Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis 6. (1969)
Fehérvári Géza: Az „Egri Fetihnáme” az isztanbuli Topkapi Szeráj Múzeumban
THE „EGRI FETIHNAME" TN THE TOPKAPI SARAYI MÜZESI KÜTÜPHANESI The manuscript is actually entitled Shahname-i Sultan Salatin jihan, but is generally known as the „Egri fetihname". It deals with Sultan Mehemmed Ill's military campaign in Hungary in the year 1596, and in particular with the occupation of the fort of Eger (Egri), and the battle of Mezőkeresztes. It was written by the famous Tacliqizade and illustrated by a certain Hassan pasha. The manuscript, as a possible historical source, has been the subject of a number of articles, and two of its miniatures have already been published. The text with its four miniatures, and the historical background of these illustrations have, however, never been properly published. The manuscript contains 74 pages, with three double page miniatures, and a smaller one on the last page. The first miniature on folios 27 r and 28 v (figs. 5—7) represents two scenes : to the left the vizier reports to Sultan Mehemmed III on the occupation of the fort; the scene to the right depicts three prisoners who are paying their tributes to the Sultan. The author mentions the name of one of these prisoners, as a certain Bessenyei, commandant of the fort. The name of the commandant was actually Paul Nyáry. Sir Edward Barton, who was then the English ambassador in Constantinople, and his secretary, a certain Sir Thomas Glover, among many other ambassadors, accompanied the Sultan on his Hungarian campaign. The secretary describes the whole journey from Constantinople to Hungary and the siege of Eger. The ambassadors two letters, the first of which deals with the siege, are also included in this report. He gives the names of the prisoners, but gives four names and mentions that the commandant was a Hungarian, a certain Signer Paulo. The English ambassador also describes the massacre of the defenders, which is not mentioned by Tacliqizade. As the Sultan besieged the fort of Eger, Prince Maximilian, the commander-in-chief of the German —Hungarian forces, was approaching with his army from the North —East. His forces were joined by the army of Zsigmond Báthory, the Prince of Transylvania. The Christian army according to German and Hungarian sources, was about 60 000 strong. The two armies met at the river Csincse (Chinche) between the villages of Ábrány and Mezőkeresztes, ca. 30 km SE of Eger. For two days the Christians successfully repelled the Turkish attacks. On the third day, which is given as 26th October by Christian and 27th October by Turkish sources, the two armies met in the decisive battle. After a Turkish attack the Christians counter-attacked and occupied the Sultan's tent. First the Sultan offered peace through the English ambassador, but in the great confusion there was neither place nor time to discuss it. Then the Sultan with his entourage fled to Szolnok. Meanwhile the Christians were preoccupied with looting the Sultan's camp. They were surprised by the rear-guard of the Turkish army and by the Turkish cavalry. The Christian infantry was slaughtered, while the rest of their army at the head of their co<mimandant, Maximilian, fled to Miskolc and then on to Kassa. Thus the battle was won by the Turks. The second double-page miniature on folios 51 r and 52 v. (fig. 8), reflects the battle order, probably on the last day of the fight at Mezőkeresztes, and 165
