and seized Kőszeg , Sopron and other towns along the western border. Hunyadi's troops plundered Austria, Styria , Carinthia and Carniola , but no decisive battle
7303-402: The other hand, Johannes de Thurocz said that John Hunyadi "was descended from a noble and renowned race of Wallachia ". John Hunyadi's rapid advance, which astonished his contemporaries, and gave rise to legends about his origins. According to one of these stories, recorded in detail by the 16th-century historian Gáspár Heltai , John Hunyadi was the illegitimate son of King Sigismund with
7412-434: The passes of the Balkan Mountains towards Edirne . Cold weather and the lack of supplies forced the Christian troops to stop the campaign at Zlatitsa . After being victorious in the Battle of Kunovica , they returned to Belgrade in January and Buda in February 1444. Although no major Ottoman forces had been defeated, Hunyadi's " long campaign " stirred enthusiasm throughout Christian Europe. Pope Eugenius, Philip
7521-401: The peoples of the Balkan Peninsula give rise to further legends of his royal parentage. The identification of John Hunyadi's mother is even less certain. In connection with King Sigismund's supposed parentage, both Bonfini and Heltai say that she was the daughter of a rich boyar , or nobleman, whose estates were located at Morzsina (present-day Margina , Romania). Pop proposes that she
7630-466: The pretender Peter in seizing the throne. In exchange, Peter acknowledged Hunyadi's suzerainty and contributed to the installation of a Hungarian garrison in the fort of Chilia Veche on the Lower Danube. Hunyadi made a new attempt to expel Count Ulrich of Celje from Slavonia, but could not defeat him. In June Hunyadi and the Count reached an agreement, which confirmed Count Ulrich's position of Ban in Slavonia. In short time Hunyadi sent his envoys to
7739-488: The previous years with fighting against his opponents. Urged by Pope Paul II , Matthias led a crusade against the Czech Hussites and occupied great parts of Moravia and Silesia in 1468. The Catholic Estates of Moravia proclaimed him King of Bohemia on 3 May 1469. Matthias' reign was also recognized in Lusatia and Silesia, but Bohemia proper remained under the rule of his opponents, Kings George of Poděbrady (till 1471) and Vladislaus II Jagiellon . Through
7848-660: The principles of contemporary military art, including the employment of mercenaries, in Milan . Hunyadi again joined the entourage of Sigismund, who had in the meantime been crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, at the very end of 1433. He served the monarch as a "court knight". He loaned 1,200 gold florins to the Emperor in January 1434. In exchange, Sigismund mortgaged Papi—a market town in Csanád County —and half of
7957-486: The rank of "true barons of the realm". He also mortgaged a Vlach district in Temes County to them. King Albert died of dysentery on 27 October 1439. His widow, Elisabeth —Emperor Sigismund's daughter—gave birth to a posthumus son, Ladislaus . The Estates of the realm offered the crown to Vladislaus , King of Poland , but Elizabeth had his infant son crowned king on 15 May 1440. However, Vladislaus accepted
8066-552: The remains of King Matthias Corvinus from among the bones stored in the ossuary at Székesfehérvár . The team of Endre Neparáczki successfully identified the DNA profile of the last two male members of the Hunyadi family by next-generation sequencing technology, and the genetic study was published in Heliyon in 2022. John Corvinus and Christopher Corvinus carried the paternal Y-chromosome haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a6a1c~ (E-BY4281), which
8175-497: The richest barons of the kingdom. His domains covered an area exceeding 800,000 hectares (2,000,000 acres). Hunyadi was one of the few contemporaneous barons who spent a significant part of their revenues to finance the wars against the Ottomans, thus bearing a large share of the cost of fighting for many years. As governor, Hunyadi was authorized to exercise most royal prerogatives for the period of King Ladislaus V's minority. For instance, he could make land grants, but only up to
8284-406: The river Sava , he made an incursion into Ottoman territory in the summer or autumn of 1441. He scored a pitched battle victory over Ishak Bey, the commander of Smederovo. Early the next year, Bey Mezid invaded Transylvania with a force of 17,000 soldiers. Hunyadi was taken by surprise and lost the first battle near Marosszentimre (Sântimbru, Romania). Bey Mezid lay siege to Hermannstadt, but
8393-809: The royal castles and royal revenues that he possessed at that time. Hunyadi also received Beszterce (present-day Bistrița, Romania)—a district of the Transylvanian Saxons —with the title " perpetual count " from Ladislaus V, which was the first grant of a hereditary title in the Kingdom of Hungary. In a letter of 28 April 1453, Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini —the future Pope Pius II—stated that King Ladislaus V's realms were administered by "three men": Hungary by Hunyadi, Bohemia by George of Poděbrady, and Austria by Ulrich of Celje. However, Hunyadi's position gradually weakened, because even many of his former allies considered his acts to retain his power with suspicion. The citizens of Beszterce forced him to issue
