Voivode of Transylvania


The Voivode of Transylvania was the highest-ranking official in Transylvania within the Kingdom of Hungary from the 12th century to the 16th century. Appointed by the monarchs, the voivodesthemselves also the heads or ispáns of Fehér Countywere the superiors of the ispáns of all the other counties in the province.
They had wide-ranging administrative, military and judicial powers, but their jurisdiction never covered the whole province. The Saxon and Székely communitiesorganized into their own districts or "seats" from the 13th centurywere independent of the voivodes. The kings also exempted some Transylvanian towns and villages from their authority over the centuries. Even so, the Voivodeship of Transylvania "was the largest single administrative entity" in the entire kingdom in the 15th century. Voivodes enjoyed income from the royal estates attached to their office, but the right to "grant lands, collect taxes and tolls, or coin money" was reserved for the monarchs. Although Roland Borsa, Ladislaus Kán and some other voivodes rebelled against the sovereign, most remained faithful royal officials.
Because of the gradual disintegration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th century, the last voivodes of Transylvania, who came from the Báthory family, ceased to be high-ranking officials. Instead they were the heads of state, although under Ottoman suzerainty, of a new principality emerging in the eastern territories of the kingdom. Accordingly, Stephen Báthory, the voivode elected by the Diet of the new realm, officially abandoned the title of voivode and adopted that of prince in 1576, upon his election as King of Poland.

Origins

The origin of the office is unclear. The title voivode is of Slavic origin with a meaning of "commander, lieutenant". Although Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos wrote of the voivodes or chieftains of the Hungarian tribes around 950, he seems to have adopted the term used by a Slavic interpreter.
The border position of Transylvania led to the formation of the voivodeship, since the monarchs could not maintain direct control over this remote region. Thus the voivodes were never autonomous, but remained provincial officials of the kings. The voivodes were heads of Fehér County from 1201, which may indicate that their position had its origin in the office of that county's ispán.
Two royal charters issued in 1111 and 1113 mention one Mercurius "princeps Ultrasilvanus", but he may have been only an important landowner in Transylvania without holding any specific office. The title voivode was first documented in 1199, but Leustach Rátót voivode living some years earlier was mentioned by a document from 1230. In addition to voivode, royal charters used the titles banus, dux and herzog for the same office in the next decades, showing that the terminology remained uncertain until the second half of the 13th century.

Functions

Jurisdiction

The territories under the jurisdiction of the voivodes are known as Voivodeship of Transylvania or Voivodate of Transylvania. Voivodes were the chiefs of the ispáns of the Transylvanian counties. Although the counties in Transylvania were first attested from the 1170s, earlier references to fortresses at their seats and archaeological finds suggest that a system of counties existed in the 11th century. For instance, Torda County was first mentioned in a charter of 1227, but a royal castle at Torda had already been documented in 1097, and three burials coin-dated to the reign of Stephen I of Hungary were unearthed in the same fortress.
The ispáns of the Transylvanian counties of Doboka, Hunyad, Kolozs, Küküllő and Torda were not listed among the witnesses of royal charters from the beginning of the 13th century, hinting that their direct connection to the monarchs had by that time been interrupted. Thereafter they were employed by the voivode who appointed and dismissed them at will. Only the heads of Szolnok County remained directly connected to the monarchs for a longer period, until their office was united with the voivodeship in the 1260s. Similarly, the voivodes were simultaneously the ispáns of the nearby Arad County between 1321 and 1412.
The kings exempted some communities from the jurisdiction of the voivodes. The Diploma Andreanum, a royal charter of 1224, placed the territory of the Saxons between Broos and Barót under the authority of the Count of Hermannstadt, who was appointed by and directly subordinate to the monarchs. Likewise, a special royal official, the Count of the Székelys, administered the Székely community from around 1228. In the latter case, the two offices were united by custom in 1462: from then on each voivode was also appointed Count of the Székelys.
Following the Mongol invasion of 1241 and 1242, King Béla IV of Hungary exempted the inhabitants of Bilak, Gyalu, Gyulafehérvár, Harina, Tasnád and Zilah. King Charles I of Hungary granted immunity to the Saxon communities of Birthälm, Kleinschelken, and Mediasch in 1315, but the same monarch annulled other communities' similar privileges in 1324. Altrodenau and Bistritz received immunity in 1366.

