Balthasar Báthory

Balthasar Báthory
Full name Boldizsár Báthory de Somlyó
Born	1560
Died	September 11, 1594(1594-09-11) (approx. 34 years old) Szamosújvár, Principality of Transylvania (today: Gherla, Romania)
Noble family	House of Báthory
Spouse(s)	Zsuzsanna Kendi
Father	Andrew Báthory de Somlyó
Mother	Margarita Majláth de Szatmár

Balthasar Báthory de Somlyó (Hungarian: Báthory Boldizsár; 1560 – 11 September 1594) was a Transylvanian politician from the Báthory family, like his brother, prince Andrew Báthory, opponent of the Habsburgs in Transylvania.

Balthasar was born around 1560 in a wealthy and powerful family as son of Hungarian captain Andrew Báthory and his wife Margarita Majláth de Szatmár. Balthasar was raised from a young age with his younger brother Andrew Báthory in Kraków, at the court of his uncle Stephen Báthory, who was King of Poland since 1576.

By the time of his birth, the Kingdom of Hungary was divided into three parts: A western under the control of the Habsburgs (who also had the title of King of Hungary), a central control of the Ottoman Empire, and in the form of oriental Principality of Transylvania, ruled by the Hungarian nobility. Stephen Báthory was not only king of Poland at that time, but earlier, in 1571, was elected Prince of Transylvania, which did not give up title even after leaving for Kraków. Since there, he ruled the two states as regent in Transylvania, leaving his older brother Christopher Báthory. The voivode died in 1581, after which Prince Stephen Báthory himself elected his nephew, the small child, 9-year-old noble: Sigismund Báthory.

Hoping that his family be consolidated into the power, and that the infant reached an older age to govern, Stephen continued to reign until his death in 1586. Sigismund reached the right age to govern itself without guardians in 1588, and that time Balthasar Báthory, when returned to Transylvania, become councilor of his cousin.