8502-400: The royal court, in practice Hunyadi administered Transylvania and the southern borderlands alone. Soon after his appointment, Hunyadi visited Transylvania where the child Ladislaus V's partisans had maintained a strong position. After Hunyadi pacified Transylvania, the regions under his administration remained undisturbed by internal conflicts, enabling Hunyadi to concentrate on the defence of
8611-716: The royal incomes from a nearby ferry on the Maros River to Hunyadi and his younger brother. The royal charter of the transaction mentions Hunyadi as John the Vlach ( Romanian ). In short, Sigismund granted Hunyadi further domains, including Békésszentandrás , and Hódmezővásárhely , each incorporating about 10 villages. Antonio Bonfini writes of Hunyadi's service in the retinue of one "Francis Csanádi" who "became so fond of him that treated him as if he were his own son". Historian Engel identifies Francis Csanádi with Franko Talovac , Croatian nobleman and Ban of Severin , who
8720-509: The same letter, he explained his military strategy to the Pope, stating that "[p]ower is always greater when used in attack rather than in defence". Hunyadi departed for the new campaign at the head of an army of 16,000 soldiers in September 1448. About 8,000 soldiers from Wallachia also joined his campaign. For Đurađ Branković refused to assist the crusaders, Hunyadi treated him as the Ottoman's ally and his army marched through Serbia plundering
8829-513: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Hunyadi . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hunyadi&oldid=908678187 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Articles containing Hungarian-language text Short description
8938-457: The size of 32 peasant holdings. Hunyadi attempted to pacify the border regions. Soon after his election, he launched an unsuccessful campaign against Ulrich II, Count of Celje . Count Ulrich administered Slavonia with the title ban (which he had arbitrarily adopted) and refused to renounce of it in favor of Hunyadi's appointee. Hunyadi could not force him to submit. Hunyadi persuaded John Jiskra of Brandýs —a Czech commander who controlled
9047-420: The southern borders of Hungary against Ottoman raids. He defeated the Ottomans in several battles during his " long campaign " in the Balkan Peninsula in 1443. The Estates of the realm elected him governor for the period of King Ladislaus V of Hungary 's minority in 1446. King Ladislaus bestowed the title of Perpetual Count of Beszterce (present-day Bistrița, Romania) upon John Hunyadi after he resigned
9156-447: The throne of Hungary. Matthias died on 6 April 1490. John Corvinus was the illegitimate son of King Matthias and his mistress, Barbara Edelpöck . John Corvinus was born on 2 April 1473. Matthias recognized in public that John is his son and granted him the title of Duke of Liptó (present-day Liptov, Slovakia ) in 1481. John Corvinus received a number of land grants from his father in the subsequent years. King Matthias granted him
9265-576: The time of his death, he was the owner of immense land areas, totaling approximately four million cadastral acres, which had no precedent before or after in the Kingdom of Hungary. His enormous wealth and his military and political weight were primarily directed towards the purposes of the Ottoman wars . Hunyadi mastered his military skills on the southern borderlands of the Kingdom of Hungary that were exposed to Ottoman attacks. Appointed Ban of Szörény in 1439, appointed Voivode of Transylvania , Counts of
9374-413: The title of Duke of Slavonia upon him, but he renounced of it in 1495. He also renounced of the Duchy of Troppau in 1501. John Corvinus married Beatrice de Frangepan in 1496. She gave birth to two children, Elizabeth and Christopher . John Corvinus died on 12 October 1504. His son died at the age of six, his daughter at the age of twelve. The following family tree depicts the known members of
9483-515: The title of governor. When he resigned from this office in 1452, the sovereign awarded him with the first hereditary title in the Kingdom of Hungary, ( perpetual count of Beszterce/Bistrița ). He had by this time become one of the wealthiest landowners in the kingdom, and preserved his influence in the Diet up until his death. This Athleta Christi (Christ's Champion), as Pope Pius II referred to him, died some three weeks after his triumph at Belgrade , falling to an epidemic that had broken out in