Honour of the voivodes

The office of voivode was one of the most important royal honours in the kingdom. All income from lands attached to the Transylvanian royal castles was collected for the voivodes. They enjoyed the income from fines, but royal revenues from taxes, tolls and mines remained the kings' due.
During most of the 14th century, the voivodes held the castles at Bánffyhunyad, Boroskrakkó, Csicsóújfalu, Déva, Hátszeg, Kőhalom, Küküllővár, Léta, Nagy-Talmács, Torja and Újvár, together with their lands. Additionally, the voivodes enjoyed the revenues of royal estates in Transylvania. For instance, the estates at Bonchida and Vajdahunyad were attached to them for decades. However, the monarchs started to grant their castles and estates to noblemen, to the bishops of Transylvania or to the Saxon community after 1387. Consequently, Küküllővár and the lands pertaining to it remained the last piece of the "voivodal domain" in the 1450s.
The inhabitants of the Transylvanian counties were compelled to accommodate the voivodes and their officials. The "guest settlers" at Boroskrakkó, Magyarigen and Romosz were the first to be released from this duty in 1206. In Alvinc and Borberek, the obligation itself was not abolished, but limited to two occasions a year. Finally King Charles I exempted all Transylvanian noblemen and their serfs from this irksome duty in 1324.
The voivodes who preferred to stay in the royal court seldom resided in their province, but were represented by their deputies. The earliest record of a vicar of a voivode dates from 1221. Later the title "vice-voivode", first documented in 1278, came into general use. In addition to vice-voivodes and ispáns of the Transylvanian counties, the voivodes appointed the castellans of the royal fortresses. They tended to choose from among the noblemen serving in their own retinue, which ensured that their followers received a fair share of their revenues. Accordingly, when a king dismissed a voivode, his men were also replaced with his successor's men.

Judicial functions

Along with the palatine, the judge royal and the ban, the voivode was one of the Kingdom's highest judges. In this capacity, he was authorized to issue "credible" charters. The earliest preserved charter dates to 1248. The voivodes or their vice-voivodes always heard disputes together with local noblemen who knew local customs. Initially, the voivodes and their deputies held their courts at Marosszentimre, but they heard disputes at their own abodes from the 14th century. Voivodes rarely headed their courts after the 1340s and were rather represented by their deputies.
Although limiting his own jurisdiction, in 1342 voivode Thomas Szécsényi recognized the right of Transylvanian noblemen to judge legal cases of peasants owning parcels in their estates, "with the exception of three cases, such as robbery, highway robbery, and violent trespass". This concession was confirmed in 1365 by King Louis I of Hungary. Furthermore, the monarchs granted jus gladii to more and more nobles in the course of the same century.
According to customary law, noblemen could not be sued outside the province until the 15th century. King Louis I even prohibited all prelates and noblemen who owned lands in Transylvania from bringing legal proceedings of lesser importance concerning these estates to the royal court. Nevertheless, legal actions between Transylvanians and the inhabitants of other parts of the kingdom remained outside the jurisdiction of the voivodes. Litigants could appeal to the royal court against the decision of the voivode from the 14th century, but the voivode often remained involved in the proceedings. Legislation prescribed that appeals against decisions of the voivodes were to be addressed to the judge royal only from 1444.
"General assemblies" convoked and presided over by the principal judges of the realm became important judicial institutions in the last decade of the 13th century. General assemblies for the representatives of the Transylvanian counties were presided over by the voivode or the vice-voivode. The first such assembly was held on June 8, 1288. They became important legal institutions from 1322. Thereafter they were held on a regular basis, at least once a year at Keresztes near Torda.
With the authority of the monarch, the voivodes occasionally also invited the representatives of the Saxon and Székely communities to the counties' general meetings. This contributed to the development of legal connections among the future "Three Nations of Transylvania". The threat from the peasants' revolt of 1437 gave rise to the first joint meeting of the Hungarian noblemen and the representatives of the Saxons and the Székelys, which was convoked without a former royal authorization by the vice-voivode. Romanian cneazes were only once, in 1355, invited to the general assembly. Otherwise, the vice-voivodes organized separate meetings for them.

