Századok – 2011

KÖZLEMÉNYEK BETHLEN GÁBORRÓL - Papp Sándor: Bethlen Gábor, a Magyar Királyság és a Porta (1619-1629) IV/915

BETHLEN GÁBOR, A MAGYAR KIRÁLYSÁG ÉS A PORTA (1619-1621) 973 [Címzés:] Hatalmas győzhetetlen császár kedves böcsületes hívének, az szentséges Mahumett szent próféta törvényének és vallásának fő hirdetőjének, az tekintetes és nagyságos Oszmán Effendinek etc., nekem mindenben igaz jóakaró böcsületes Uramnak. [Zülfikár efendi török kancelláriai jele:] 'izzetlü ve se' ádetlü faziletlü haváce (hoca) efendi hazretlerine Erdei hákimi olan Betlen Gâbôrdan gelen námedür fi 20. §ehr-i cemázi ül-ewel tercüme olundi sene 1029. [A fenséges és boldogságos és tiszteletreméltó hodzsa efendinek Erdély fejedelmétől, Bethlen Gábortól érkezett levél. 1029. dzsemází ül-ewel hónap 20-án készült el a fordítás. (1620. ápr. 23.)] GÁBOR BETHLEN AND THE KINGDOM OF HUNGARY (1619-1621) by Sándor Papp (Summary) The study analyses the Ottoman diplomatic aspects of the first military campaign launched by Gábor Bethlen, prince of Transylvania (1613-1629) against Ferdinand II, king of Hungary and Bohemia, then Holy Roman emperor (1619-1637). The author reviews the political situation which emerged in the wake of the peace of Zsitvatorok (1606), examines the diplomatic preparations for the campaign, and the controversial behaviour of the political circles in Constantinople. Bethlen, having adroitly led astray the imperial military leadership, set late in November 1619 to the siege of Vienna together with his allies, the mobilised eastates of the countries of the Czech Crown. Although in the first phase of his attack he could reasonably hope to acquire the Czech Crown alongside the Hungarian, he had to abandon this plan after the Czech estates had elected Frederick V of Pfalz as their ruler. On the other hand, he repeatedly made preparations for his coronation as king of Hungary, but, since the Ottomans insisted on maintaining the peace with the Habsburgs, he always deceided to postpone it. Yet the written authorisation which arrived from Istambul made it possible for him to have himself elected as king of Hungary in August 1620. With regard to the Hungarian kingship of Gábor Bethlen, we know of three international agreements involving the Ottomans, which are generally regarded as treaties agreed upon between the sultan and the Hungarian and the Hungaro-Czech estates respectively. However, the study emphasises that between 1619 and 1621 Bethlen was unable to achieve that the Ottoman court should make an agreement with him as the ligitimate king of Hungary. Nor did the alliance of the Hungarian and Czech estates enter into a formal treaty with the sultan. On the other hand, the traditional view of Hungarian historiography, according to which the Ottomans would never have tolerated the union of the Transylvanian Principality and the Kingdom of Hungary under the rule of a Transylvanian Prince as an Ottoman vassal, is certainly wrong.