Budin Province, Ottoman Empire
Encyclopedia
Budin Eyalet was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire
in Central Europe
and the Balkans
. It was formed on the territories that Ottoman Empire conquered from the medieval Kingdom of Hungary and Serbian Despotate
. Capital of the Budin Province was Budin
(Hungarian: Buda).
Population of the province was ethnically and religiously diverse and included Hungarians, Croats
, Serbs
, Slovaks
, Muslims of various ethnic origins (living mainly in the cities) and others (Jews
, Roma, etc.).
In the 16th century the Ottoman Empire has conquered the southern "line of fortresses" (végvár) of the Kingdom of Hungary. After the Battle of Mohács
where the Kingdom of Hungary
was heavily defeated, and the turmoil cased by the defeat, the influence was spread on the middle part of the Kingdom of Hungary. While Ottoman troops invaded Buda
in 1526 and 1529, Suleyman I used the Buda area as a territory of the allied kingdom and did not annexed it fully to the Empire.
In 1541, Suleyman I decided to consolidate the conquered Buda area and to set it up as an organic part of the Empire. He drove away the Austrian Commander, Roggendorf of the Austria
n army, besieging the city, and on 29 August 1541 he took control of the city with a trick; together with the city on the other side of Danube
, Pest. He immediately organised the first Central European vilajet (province) with capital in Buda
(Budin in Turkish
).
The same year, several other cities fell under Ottoman rule: Szeged
, Kalocsa
, Szabadka
(Serbian: Sabatka, modern Subotica). In the years 1543-44, the Ottomans conquered the fortresses of Nógrád
, Vác
, Fehérvár
, Pécs
and Siklós
which were embedded into the new vilajet.
In 1552 the vilajet was expanded with new territories in the North, and the new Vilajet of Temeşvar (Romanian: Timişoara) was established. Military control of the surrounding areas was driven from Budin.
The following year, the advance of the Ottomans slowed down and the territory of the Budin vilajet did not change until the ending of the Fifteen Years War
and the Peace of Zsitvatorok, where the Ottomans lost territories North of Nógrád. However Eğri and Kanije were captured during these wars and were shortly managed as sanjaks in this province.
The territory of the eyalet was significantly reduced in size with the establishment of the eyalets of Eğri (1596) and Kanije (1600). Nevertheless, it remained the foremost Ottoman province in Central Europe, owing to the strategic importance of Budin
as a major port on the Danube.
In the 17th century Kara Mustafa
conquered more vast areas from the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary and its vassal Principality of Transylvania
, but did not succeed in conquering Vienna
in 1683. This failed attempt heralded the gradual decline of Ottoman power in Europe. On 2 September 1686 Budin was captured
by the troops of the Holy League
.
or the great commander was not present, then the post of general commander was taken by the pasha
s of Budin. His power was enlarged to the vilajet of Temeşvar (from 1552), Eğri
(from 1596), Kanije (from 1600) and to Varad (from 1660).
The title of the Budin pasha was enhanced to be the great commander from 1623.
The number of the troops in the province at this time is difficult to estimate. There are documents to show 10,200 soldiers in the fortresses in 1546, and 12,451 soldiers in 1568. Auxilary troops called spahi
's were also present, but no accurate figures are available. The cost of maintianing this large force put pressure on the budget of the province. In 1552, for example, the Porte sent 440,000 gold coins to Budin to provision the army.
The most important fortresses around Budin were Esztergom
, Székesfehérvár
, and also less important Vác
and Visegrád
. To the South, the most relevant fortress was Szigetvár
.
.
The Budin Castle
was already standing on a Medieval castle, with more or less same walls as per now. Various towers were built by Ottomans i.e. "Murad pasha tower" (Murad pasha kulesi) between 1650-1653. The walls were enlarged in Gellért hill, in Rózsadomb
, Nap-hegy and on the side of the Danube
. The main castle was also walled inside, where they have made small openings so that the sentry could move easily.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. It was formed on the territories that Ottoman Empire conquered from the medieval Kingdom of Hungary and Serbian Despotate
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
. Capital of the Budin Province was Budin
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
(Hungarian: Buda).
Population of the province was ethnically and religiously diverse and included Hungarians, Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, Muslims of various ethnic origins (living mainly in the cities) and others (Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Roma, etc.).
History
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
where the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
was heavily defeated, and the turmoil cased by the defeat, the influence was spread on the middle part of the Kingdom of Hungary. While Ottoman troops invaded Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1526 and 1529, Suleyman I used the Buda area as a territory of the allied kingdom and did not annexed it fully to the Empire.
In 1541, Suleyman I decided to consolidate the conquered Buda area and to set it up as an organic part of the Empire. He drove away the Austrian Commander, Roggendorf of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n army, besieging the city, and on 29 August 1541 he took control of the city with a trick; together with the city on the other side of Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, Pest. He immediately organised the first Central European vilajet (province) with capital in Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
(Budin in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
).
