Bujdosó Pap Györgyi et al.: Várostromok és Közép-Európa Zrínyi Miklós (1620-1664) korában - Studia Agriensia 34. (Eger, 2017)

Végh Ferenc: Zrínyi Miklós és Péter, a törökellenes határvédelem szervezői. A Muraköz védelmi rendszere a 17. század közepén

FHKA

Finanz- und Hofkammerarchiv

AHK

Alte Hofkammer

HFU

Hoftmanz Ungarn

VUG

Vermischte Ungarische Gegenstände

KA

Kriegsarchiv

ZSt

Zentralstellen

Sr

Sonderreihe

SOA

Statni Oblastni Archiv, Treboü

Ferenc Végh

Miklós and Péter Zrínyi, the Organisers of the anti- Ottoman Frontier Defences

The Defence System of Muraköz in the mid- 17th Century

In the middle of the 17th century, as (partial) owners of the Csáktornya estates which covered most of the Muraköz area, Miklós Zrínyi VII and his younger brother Péter were tasked with organising the defence of this region, which became a frontier zone after the capture of Kanizsa by the Ottomans ( 1600). The “poet and military leader” was in charge of the defence of the region between the Dráva and Mura rivers first together with his brother from 1638, then on his own between 1649 and 1664. This role was passed on to Péter after Miklós’ death. The brothers were captains of Légrád and Muraköz, which gave them commanding rights over the imperial garrison troops at the regions border fortresses, thus establishing an independent and hereditary defence zone within the borderland that became the “opposition to Kanizsa”. The Zrinyis also maintained and reinforced the private troops of their Muraköz estates. This paper sets out to describe the establishment and interconnections of this dual defence structure, proving that Péter Zrínyi had an active role in its organisation and command right from the start.

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