Military functions

The etymology of the title suggests that voivodes had significant military duties. They were the supreme leader of the troops recruited in the counties under their jurisdiction. Although law obliged noblemen to fight in the king's army, Transylvanian nobles fought under the command of the voivode. Furthermore, the voivodes had their own private retinue, formed primarily by armed noblemen. Their right to raise an army under their own flag was confirmed by legislation in 1498.
Military functions are attested, for instance, by Pousa, the voivode at the time of the Mongol invasion who fell in battle on March 31, 1241. Voivode Lawrence of the Aba clan fought in the royal army in a war against Austria in 1246. A Mongol army attacking the southern regions of Transylvania was defeated by voivode Ernye of the Ákos clan in 1260. Roland Borsa fought against the invading Mongols in 1285.
Voivode Nicholas Csáki failed to repel an Ottoman invasion of Transylvania in 1420. In contrast, John Hunyadi, voivode between 1441 and 1446, defeated a major Ottoman army at Gyulafehérvár in 1442. His successor Stephen Báthory likewise won a resounding victory at Breadfield on October 13, 1479. By contrast, John Zápolya, the last voivode before the battle of Mohács on August 29, 1526 did not arrive to the battlefield in time, summoned too late. The battle ended with the Ottomans' annihilation of the royal army. King Louis II of Hungary was also killed on the battlefield.

Monarchs and their voivodes

Appointment and dismissal

The voivodes had power concentrated in their hands, impelling the monarchs to replace them frequently: forty-three voivodes ruled between 1199 and 1288. Monarchs usually refrained from appointing as voivode noblemen who owned Transylvanian estates. Michael of the Kacsics clan was the first voivode to receive a land grant in the province, around 1210. However, these originally uninhabited lands along the upper courses of the river Mureș were confiscated in 1228.
The era beginning with 1288 was characterized by longer periods in office. Roland Borsa survived 10 years, while his successor, Ladislaus Kán, lasted 20 years. This apparent stability was the consequence of the weakening of central government under the last two kings of the Árpád dynasty, Ladislaus IV and Andrew III. Royal power was only restored in the reign of Charles I who one by one defeated the rebellious noblemen throughout his kingdom.
In Transylvania, he was assisted by Thomas Szécsényi, the voivode between 1321 and 1342. Ioan-Aurel Pop characterizes the following period as including "voidvodal dynasties": five members of the Lackfi family were successively appointed between 1356 and 1376. Likewise, Nicholas Csáki was succeeded by his son Ladislaus. The pair preferred to entrust their vice-voivode Roland Lépes to represent them, instead of visiting the province. From the middle of the 15th century it was not unusual for two or even three noblemen to hold the office at the same time. For instance, John Hunyadi was appointed together with Nicholas Újlaki in 1441 by King Wladislas I.

