Nikola Zrinski

Miklós Zrínyi Nikola Zrinski
Ban (viceroy) of Croatia
Nicholas Zrinski (1620–1664), Croatian and Hungarian military leader, statesman and poet
Ban of Croatia
Reign	1647–1664
Predecessor	Ivan III Drašković
Successor	Petar Zrinski
Spouse(s)	Marija Euzebija Drašković Marija Sofija Löbl
Father	Juraj V Zrinski
Mother	Magdolna Zrinski (born Széchy)
Born	5 January 1620 Csáktornya, Kingdom of Hungary (today Čakovec, Croatia)
Died	18 November 1664 Zrínyifalva, Kingdom of Hungary (today Gornji Kuršanec near Čakovec, Croatia)

Miklós Zrínyi or Nikola Zrinski (Hungarian: Zrínyi Miklós, Croatian: Nikola Zrinski; 5 January 1620 – 18 November 1664) was a Croatian and Hungarian military leader, statesman and poet. He was a member of the House of Zrinski (or Zrínyi), a Croatian-Hungariannoble family. He is the author of the first epic poem in Hungarian literature.

Miklós was born in Čakovec (Hungarian: Csáktornya), Kingdom of Hungary to the Croatian Juraj V Zrinski and the Hungarian Magdolna (Magdalena) Széchy. At the court of Péter Pázmány, he was an enthusiastic student of Hungarian language and literature, although he prioritized military training. From 1635 to 1637, he accompanied Szenkviczy, one of the canons of Esztergom, on a long educative tour through the Italian Peninsula.

Over the next few years, he learned the art of war in defending the Croatian frontier against the Ottoman Empire, and proved himself one of the most important commanders of the age. In 1645, during the closing stages of the Thirty Years' War, he acted against the Swedish troops in Moravia, equipping an army corps at his own expense. At Szkalec he scattered a Swedish division and took 2,000 prisoners. At Eger he saved the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III, who had been surprised at night in his camp by the offensive of Carl Gustaf Wrangel. Although not enthusiastic for having to fight against Hungarians of Transylvania, subsequently he routed the army of George I Rákóczi, prince of Transylvania, on the Upper Tisza. For his services, the emperor appointed him captain of Croatia. On his return from the war he married the wealthy Eusebia Drašković.