The same year, several other cities fell under Ottoman rule: Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
, Kalocsa
Kalocsa
Kalocsa is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies 88 miles south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the Danube River. Historically it had greater political and economic importance than at present.Kalocsa is the Episcopal see...
, Szabadka
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
(Serbian: Sabatka, modern Subotica). In the years 1543-44, the Ottomans conquered the fortresses of Nógrád
Nógrád
Nógrád is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary.- External links :*...
, Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
, Fehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
and Siklós
Siklós
Siklós is a town in Baranya county, Hungary. It is located around .-Notable people:* George Mikes , Hungarian-born British author most famous for his humorous commentaries on various countries....
which were embedded into the new vilajet.
In 1552 the vilajet was expanded with new territories in the North, and the new Vilajet of Temeşvar (Romanian: Timişoara) was established. Military control of the surrounding areas was driven from Budin.
The following year, the advance of the Ottomans slowed down and the territory of the Budin vilajet did not change until the ending of the Fifteen Years War
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
and the Peace of Zsitvatorok, where the Ottomans lost territories North of Nógrád. However Eğri and Kanije were captured during these wars and were shortly managed as sanjaks in this province.
The territory of the eyalet was significantly reduced in size with the establishment of the eyalets of Eğri (1596) and Kanije (1600). Nevertheless, it remained the foremost Ottoman province in Central Europe, owing to the strategic importance of Budin
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
as a major port on the Danube.
In the 17th century Kara Mustafa
Kara Mustafa
Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was an Ottoman military leader and grand vizier who was a central character in the empire's last attempts at expansion into both Central Europe and Eastern Europe.-His Name:...
conquered more vast areas from the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary and its vassal Principality of Transylvania
Principality of Transylvania
The Principality of Transylvania was a semi-independent state, ruled primarily by Hungarian princes. As a semi-independent state, the Principality existed from 1570 to 1711. Until the Turkish defeat in the Great Turkish War , it was under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire...
, but did not succeed in conquering Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1683. This failed attempt heralded the gradual decline of Ottoman power in Europe. On 2 September 1686 Budin was captured
Battle of Buda (1686)
The Battle of Buda was fought between the Holy League and Ottoman Turkey, as part of the follow-up campaign in Hungary after the Battle of Vienna...
by the troops of the Holy League
Holy League
Holy League may refer to:* Holy League , AKA "League of Venice", alliance of several opponents of French hegemony in Italy, arranged by Pope Alexander VI...
.
Military
Military conflicts were a regular occurance on the Ottoman-Habsburg border, so there was a constant need of a significant military presence. If the sultanSultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
or the great commander was not present, then the post of general commander was taken by the pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
s of Budin. His power was enlarged to the vilajet of Temeşvar (from 1552), Eğri
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
(from 1596), Kanije (from 1600) and to Varad (from 1660).
The title of the Budin pasha was enhanced to be the great commander from 1623.
The number of the troops in the province at this time is difficult to estimate. There are documents to show 10,200 soldiers in the fortresses in 1546, and 12,451 soldiers in 1568. Auxilary troops called spahi
Spahi
Spahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the indigenous populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France...
's were also present, but no accurate figures are available. The cost of maintianing this large force put pressure on the budget of the province. In 1552, for example, the Porte sent 440,000 gold coins to Budin to provision the army.
Fortresses
The Ottoman Empire put all efforts to strengthen the stronghold at Budin. They built several rings of defence around Budin and defended roads for supplies to Vienna, as their aim was to crush the capital of the Habsburgs, which they did not succeed.The most important fortresses around Budin were Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
, Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, and also less important Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
and Visegrád
Visegrád
Visegrád is a small castle town in Pest County, Hungary.Situated north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend, Visegrád has a population 1,654 as of 2001...
. To the South, the most relevant fortress was Szigetvár
Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...
.
Budin
In the 145 years Ottoman era, the city of Budin was not converted to the "Italian" type of defensive fortress, which was in the fashion at that time. The old fortress was enlarged by the "Víziváros" walls and a small stronghold was built on the Gellért hillGellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the...
.
The Budin Castle
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle ....
was already standing on a Medieval castle, with more or less same walls as per now. Various towers were built by Ottomans i.e. "Murad pasha tower" (Murad pasha kulesi) between 1650-1653. The walls were enlarged in Gellért hill, in Rózsadomb
Rózsadomb
The area known as Rózsadomb is a wealthy area of the Buda side of Budapest, the capital of Hungary.Rózsadomb is part of the 2nd district in Budapest, in the Buda Hills, one of the most prestigious areas in Hungary. Most of the city's wealthiest and most famous residents live here . House prices...
, Nap-hegy and on the side of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. The main castle was also walled inside, where they have made small openings so that the sentry could move easily.