Cooperation and conflicts

The Mongols comprehensively plundered the eastern territories of the Kingdom of Hungary, including Transylvania, during both their invasion in 1241 and their withdrawal the following year. The consolidation of the province was the main task of Lawrence of the Aba clan, who was appointed by Béla IV and held the office for 10 years from 1242. One of his successors, also appointed by Béla IV, banus Ernye of the Ákos clan, was dismissed in 1260 by the king's son, Stephen who had just taken over Transylvania with the title of duke. The duke's action showed emerging tensions between father and son, rather than conflicts between the duke and the banus.
The first years of the reign of the minor Ladislaus IV were characterized by armed conflicts between parties of the leading noble families. Although Roland Borsa, voivode in 1282 and between 1284 and 1294, was initially among the nobles assisting the king in consolidating royal power, he himself became the source of new conflicts. First he prevented the canons of the Gyulafehérvár Chapter from collecting their income in 1289. Next he unlawfully compelled noblemen and Saxon landowners in Transylvania to accommodate him and his retinue. Later Borsa fought the bishop of Várad and even resisted King Andrew III who besieged him in the fortress of Adorján at Szalárd for three months in 1294.
Borsa's successor Ladislaus Kán went even further by usurping royal prerogative during his voivodeship between 1294 and 1315. He arbitrarily assumed the titles of count of Bistritz, Hermannstadt and the Székelys to expand his authority over Saxon and Székely communities exempted from voivodal authority. He set up a tax-collecting body, seemingly covering the entire province. He captured Otto of Bavaria, a claimant to the Hungarian throne and seized the Holy Crown of Hungary from him in the first half of 1307. He handed the royal diadem to King Charles I in 1310, but continued to rule Transylvania de facto independently until his death in 1315. His son of the same name declared himself voivode, a title even used by the monarch when referring to him in a charter of August 12, 1315. Dózsa Debreceni, the voivode King Charles I appointed in 1318, defeated some rebellious minor lords, but royal authority in Transylvania was only restored by Thomas Szécsényi in the 1320s.
The next rebellion against royal power in Transylvania broke out in 1467. Irritated by a new tax that King Matthias Corvinus had just introduced, representatives of the Three Nations concluded an alliance against the monarch and declared the three incumbent voivodes their leaders. The king put down the revolt in a week, but did not sentence the three voivodes, because their active role in the revolt was never proven.

End of the office

The barons did not find a compromise candidate to succeed King Louis II who perished in the battle of Mohács in 1526. First the voivode, John Szapolyai was proclaimed king by a group of nobles, but the opposing party also elected its own king, Ferdinand I, a scion of the Habsburg family, by the end of the year.

King John I accepted Ottoman suzerainty in 1529, but in the Treaty of Nagyvárad of 1538 he conceded the right of the Habsburgs to succeed him after his death. At that point his voivodes, Stephen Majláth and Emeric Balassa, decided to separate Transylvania from the kingdom in order to save the province from an Ottoman invasion. Although other leading Transylvanian noblemen soon joined them, King John I overcame their rebellion in some weeks.
Following John's death, Ottoman troops occupied the central parts of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1541. Sultan Suleiman I permitted the king's widow, Queen Isabella, to retain the territories east of the river Tisza, including Transylvania, in the name of her infant son, John Sigismund. George Martinuzzi, bishop of Várad, soon started to reorganize the government in the name of the dowager queen and her son. The Ottomans assisted the bishop by capturing his opponent, Stephen Majláth, although the sultan had earlier confirmed the latter's position as voivode. An assembly of the Three Nations elected George Martinuzzi as governor on behalf of the infant king in 1542.
The office of voivode was vacant until September 1549, when Ferdinand appointed Martinuzzi to this post. However, Isabella and his son only left their realm in 1551. Thereafter, Transylvania was again under the rule of voivodes appointed by the monarch, ending with István Dobó. He administered the province until 1556, when Isabella and John Sigismund returned.
John Sigismund ceased to style himself king of Hungary after the Treaty of Speyer of 1570, under which he adopted the title of "Prince of Transylvania and Lord of parts of the Kingdom of Hungary". His successor Stephen Báthory revived the title of voivode, initially for himself. He adopted the title of "prince of Transylvania" when he was elected king of Poland in 1576. At the same time, he conferred the title voivode on his brother Christopher in 1576. Christopher Báthory was followed in 1581 by his minor son Sigismund who continued to style himself voivode until the death of his uncle, Stephen Báthory in 1586. Sigismund Báthory's title of prince was acknowledged in 1595 by Emperor Rudolph.

