Életmód és művelődés Veszprém megyében a 16-18. században (Veszprémi Múzeumi Konferenciák 10. 2000)

Szabó Péter: Török-magyar együttélés a Balaton-felvidéken

Péter Szabó TURKISH-HUNGARIAN COEXISTENCE IN THE BALATON UPLANDS This brief study examines around four decades of Turkish-Hungarian coexistence in the Balaton Uplands. Attention is directed to the period framed by Veszprém falling into Turkish hands in 1552 and the beginning of the fifteen-year war (1593). This historical period was particularly chosen, as the abundance of source material in terms of letters, and the relative wealth of the travel and historical literature in itself assumes a certain hope for successful research. In connection with Turkish-Hungarian coexistence, we were interested primarily in the mental links, or possibly dislocations, which characterized the relationship between the two parties in peacetime. In this regard, we can naturally only present the life of the Balaton Uplands inasmuch as this is permitted by the sources. The historian who wishes to follow the mental intertwining or separation through the fields of customs, rites and ceremonies, must be a little disappointed. (There are few sources reflecting upon other's social customs.) Instead, we must go in the direction the existing sources lead us. The first impression of the picture which is revealed in this way, may be that it is put together from mosaics grouped by chance, and its development is influenced to a large extent by the unaccountable destruction of historical sources. Should we really try to grasp the thought processes of men who lived long ago, from a map gnawed by the mouse of fate? Fortunately, among the surviving sources, material can be found which does not consist of scattered documents, but it is a group of sources, in a logical system, originating from the same author - in chronological order with no gaps. A string of letters from the second half of the 1550s can be regarded as such, the author of which was Tihany castellan Mihály Takaró, and the addressee, Palatine Tamás Nádasdy. The correspondence between Sümeg castellan Józsa Ormányi and Ákos Csányi from the first half of the 1560s may also be listed here. These provide a reliable cross-section with regard to what the military of the border fortresses was engrossed with in connection with the Turks. If we wish to structure what is said in order of importance to them, the obtaining of information must be mentioned first. As is clear from the 19