Századok – 2008

TANULMÁNYOK - Balogh Judit-Horn Ildikó: A hatalomépítés útjai: a homoródszentpáli Kornis család története IV/849

THE WAYS OF BUILDING POWER. THE HISTORY OF THE KORNIS FAMILY OF HOMORÓDSZENTPÁL by Judit Balogh - Ildikó Horn (Summary) The aim of the study is to examine the ways and methods through which the Kornis family of Homoródszentpál, which had become the dominant family of the Székelyföld by the end of the 16th century, had managed to expand its power. Miklós Kornis, who launched the family's career, was a man of influence locally, a member of the princely court, but, like his peers, had relatively small landed property compared to the aristocracy of Hungary proper. Thus, with the marriages of his children he pursued a triple aim: to acquire land and social influence within the seat of Udvarhely, within the broder territory of the Székelyföld but also outside it. In the second generation it was Mihály Kornis who initiated the considerable enlargement of the family property, profiting from the dissolution of the Székely community. Thanks to his three marriages, his social relations but also to unlawful methods (violent occupation of common lands) he expanded his property mainly in Marosszék and Küküllő county. As a result of his violence he was imprisoned twice, and was thus unable to play a considerable political role. The most outstanding member of the family was Mihály's younger brother, Farkas Kornis. As a young man he WEIS royal judge of Udvarhelyszék, and bore the title of captain-in-chief as well. Using the expanded family property as a power basis, he was able to establish a strong system of clientele which made it possible for him to control the whole seat. Thanks to the wide network of social relations established by his father and himself he became a man of great influence in the political life of the Transylvanian principality, and in critical moments (1571, 1575, 1594) we always find him on the winning side. By the 1580s his court became a center for radical thinkers and exerted a great influence upon his young relatives brought up there. Many of the dominant politicians of the coming years began their career there, such as chancellor János Petki, Simon Péchi, the Bogáthy brothers, and Gábor Bethlen, the future prince. Yet Farkas Kornis fell victim to the political upheaval which came with the end of the century; he was assassinated by Mihály Vitéz. The direction of his supporters was then taken by his son-in-law, Mózes Székely, but he was killed in the battle of Brassó (17 July 1603) together with many of his kin. Consequently it was his other sons-in-law, János Petki and Simon Péchi who reorganised the „Kornis party", but their political fall (in 1612 and 1621 respectively) led to its dissolution again. After the long Ottoman war (1591-1606) there was but one surviving son, Ferenc Kornis, whose untimely death in 1625 put an end not only to the social network created by Farkas but also to the history of the family itself on the male line.