List of voivodes

Twelfth century

TermIncumbentMonarchNotesSource
c. 1111–c. 1113MercuriusColoman"princeps Ultrasilvanus", but maybe only a distinguished nobleman
1176–c. 1196Leustach of the Rátót clanBéla IIIfirst voivode attested by a royal charter ; leader of Hungarian reinforcements sent to the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuks in the Battle of Myriokephalon of 1176
1199–1200LegforusEmerichis voivode title is documented by the earliest royal charter
1200Eth of the Geregye clanEmericalso ispán of Fehér County

Thirteenth century

TermIncumbentMonarchNotesSource
1201Julius of the Kán clanEmericfirst rule; also ispán of Fehér County
1201Nicholas Emericaccording to a non-authentic charter also in 1202
1202–1206Benedict, son of KorlátEmeric, Ladislaus III, Andrew IIfirst rule
1206Smaragd of the Smaragd clanAndrew II
1208–1209Benedict, son of KorlátAndrew IIsecond rule; conspired against the king who exiled him
1209–1212Michael of the Kacsics clanAndrew IIfirst voivode receiving land grant in Transylvania
1212–1213Berthold of MeraniaAndrew IIbrother of Gertrud, Andrew II's queen; also archbishop of Kalocsa
1213Nicholas Andrew II
1214Julius of the Kán clanAndrew IIsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1215Simon of the Kacsics clanAndrew II
1216–1217Ipoch of the Bogátradvány clanAndrew II
1217RaphaelAndrew IIhe might have been in office in 1218
1219–1221NeukaAndrew II
1221–1222Paul, son of PeterAndrew II
1227Pousa, son of SólyomAndrew IIfirst rule
1229–1231Julius of the Rátót clanAndrew II
1233–1234Denis of the Türje clanAndrew II
1235Andrew, son of SerafinBéla IValso ispán of Pozsony County
1235–1241Pousa, son of SólyomBéla IVsecond rule; died fighting against the invading Mongols
1242–1252LawrenceBéla IValso ispán of Valkó County
b. 1261Ernye of the Ákos clanBéla IVbanus quondam Transiluanus in 1261
1261Csák of the Hahót clanBéla IVbanus Transilvanus; also ispán of Szolnok County ; the king's son, Stephen is duke of Transylvania
1263–1264Ladislaus of the Kán clanBéla IVfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County ; the king's son, Stephen is duke of Transylvania
1267–1268Nicholas of the Geregye clanBéla IVfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County ; it is presumable, he held the dignity uninterruptedly from 1264 to 1270; the king's son, Stephen is duke of Transylvania
1270–1272Matthew of the Csák clanStephen Vfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1272–1273Nicholas of the Geregye clanLadislaus IVsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1273JohnLadislaus IValso ispán of Szolnok County
1273–1274Nicholas of the Geregye clanLadislaus IVthird rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1274Matthew of the Csák clanLadislaus IVsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1274Nicholas of the Geregye clanLadislaus IVfourth rule; maybe in 1275 ; also ispán of Szolnok County
1274–1275Matthew of the Csák clanLadislaus IVthird rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1275Ugrin of the Csák clanLadislaus IVfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1275–1276Ladislaus of the Kán clanLadislaus IVsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1276Ugrin of the Csák clanLadislaus IVsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1276Matthew of the Csák clanLadislaus IVfourth rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1277Nicholas of the Pok clan Ladislaus IVfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1278–1280Finta of the Aba clanLadislaus IValso ispán of Szolnok County ; captured the king
1280Stephen, son of TekeshLadislaus IValso ispán of Szolnok County
1282Roland of the Borsa clanLadislaus IVfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1283Apor of the Péc clanLadislaus IValso ispán of Szolnok County
1284–1294Roland of the Borsa clanLadislaus IV, Andrew IIIsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County ; successfully fought against the invading Mongols in 1285; rebelled against both kings
1287–c. 1288 Mojs of the Ákos clanLadislaus IVonly a non-authentic charter refers to him as voivode, if so, he was also ispán of Szolnok County in the same period
1295–1314 or 1315Ladislaus of the Kán clanAndrew IIIde facto independent ruler; also ispán of Szolnok County

