István Bocskay
| Stephen Bocskai | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Hungary | |
 |
|
| Prince of Transylvania | |
| Reign | 1605–1606 |
| Successor | Sigismund Rákóczi |
| Born | January 1, 1557 Kolozsvár, Eastern Hungarian Kingdom (now Cluj-Napoca, Romania) |
| Died | December 29, 1606 (aged 49) Kassa, Royal Hungary (now Košice, Slovakia) |
| Burial | January 22, 1607 St. Michael's Cathedral Gyulafehérvár, Transylvania (now Alba Iulia, Romania) |
| Spouse | Margit Hagymássy |
| Father | György Bocskai |
| Mother | Krisztina Sulyok |
| Religion | Reformed |
Stephen Bocskai or Bocskay (Hungarian: Bocskai István; 1 January 1557 – 29 December 1606) was Prince of Transylvania and Hungary from 1605 to 1606. He was born to a Hungarian noble family. His father's estates were located in the eastern regions of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, which developed into the Principality of Transylvania in the 1570s. He spent his youth in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian, who was also the ruler of Royal Hungary (the western and northern regions of the medieval kingdom).
Bocskai's career started when his underage nephew, Sigismund Báthory, became the ruler of Transylvania in 1581. He became a member of the regency council and the royal council, but he only retained the latter office. After the Diet of Transylvania declared Sigismund of age in 1588, Bocskai was one of his few councillors who supported Sigismund's plan to join an anti-Ottoman coalition. Sigismund made Bocskai captain of Várad (now Oradea in Romania) in 1592. After the pro-Ottoman noblemen forced Sigismund to renounce in 1594, Bocskai supported him to regain his throne, for which Sigismund awarded him with estates confiscated from the leaders of the opposition. Bocskai signed the treaty about the membership of Transylvania in the Holy League on Sigismund's behalf in Prague on 28 January 1595. He led the Transylvanian army to Wallachia which had been occupied by the Ottomans. The Christian troops liberated Wallachia and defeated the retreating Ottoman army in the Battle of Giurgiu on 29 September 1595.
After a series of Ottoman victories, Sigismund Báthory abdicated in early 1598. The commissioners of Maximilian's successor, Rudolph, took possession of Transylvania and dismissed Bocskai. Bocskai persuaded Sigismund to return, but Sigismund again abdicated in March 1599. The new prince, Andrew Báthory, confiscated Bocskai's estates in Transylvania proper. Andrew Báthory was dethroned by Michael the Brave of Wallachia. During the following period of anarchy, Bocskai was forced to stay in Prague for months, because Rudolph's officials did not trust him. He rose up against Rudolph after his secret correspondence with the Grand Vizier, Lala Mehmed Pasha, was captured in October 1605.
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