Balthasar Báthory de Somlyó (; 1560 – 11 September 1594) was a

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

n politician from the

Báthory family The House of Báthory () was an old and powerful Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family of the Gutkeled clan. The family rose to significant influence in Central Europe during the Late Middle Ages, holding high military, administrative and ...

, and like his brother,

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Andrew Báthory Andrew Báthory (; ; 1562 or 1563 – 3 November 1599) was the Cardinal-deacon of Sant'Adriano al Foro from 1584 to 1599, Prince-Bishop of Warmia from 1589 to 1599, and Prince of Transylvania in 1599. His father was a brother of Stephen Báthor ...

, an opponent of the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

in Transylvania.

Biography

Balthasar was born around 1560 to a wealthy and powerful family, as son of Hungarian captain Andrew Báthory and his wife Margarita Majláth de Szatmár. He was raised in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, with his younger brother Andrew, at the court of his uncle

Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576). The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...

, who became

King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

in 1576. By the time of Báthory's birth, the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

was divided into three parts: A western under the control of the Habsburgs (who also had the title of

King of Hungary The King of Hungary () was the Monarchy, ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Magyarország apostoli királya'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 ...

), a central control of the Ottoman Empire, and in the form of oriental Principality of Transylvania, ruled by the Hungarian nobility. Stephen Báthory was not only king of Poland at that time, but earlier, in 1571, was elected

Prince of Transylvania The Prince of Transylvania (, , , Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.) was the head of state of the Principality of Transylvania from the late-16th century until the mid-18th century. John Sigismund Zápolya was the first to adopt the title in 1 ...

, which did not give up title even after leaving for Kraków. Since there, he ruled the two states, leaving as regent in Transylvania, his older brother

Christopher Báthory Christopher Báthory (; 1530 – 27 May 1581) was voivode of Transylvania from 1576 to 1581. He was a younger son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó. Christopher's career began during the reign of Queen Isabella Jagiellon, who administered the east ...

. The

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

died in 1581, after which Prince Stephen Báthory himself elected his nephew, the small child, 9-year-old noble:

Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory (; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duchy of Racibórz, Duke of Racibórz and Duchy of Opole, Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transy ...

. Hoping that his family be consolidated into the power, and that the infant reached an older age to govern, Stephen continued to reign until his death in 1586. Sigismund reached the right age to govern itself without guardians in 1588, and that time Balthasar Báthory, when returned to Transylvania, become councilor of his cousin. Later he joined the opposition of

Sándor Kendi Sándor Kendi de Szarvaskend (''Kendy''; ? – 30 August 1594)Markó 2006, p. 113. was a Hungarian noble in the Principality of Transylvania, member of the Royal Council, who served as Governor of Transylvania for the underage voivode Sigi ...

(his father-in-law), who refused to attack the Turks, but aimed to reach an amicable solution to the conflict. Unable to allow for this, the

Holy Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

decided to extend its influence over Transylvania, to get rid of the faint young Prince. Kendi's opposition strengthened more increasingly by eruption of internal conflicts until May 1594. Balthasar was the responsible for the politics of Transylvania for a short time. In August of that same year, Sigismund regained power, and imprisoned all noble opponents including cousin Balthasar, who was later strangled in his cell.

Sources

Magyar életrajzi lexikon

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathory, Balthasar 1560 births 1594 deaths Hungarian nobility in Transylvania Hungarian politicians Executed Hungarian people Balthasar 16th-century executions by Hungary People executed by strangulation