Fourteenth century

TermIncumbentMonarchNotesSource
c. 1315Ladislaus of the Kán clanself declared voivode, son of Ladislaus Kán
1315–1316Nicholas MeggyesiCharles Isecond rule; unable to take up his office; also ispán of Szolnok County
1318–1321Dózsa DebreceniCharles Ialso ispán of Szolnok County
1321–1342Thomas SzécsényiCharles Ialso ispán of Szolnok County, ispán of Arad County, and ispán of Csongrád County
1342–1344Nicholas SirokaiLouis Ialso ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1344–1350Stephen LackfiLouis Ialso ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1350–1351Thomas Gönyűi or CsórLouis Iappointed by Stephen, duke of Transylvania, the monarch's brother; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1351–1356Nicholas Kont of OrahovicaLouis Ialso ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1356–1359Andrew LackfiLouis Ibrother of Stephen Lackfi ; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1359–1367Denis LackfiLouis Ison of Stephen Lackfi ; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1367–1368Nicholas Lackfi, Jr.Louis Ison of Stephen Lackfi ; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1369–1372Emeric LackfiLouis Ison of Stephen Lackfi ; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties
1372–1376Stephen Lackfi of CsáktornyaLouis Ifirst rule; son of Stephen Lackfi ; also ispán of Szolnok County
1376–1385Ladislaus Losonci, Sr.Louis I, Maryfirst rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1385–1386Stephen Lackfi of CsáktornyaCharles IIsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1386–1392Ladislaus Losonci, Sr.Sigismund, Marysecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County
1392–1393Emeric BebekSigismund, Maryalso ispán of Szolnok County
1393–1395Frank SzécsényiSigismund, Maryalso ispán of Arad, Csongrád, and Szolnok Counties
1395–1401Stibor of StiboriczSigismundfirst rule; also ispán of Arad and Szolnok Counties

Fifteenth century

TermIncumbentMonarchNotesSource
1401Simon SzécsényiSigismundalso ispán of Szolnok County
1402–1403Nicholas CsákiSigismundfirst rule; also ispán of Békés, Bihar, Csanád, Csongrád, Keve, Krassó, Szolnok, Temes, and Zaránd Counties ; a leader of the party supporting King Ladislaus of Naples's claim to the Hungarian throne in 1403
1402–1403Nicholas MarcaliSigismundalso ispán of Békés, Csanád, Csongrád, Keve, Krassó, Szolnok, Temes, and Zaránd Counties ; joined the party supporting King Ladislaus of Naples's claim to the Hungarian throne in 1403
1403–1409John TamásiSigismundalso ispáns of Szolnok County
1403–1409James Lack of SzántóSigismundalso ispáns of Szolnok County
1409–1414Stibor of StiboriczSigismundsecond rule; also ispán of Szolnok County, Nyitra and Trencsén, Lord of all Váh
1415–1426Nicholas CsákiSigismundsecond rule; also ispán of Békés, Bihar, and Szolnok Counties
1426–1437Ladislaus CsákiSigismundsecond rule; together with Peter Cseh of Léva ; also ispán of Közép-Szolnok County, ispán of Szatmár County, and ispán of Bihar County ; routed by the rebelling peasants at Dés ;
1436–1438Peter Cseh of LévaSigismund, Alberttogether with Ladislaus Csáki
1438–1441Desiderius LosonciAlbert, Ladislaus Vleft Ladislaus V's party and became Wladislas I's partisan in 1441
1440–1441Ladislaus JakcsWladislas I
1440–1441Michael JakcsWladislas I
1441–1458Nicholas ÚjlakiWladislas I, Ladislaus Vfirst rule; together with John Hunyadi, with Emeric Bebek, and with John Rozgonyi ; also ban of Macsó and commander of Nándorfehérvár , count of the Székelys, ispán of Csanád, Csongrád, Máramaros, and Temes Counties, ispán of Arad County, ban of Severin, and ban of Slavonia
1441–1446John HunyadiWladislas Itogether with Nicholas Újlaki ; also commander of Nándorfehérvár , count of the Székelys, ispán of Csanád, Csongrád, and Temes Counties, ispán of Arad and Bihar Counties, ispán of Közép-Szolnok, Kraszna, Szabolcs, Szatmár, and Ugocsa Counties, ispán of Bereg and Máramaros Counties, and regent-governor of the Kingdom of Hungary
1446–1448Emeric Bebekelected by the Diet of Hungarytogether with Nicholas Újlaki ; also ispán of Abaúj County and judge of the Jász people ; died fighting against the Ottomans in the second battle of Kosovo
1449–1458John Rozgonyifirst rule; together with Nicholas Újlaki ; also ispán of Sopron and Vas Counties, count of the Székelys
1459–1461Ladislaus KanizsaiMatthiastogether with John and Sebastian Rozgonyi, and with his brother, Nicholas Kanizsai
1459–1460John RozgonyiMatthiastogether with Ladislaus Kanizsai, and with Sebastian Rozgonyi
1459–1460Sebastian RozgonyiMatthiastogether with Ladislaus Kanizsai, and with John Rozgonyi
1461Nicholas KanizsaiMatthiastogether with his brother, Ladislaus Kanizsai
1462–1465Nicholas ÚjlakiMatthiassecond rule
1462–1465John Pongrác of DengelegMatthiasfirst rule
1465–1467Bertold Ellerbach of MonyorókerékMatthiasdismissed after rebellious Transylvanian nobles elected them to their leaders
1465–1467Count Sigismund SzentgyörgyiMatthiasbrothers of Count Peter Szentgyörgyi ; dismissed after rebellious Transylvanian nobles elected them to their leaders
1465–1467Count John SzentgyörgyiMatthiasbrothers of Count Peter Szentgyörgyi ; dismissed after rebellious Transylvanian nobles elected them to their leaders
1468–1474Nicholas Csupor of MonoszlóMatthiastogether with John Pongrác of Dengeleg
1468–1472John Pongrác of DengelegMatthiassecond rule; together with Nicholas Csupor of Monoszló
1472–1475Blaise MagyarMatthiasleader of Hungarian reinforcements sent to Stephen the Great, prince of Moldavia in the Battle of Vaslui of 1475
1475–1476John Pongrác of DengelegMatthiasthird rule
1478–1479Peter Geréb of VingártMatthias
1479–1493Stephen Báthory of EcsedMatthias, Wladislas II
1493–1498Bartholomew Drágfi of BéltekWladislas IItogether with Ladislaus Losonci, Jr. ; suppressed a rebellion of the Székelys
1493–1495Ladislaus Losonci, Jr.Wladislas IItogether with Bartholomew Drágfi of Béltek
1498–1510Count Peter SzentgyörgyiWladislas IIbrother of Counts Sigismund and John Szentgyörgyi

