Imre Thököly
Encyclopedia
Count Imre Thököly de Késmárk (Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian
, Mirko Thököly in Croatian
, Imrich Tököli in Slovak
; April 25, 1657 – September 13, 1705) was a Hungarian statesman, leader of an anti-Habsburg
uprising, Prince of Transylvania
, and (briefly) vassal king of Upper Hungary
.
, Royal Hungary
(today Kežmarok
in Slovakia
) in September 1657. Thököly lost both parents while still a child. He studied at the Lutheran college in Eperjes
(Today Prešov, Slovakia) at a time when anti-Habsburg rebels and Protestants were constantly in arms against the imperial troops in Upper Hungary (present day Eastern Slovakia).
In December 1670, when his father Stephen Thököly (Hungarian: Thököly István), a participant of the anti-Habsburg Wesselényi conspiracy, was killed by imperial troops when protecting his Árva castle
(Slovak: Orava, now in northern Slovakia), he fled from the castle to Transylvania, where he took refuge with his kinsman Mihály Teleki, the chief minister of Michael Apafi
, prince of Transylvania. Here Thököly came into contact with refugees from Royal Hungary
(more exactly from present-day Slovakia), who had great hopes of the high-born, highly gifted youth who was also a fellow sufferer, a large portion of his immense estates having been confiscated by the Emperor. The discontent reached its height when the Emperor Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
(February 27, 1673) suspended the Hungarian constitution, appointed Johan Caspar Ampringen dictator, deprived 450 Protestant clergy of their livings and condemned 67 more to the galleys.
, the anti-Habsburg rebels now rose "pro libertate et justitia", and chose the youthful Thököly as their leader. The war began in 1678. Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and the central Hungarian mining towns were soon in Thököly's possession. In 1681, reinforced by 10,000 Transylvanians and a Turkish army under the Pasha
of Nagyvárad
(today Oradea, Romania
), he compelled the Emperor to grant an armistice. In June 1682 he married the Croatian countess Jelena Zrinska (in Hungarian: Zrínyi Ilona), the widow of Prince Francis I Rákóczi
.
Thököly's distrust of the Emperor now induced him to turn for help to Sultan
Mehmed IV
, who recognized him as King of Upper Hungary
(Turkish: Muin-i Ali Osman'a itaat üzereyim emre, Kral-ı Orta Macar'ım ki namım Tökeli İmre; i.e. eastern Slovakia and parts of northeastern present-day Hungary. Title "Kral" is of slavic origin and in Turkish means likewise monarch, not only the king) on condition that he paid an annual tribute of 40,000 tallers. In the course of the same year Thököly captured fortress after fortress from the Emperor and extended his dominions to the Vág
(Slovak: Váh) river. At the two Diets held by him, at Kassa
(today Košice, Slovakia) and Tállya
, in 1683, the estates, though not uninfluenced by his personal charm, showed some want of confidence in him, fearing lest he might sacrifice the national independence to the Turkish alliance. They refused therefore to grant him either subsidies or a levy en masse, and he had to take what he wanted by force.
in the Battle of Vienna
in 1683, and shared the fate of the gigantic Turkish army. The Turkish Grand Vizier
nevertheless laid the blame of the Turkish defeat in Vienna on Thököly, who thereupon hastened to Edirne
to defend himself before the Turkish Sultan. Shortly afterwards, perceiving that the Turkish cause was now lost, he sought the mediation of the Polish king John III Sobieski
to reconcile him with the Emperor, offering to lay down his arms if the Emperor would confirm the religious rights of the Protestants in Hungary and grant him, Thököly, Upper Hungary (more exactly: 13 north-eastern counties of Royal Hungary) with the title of prince. Leopold refused these terms and demanded an unconditional surrender
. Thököly then renewed the war. But the campaign of 1685 was a series of disasters, he was defeated at Prešov and when he sought help from the Turks at Nagyvárad they seized and sent him in chains to Edirne (possibly because of his previous negotiations with Leopold), whereupon most of his followers made their peace with the Emperor.