9592-460: The two chroniclers' report of the Wallachian origin of John Hunyadi's father. In contrast with them, Ioan-Aurel Pop says that Voyk was a native of the wider region of Hunyad Castle. Antonio Bonfini was the first chronicler to have made a passing remark of an alternative story of John Hunyadi's parentage, soon stating that it was just a "tasteless tale" fabricated by Hunyadi's opponent, Ulrich II, Count of Celje . According to this anecdote, John
9701-463: The two most prominent Albanian leaders—Scanderbeg and his father-in-law, Gjergj Arianiti —to seek their assistance against the Ottomans. Pope Eugenius suggested that the anti-Ottoman campaign should be postponed. However, Hunyadi stated, in a letter dated 8 September 1448, that he "have had enough of our men enslaved, our women raped, wagons loaded with the severed heads of our people" and expressed his determination to expel "the enemy from Europe". In
9810-526: The united forces of Hunyadi and Újlaki, who had in the meantime arrived in Transylvania, forced the Ottomans to lift the siege. The Ottoman forces were annihilated at Gyulafehérvár on 22 March. Pope Eugenius IV , who had been an enthusiastic propagator of a new crusade against the Ottomans, sent his legate , Cardinal Giuliano Cesarini to Hungary. The Cardinal arrived in May 1442 tasked with mediating
9919-529: The very beginning of 1441. Their victory effectively put an end to the civil war. The grateful King appointed Hunyadi and his comrade joint Voivodes of Transylvania and Counts of the Székelys in February. In short, the King also nominated them Ispáns of Temes County and conferred upon them the command of Belgrade and all other castles along the Danube . Since Nicholas of Ilok spent most of his time in
10028-506: The young King Vladislaus launched a premature attack against the janissaries and was killed. Taking advantage of the crusaders' panic, the Ottomans annihilated their army. Hunyadi narrowly escaped from the battlefield, but was captured and imprisoned by Wallachian soldiers. However, Vlad Dracul set him free before long. At the next Diet of Hungary , which assembled in April 1445, the Estates decided that they would unanimously acknowledge
10137-555: The younger and Voyk) and their uncle Radol, but does not refer to their father. Andreas Pannonius, who served Hunyadi for five years, wrote that the future commander "accustomed himself to tolerate both cold and heat in good time". Like other young noblemen, John Hunyadi spent his youth serving in the court of powerful magnates. However, the exact list of his employers cannot be completed, because 15th-century authors recorded contradictory data on his early life. Filippo Scolari 's biographer, Poggio Bracciolini writes that Scolari—who
10246-545: Was a leading Hungarian military and political figure during the 15th century, who served as regent of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1446 to 1453, under the minor Ladislaus V . According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of Wallachian ancestry . Through his struggles against the Ottoman Empire , he earned for himself the nickname "Turk-buster" from his contemporaries. Due to his merits, he quickly received substantial land grants. By
10355-804: Was a rebellion by the Karamanids in Anatolia , offered generous terms of peace to King Vladislaus. He even promised to withdraw the Ottoman garrisons from Serbia, thus restoring its semi-autonomous status under Despot Đurađ Branković. He also offered a truce for ten years. The Hungarian envoys accepted the Sultan's offer in Edirne on 12 June 1444. Đurađ Branković, who was grateful for the restoration of his realm, donated his estates at Világos (present-day Șiria, Romania) in Zaránd County to Hunyadi on 3 July. Hunyadi proposed King Vladislaus to confirm
10464-477: Was actually not Voyk's child, but King Sigismund's illegitimate son. The story became especially popular during the reign of John Hunyadi's son, Matthias Corvinus who erected a statue for King Sigismund in Buda . The 16th-century chronicler Gáspár Heltai repeated and further developed the tale, but modern scholars—for instance, Cartledge, and Kubinyi—regard it as an unverifiable gossip. Hunyadi's popularity among
10573-614: Was already present in the Neolithic era on the territory of present-day Hungary but most frequent around the Mediterranean . Both maternal lines are consistent with the known origin of their mothers. Archaeogenomic analysis indicated that John and Christopher Corvinus had an ancient European genome composition. The majority genome components of John Corvinus were present in the Carpathian Basin thousands of years ago,
10682-639: Was also Ispán of Csanád County around 1432. Engel says that Hunyadi served in the Ban's retinue for at least one and a half years from around October 1434. A Vlach district of the Banate of Severin was mortgaged to Hunyadi in this period. Sigismund, who entered Prague in the summer of 1436, hired Hunyadi and his 50 lancers for three months in October 1437 for 1,250 gold florins, implying that Hunyadi had accompanied him to Bohemia . Hunyadi seems to have studied