Sixteenth century

TermIncumbentMonarchNotesSource
1510–1526John Zápolya Wladislas II, Louis IIbecame king of Hungary
1527–1529Peter PerényiJohn Zápolyaleft John Zápolya's party and became a partisan of Ferdinand I
1530–1534Stephen Báthory of SomlyóFerdinand I
1530Bálint Török
1530–1534Jerome LaskiJohn Zápolyaconspired against the king, who imprisoned him
1533–1534Emeric Czibak
1534–1540Stephen Majláth of SzunyogszegJohn Zápolyatogether with Emeric Balassa of Gyarmat ; planned to secede Transylvania from the Kingdom of Hungary, but was captured by the Ottomans
1538–1540Emeric Balassa of GyarmatJohn Zápolyatogether with Stephen Majláth of Szunyogszeg ; fled when the Ottomans invaded Transylvania
1551George MartinuzziFerdinand Ialso elected governor of Transylvania on behalf of the minor John Sigismund, the elected king
1552–1553Andrew Báthory of EcsedFerdinand Iresigned
1553–1556Stephen DobóFerdinand Ilast voivodes appointed by a king of Hungary
1553–1556Francis KendiFerdinand Ilast voivodes appointed by a king of Hungary
1571–1576Stephen Báthoryelected by the Three Nations and confirmed by the Ottoman Sultan Selim II; declared himself prince of Transylvania after his election as king of Poland in 1576
1576–1581Christopher BáthoryStephen Báthory
1581–1586Sigismund BáthoryStephen Báthorylast voivode; his title of prince of Transylvania confirmed in 1595 by Emperor Rudolph

Primary sources