Magyar News, 1994. szeptember-1995. augusztus (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1995-07-01 / 11-12. szám
KING MÁTYÁS IS DEAD, JUSTICE HAS DEPARTED King Matthias Queen Beatrix King of Naples in Italy. It was, therefore, common to see craftsmen and artists from Renaissance Italy traveling between Naples and Matyas' capital. King Matyas was a natural soldier, a first-class administrator, an outstanding linguist. He could speak a half-dozen languages fluently. Among his many interests were astronomy and the arts. King Matyas had one of the largest libraries in Europe. In fact his collection of books and manuscripts would become the world famous library of Corvina. Goldsmiths, jewelers and other artisans came under his patronage. One of Matyas’ favorite projects was erecting fine renaissance buildings, foremost among these being the Coronation Church of Buda. It was also during this time that the mistaken association was made between the Magyars and Attila the Hun. This connection was advanced primarily to support Matyas' claim as king. It was common in those days to try and link kings and princes with famous or illustrious figures from the past. In Matyas' case, the historian Bonfinius traced the Hunyadi's ancestry back to Rome. All of this was done to enhance the court of Matyas. And to a large degree these and other efforts to enhance the reputation of the Hungarian Kingdom were successful. In its day, there weren't many courts in Europe that could compete with that of King Matyas. Hungary became a center of learning and the arts. It attracted scholars and artisans from all over Europe. King Matyas, however, also had to deal with down-to-earth problems. During the early years Matyas had to spend time and money consolidating his power. It was at this time that he instituted a series of taxes which later became a burden for the ordinary people. We have to remember that his coming to power was not backed by everyone. There were still powerful lords who wanted to press their claims for the crown of Saint Stephen. In some cases Matyas offered to pay-off his rivals. Large sums of money were spent to mollify the Czechs who controlled sections of the north-west. Further, even though they had been defeated at Belgrade, the Turks were always a potential threat. Fortresses had to be built and armies supplied. Even Matyas' uncle, Michael Szilagyi who wanted to govern in his young nephew's place, eventually argued with him. The young king tried to solve his early problem with finesse and courage. The Czechs were ultimately defeated. Michael Szilagyi was sent into the Balkans where he was captured by the Turks and executed. Matyas undertook two successful military expeditions against the Turks. And he buiIt a series of fortresses along the southern border of the country. It is because of his accomplishments after he consolidated his authority that Matyas deserves further attention. He allowed the different counties within his kingdom to exercise more local authority. He reformed the judicial system. A certain even-handedness was instituted within Hungary. This became such an impressive reform that when Matyas died the saying, "King Matyas is dead, justice has departed," spread through the country. One of the more interesting anecdotes about Matyas takes place in Kolozsvár. King Matyas liked to go out amongst the peopleof his kingdom. Once while walking the streets of Kolozsvár in disguise he was confronted by the Sheriff of Kolozsvár. The Sheriff had a reputation of abusing his office. He often made people he stopped on the streets cut wood for him without pay. The Sheriff, not aware that the peasant standing in front of him was actually the king, ordered Matyas to cut wood for him. Matyas meekly obeyed, but he carved his initials into each piece that he sawed. The next day Matyas entered the city again, this time at the head of his court. As each of the city's officials came to pay their respects, Matyas recognized the Sheriff. He asked the sheriff if he was fulfilling his responsibilities according to the king's law. The Sheriff assured King Matyas that indeed he was. The king, having experienced theabuse of the Sheriff, ordered that the wood sawed the day before be brought to him. Matyas looked for the pieces in which he had carved his initials and confronted the Sheriff with the evidence of his cruelty. The Sheriff confessed and asked for a pardon. But Matyas wanted all of his officials to learn not to abuse the simple people Of the kingdom. He therefore punished the Sheriff of Kolozsvár as an example to others. The most famous of Matyas' military innovations was the establishment of a standing army. This permanent force was called the Black Army after its commander, "Black" John Haugwitz. This standing army was used by Matyas as a weapon against his foes at home and abroad. But, theestablishment of the Black Army also brought with it increased taxes. In his later years Matyas sought to increase his influence in the region. In fact, he succeeded in 1469 in making himself master of Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia, and King of Bohemia. In 1478 Matyas forced Frederick of Austria to hand over portions of lower Austria and Styria. The increased taxes and many military adventured finally turned even some of Matyas' supporters to seek a replacementbut these attempts failed. In the closing years of his reign, Matyas sought to manipulate the succession. Unfortunately, he did not have any legitimate heirs. His one son, John, was illegitimate. John Corvinus was pushed as the successor, but he was not able to sustain any popular support. When Matyas suddenly died on May 6,1490, the plans he had tried to set in place fell apart. The age of the strong military leader, exemplified by Janos Hunyadi, died along with King Matyas. Hungary was at risk once again. The Ottoman Empire was flexing its muscles. With the victory of the Turks at Mohács in 1526, Hungary would recede to the status of a defeated and occupied country. Except for a few brief intervals, Hungary would never be completely free again until 1989. page 3