10791-597: Was also an eminent statesman. He actively took part in the civil war between the partisans of Wladislas I and the minor Ladislaus V, two claimants to the throne of Hungary in the early 1440s, on behalf of the former. He was popular among the lesser nobility, and in 1445 the Diet of Hungary appointed him one of the seven " Captains in Chief " responsible for the administration of state affairs until Ladislaus V (by that time unanimously accepted as king) came of age. The next Diet went even further, electing Hunyadi as sole regent with
10900-410: Was born in a family of Romanian noble knezes from the region of Hátszeg , or Hunyad . They say that Voyk's grandfather could have been a man named "Costea", mentioned in a royal charter from 1360, and who fathered a son named Serbe (the name of Voyk's father). According to the charter, Costea and Serbe together established two villages in the region of Hátszeg . Historian Dezső Dümmerth offers
11009-612: Was called Elisabeth. According to historian László Makkai, John Hunyadi's mother was a member of the Muzsina (or Mușina) kenez family from Demsus (Densuș, Romania), but Pop refuses the identification of the Morzsina and Muzsina families. With regard of John Hunyadi's mother, Bonfini provides an alternative solution as well, stating that she was a distinguished Greek lady, but does not name her. According to Kubinyi, her alleged Greek origin may simply refer to her Orthodox faith. In
11118-465: Was captured by Đurađ Branković who kept him prisoner in the fort of Smederevo. The Despot was initially contemplating to surrender Hunyadi to the Ottomans. However, the Hungarian barons and prelates who assembled at Szeged persuaded him to make peace with Hunyadi. According to the treaty, Hunyadi was obliged to pay a ransom of 100,000 gold florins and to return all the domains that he had acquired from Đurađ Branković. Hunyadi's oldest son, Ladislaus
11227-412: Was fought. A truce with Frederick III was signed on 1 June 1447. Although Frederick renounced of Győr , his position as the minor King's guardian was confirmed. The Estates of the realm were disappointed and the Diet elected Ladislaus Garai —a leader of Hunyadi's opponents—Palatine in September 1447. Hunyadi accelerated his negotiations, which had been commenced in the previous year, with Alfonso
11336-547: Was only born after 1409, and a difference of almost two decades between the two brothers' age is not plausible. The place of his birth is likewise unknown. The 16th-century scholar, Antun Vrančić wrote that John Hunyadi had been "a native" of the Hátszeg region (now Țara Hațegului in Romania). Hunyadi's father died before 12 February 1419. A royal charter issued on this day mentions Hunyadi, Hunyadi's two brothers ( John
11445-534: Was responsible for the defense of the southern frontier as Ispán , or head, of Temes County —educated Hunyadi from his very youth, suggesting that Hunyadi was Scolari's page around 1420. On the other hand, John of Capistrano writes, in a letter of 1456, that Hunyadi started his military career serving under Nicholas of Ilok . For Nicholas of Ilok was at least six year younger than Hunyadi, historian Pál Engel writes that Capistrano confused him with his brother, Stephen of Ilok. Finally, Antonio Bonfini says that at
11554-497: Was sent to the Despot as a hostage. Hunyadi was released, and he returned to Hungary in late December 1448. His defeat and his humiliating treaty with the Despot weakened Hunyadi's position. The prelates and the barons confirmed the treaty and assigned Branković to negotiate with the Ottomans, and Hunyadi resigned from the office of Voivode of Transylvania. He invaded the lands controlled by John Jiskra and his Czech mercenaries in
11663-400: Was sentenced to death for high treason. He was executed on 16 March 1457. Matthias , the younger son of John Hunyadi the elder and Elizabeth Szilágyi, was born on 23 February 1443. He was arrested upon the orders of King Ladislaus V of Hungary on 14 March 1457, together with his elder brother Ladislaus. Matthias's brother was executed two days after having been arrested. Fearing a revolt,
11772-520: Was the Despot's familiaris around 1426. The wedding took place around 1429. While still a young man, Hunyadi entered the retinue of King Sigismund. He accompanied Sigismund to Italy in 1431 and upon Sigismund's order he joined the army of Filippo Maria Visconti , Duke of Milan . Bonfini says that Hunyadi "served two years" in the Duke's army. Modern scholars—for instance, Cartledge, Engel, Mureşanu and Teke—say that Hunyadi familiarized himself with
11881-411: Was the younger of Voyk's two sons that shared the name John, and was first mentioned in a charter issued to four members of his family on 12 February 1419. King Albert of Hungary appointed him Ban of Szörény together with his brother, John the Elder, in 1439. He died fighting against the Ottomans in 1441. His brother wrote of him as "the valiant of the valiant", showing that John the Younger was regarded
#103896