In 1686 Thököly was released from his dungeon and sent with a small army into Transylvania, but both this expedition and a similar one in 1688 ended in failure. The Turks then again grew suspicious of him and imprisoned him a second time. In 1690, however, the Turks dispatched him into Transylvania a third time with 16,000 men, and in September he routed the united forces of General Sigbert Heister
and Count Mihály Teleki at Zărneşti. After this great victory, Thököly was elected prince of Transylvania by the Kereszténysziget (probably Oprişani now) Diet, but could only maintain his position against the imperial armies with the utmost difficulty. In 1691 he quit Transylvania altogether. He led the Turkish cavalry at the Battle of Slankamen
, and served valiantly but vainly against Austria during the remainder of the war, especially distinguishing himself at the Battle of Zenta
(1697).
He was excluded by name from the amnesty
promised to the Hungarian rebels by the Treaty of Karlowitz
(January 26, 1699). After one more unsuccessful attempt, in 1700, to recover the principality, he settled down at Galata
with his wife. From Sultan Mustafa II
he received large estates and the title of count of Widdin
.
He died in 1705 in Nicomedia
.
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, Mirko Thököly in Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, Imrich Tököli in Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
; April 25, 1657 – September 13, 1705) was a Hungarian statesman, leader of an anti-Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
uprising, Prince of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, and (briefly) vassal king of Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
.
Early life
Imre Thököly was born at KésmárkKežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
, Royal Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
(today Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) in September 1657. Thököly lost both parents while still a child. He studied at the Lutheran college in Eperjes
Prešov
Prešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
(Today Prešov, Slovakia) at a time when anti-Habsburg rebels and Protestants were constantly in arms against the imperial troops in Upper Hungary (present day Eastern Slovakia).
In December 1670, when his father Stephen Thököly (Hungarian: Thököly István), a participant of the anti-Habsburg Wesselényi conspiracy, was killed by imperial troops when protecting his Árva castle
Orava (castle)
Orava Castle is situated on a high rock above Orava river. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia. The castle was built in the thirteenth century...
(Slovak: Orava, now in northern Slovakia), he fled from the castle to Transylvania, where he took refuge with his kinsman Mihály Teleki, the chief minister of Michael Apafi
Michael I Apafi
Michael Apafi was a Hungarian Prince of Transylvania.He was elected by the nobles of Transylvania on 14 September 1661, with the support of the Ottoman Empire, as a rival to the Habsburg-backed ruler János Kemény...
, prince of Transylvania. Here Thököly came into contact with refugees from Royal Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
(more exactly from present-day Slovakia), who had great hopes of the high-born, highly gifted youth who was also a fellow sufferer, a large portion of his immense estates having been confiscated by the Emperor. The discontent reached its height when the Emperor Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
(February 27, 1673) suspended the Hungarian constitution, appointed Johan Caspar Ampringen dictator, deprived 450 Protestant clergy of their livings and condemned 67 more to the galleys.
Anti-Habsburg rebellion
Encouraged by promises of help from Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, the anti-Habsburg rebels now rose "pro libertate et justitia", and chose the youthful Thököly as their leader. The war began in 1678. Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and the central Hungarian mining towns were soon in Thököly's possession. In 1681, reinforced by 10,000 Transylvanians and a Turkish army under 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...
of Nagyvárad
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
(today Oradea, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), he compelled the Emperor to grant an armistice. In June 1682 he married the Croatian countess Jelena Zrinska (in Hungarian: Zrínyi Ilona), the widow of Prince Francis I Rákóczi
Francis I Rákóczi
Francis I Rákóczi was a Hungarian aristocrat, elected prince of Transylvania and father of Hungarian national hero Francis II Rákóczi....
.
Thököly's distrust of the Emperor now induced him to turn for help to Sultan
Ottoman Dynasty
The Ottoman Dynasty ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922, beginning with Osman I , though the dynasty was not proclaimed until Orhan Bey declared himself sultan...
Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV Modern Turkish Mehmet was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687...
, who recognized him as King of Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
(Turkish: Muin-i Ali Osman'a itaat üzereyim emre, Kral-ı Orta Macar'ım ki namım Tökeli İmre; i.e. eastern Slovakia and parts of northeastern present-day Hungary. Title "Kral" is of slavic origin and in Turkish means likewise monarch, not only the king) on condition that he paid an annual tribute of 40,000 tallers. In the course of the same year Thököly captured fortress after fortress from the Emperor and extended his dominions to the Vág
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
(Slovak: Váh) river. At the two Diets held by him, at Kassa
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
(today Košice, Slovakia) and Tállya
Tállya
Tállya is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 45 kilometres from county seat Miskolc, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district.-Geography:Tállya is located at . According to the 2001 Census the village has a total area of ....
, in 1683, the estates, though not uninfluenced by his personal charm, showed some want of confidence in him, fearing lest he might sacrifice the national independence to the Turkish alliance. They refused therefore to grant him either subsidies or a levy en masse, and he had to take what he wanted by force.
Alliance with the Ottoman Empire
Thököly materially assisted the TurksOttoman 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 the Battle of Vienna
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
in 1683, and shared the fate of the gigantic Turkish army. The Turkish Grand Vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
nevertheless laid the blame of the Turkish defeat in Vienna on Thököly, who thereupon hastened to Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
to defend himself before the Turkish Sultan. Shortly afterwards, perceiving that the Turkish cause was now lost, he sought the mediation of the Polish king John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign was marked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and...
to reconcile him with the Emperor, offering to lay down his arms if the Emperor would confirm the religious rights of the Protestants in Hungary and grant him, Thököly, Upper Hungary (more exactly: 13 north-eastern counties of Royal Hungary) with the title of prince. Leopold refused these terms and demanded an unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender
Unconditional surrender is a surrender without conditions, in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. In modern times unconditional surrenders most often include guarantees provided by international law. Announcing that only unconditional surrender is acceptable puts psychological...
. Thököly then renewed the war. But the campaign of 1685 was a series of disasters, he was defeated at Prešov and when he sought help from the Turks at Nagyvárad they seized and sent him in chains to Edirne (possibly because of his previous negotiations with Leopold), whereupon most of his followers made their peace with the Emperor.
In 1686 Thököly was released from his dungeon and sent with a small army into Transylvania, but both this expedition and a similar one in 1688 ended in failure. The Turks then again grew suspicious of him and imprisoned him a second time. In 1690, however, the Turks dispatched him into Transylvania a third time with 16,000 men, and in September he routed the united forces of General Sigbert Heister
Sigbert Heister
Sigbert Graf Heister was an Imperial Field marshal.His father was Gottfried Heister , Vicepresident of the Hofkriegsrat....
and Count Mihály Teleki at Zărneşti. After this great victory, Thököly was elected prince of Transylvania by the Kereszténysziget (probably Oprişani now) Diet, but could only maintain his position against the imperial armies with the utmost difficulty. In 1691 he quit Transylvania altogether. He led the Turkish cavalry at the Battle of Slankamen
Battle of Slankamen
The Battle of Slankamen was fought near Slankamen in the Ottoman Sanjak of Syrmia on August 19, 1691 between the Ottoman Empire, and the forces of Austria and states of the Holy Roman Empire as part of the Great Turkish War.The Ottomans had suffered partial military collapse against the Austrians...
, and served valiantly but vainly against Austria during the remainder of the war, especially distinguishing himself at the Battle of Zenta
Battle of Zenta
The Battle of Zenta or Battle of Senta, fought on 11 September 1697 just south of Zenta , on the east side of the Tisza river, was a major engagement in the Great Turkish War and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history...
(1697).
He was excluded by name from the amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
promised to the Hungarian rebels by the Treaty of Karlowitz
Treaty of Karlowitz
The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed on 26 January 1699 in Sremski Karlovci , concluding the Austro-Ottoman War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman side had been defeated at the Battle of Zenta...
(January 26, 1699). After one more unsuccessful attempt, in 1700, to recover the principality, he settled down at Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
with his wife. From Sultan Mustafa II
Mustafa II
Mustafa II Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703.-Life:...
he received large estates and the title of count of Widdin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
.
He died in 1705 in Nicomedia
Nicomedia
Nicomedia was an ancient city in what is now Turkey, founded in 712/11 BC as a Megarian colony and was originally known as Astacus . After being destroyed by Lysimachus, it was rebuilt by Nicomedes I of Bithynia in 264 BC under the name of Nicomedia, and has ever since been one of the most...
.