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The House of Rákóczi (older spelling Rákóczy) was a Hungarian noble family in 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 ...
between the 13th century and 18th century. Their name is also spelled ''Rákoci'' (in Slovakia), ''Rakoczi'' and ''Rakoczy'' in some foreign sources. The family was named after Rákóc (Rakovec, now
Rakovec nad Ondavou Rakovec nad Ondavou () is a village and municipality in Michalovce District in the Kosice Region of eastern Slovakia. Etymology The name is of Slovak origin. It derives from ''rak'' - a crayfish. History In historical records the village was ...
, Slovakia). The family originated from the Bogátradvány clan which had Bohemian roots, according to
Simon of Kéza Simon of Kéza () was the most famous Hungarian chronicler of the 13th century. He was a priest in the royal court of king Ladislaus IV of Hungary. In 1270–1271, bearing the title "master" (''magister''), Simon was part of a diplomatic mission ...
's chronicle. The foundations for the family's wealth and power were laid down by
Sigismund Rákóczi Sigismund Rákóczi (, ; 15445December 1608) was Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608. He was the son of János Rákóczi, a lesser nobleman with estates in Upper Hungary. Sigismund began a military career as the sword-bearer of the wealth ...
; some decades into the
17th century The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCI), to December 31, 1700 (MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized ...
, the Rákóczis became the wealthiest aristocrats of Hungary. Most famous was
Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi (, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–1711 as the prince () of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of ...
, who led an unsuccessful revolt against
Habsburg 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 ...
rule between 1703-1711, that was
Rákóczi's War of Independence Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–1711) was the first significant attempt to topple the rule of the Habsburgs over Royal Hungary, Hungary. The war was conducted by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by F ...
.


Family legacy

The last member of the family was György (''George'') Rákóczi, the son of Francis II Rákóczi, who died in France in
1756 Events January–March * January 16 – The Anglo-Prussian alliance (1756)#Treaty, Treaty of Westminster is signed between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Electorate of Hanover, c ...
. The mysterious
Count of St. Germain The Count of St. Germain (French language, French: ''Comte de Saint Germain''; ; – 27 February 1784) whose real name and origins remain unknown, was a European adventurer who had interests and achievements in science, alchemy, philosophy, ...
is believed by some to have been the son of Prince Francis (Ferenc) II Rákóczi. The ''
Rákóczi March The "Rákóczi March" (Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Rákóczi-induló''), sometimes known as the "Hungarian March" was one of the unofficial state anthems of Hungary before Ferenc Kölcsey wrote the Himnusz. It was most likely composed by Nikol ...
'' by
János Bihari János Bihari (21 October 1764 – 26 April 1827) was an influential Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867), Hungarian Romani people, Romani violinist. He is one of the founders of Romani academic music and the musical genre verbunkos. By the m ...
and (memorably orchestrated by
Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
) refers to them. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 by
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
refers to the rebellion led by Francis II Rákóczi.


History


Sigismund Rákóczi

Sigismund Rákóczi briefly reigned as Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608.


George Rákóczi I

George Rákóczi I (born June 8, 1593, Szerencs – Oct. 11, 1648) was the prince of
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 ...
from 1630. In 1643, Rákóczi formed an alliance with
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. In February 1644, leading a 30,000-man army, he launched a campaign against the Habsburgs in the
Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...
. Peasants who struggled for national liberation in 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 ...
supported him. He also encouraged the development of the mining industry and commerce.


George Rákóczi II

George Rákóczi II (30 January 1621, Hungary – June 7, 1660) was a Hungarian nobleman and
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 ...
(1648-1660). In 1657, he led an army of 40,000 men against King John II Casimir of Poland in the third part of the
Second Northern War The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...
(1655-1660). He took Kraków and entered Warsaw with the Swedes, but the moment his allies withdrew, he was defeated by the Poles at Czarny Ostrów. Finally, the Poles allowed him to return to Transylvania. When the Turks invaded Transylvania, he died at the battle of Gyalu (Gilău) in May of 1660.


Francis Rákóczi I

Francis Rákóczi I (February 24, 1645,
Gyulafehérvár Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a population of ...
,
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 ...
– July 8, 1676, Zboró,
Royal Hungary Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roy ...
) was the elected prince of Transylvania and Hungarian aristocrat. He was the son of George II Rákóczi, who was the prince of Transylvania, though George transferred his power to his son in 1652 through the
Transylvanian Diet The Transylvanian Diet (; ; ) was an important legislative, administrative and judicial body of the Principality (from 1765 Grand Principality) of Transylvania between 1570 and 1867. The general assemblies of the Transylvanian noblemen and the jo ...
. However, Francis was never able to occupy this role because the Ottoman government prohibited Rákóczi inheritance of the Transylvanian throne in 1660. Francis therefore lived as an aristocrat in Royal Hungary. In terms of religion, Francis I broke with the
Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
Rákóczi tradition by converting to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in imitation of his mother, Zsófia Báthori, which gained him favor with the Catholic Habsburg Court. Francis I married Croatian-Hungarian countess
Ilona Zrínyi Countess Ilona Zrínyi (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Jelena Zrinska'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Zrínyi Ilona'') (1643, Ozalj – 18 February 1703, Izmit) was a noblewoman and heroine. She was one of the last surviving members of th ...
in 1666 and had three children, György (1667); Julianna Borbála (1672–1717); and Francis II (1676–1735). He soon joined the Wesselenyi Conspiracy as a result of his marriage to Zrínyi. He became the leader of this group and attempted to stage an uprising among Hungarian nobles, but this was poorly organized and was soon crushed by the
Austrian government The Government of Austria () is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria. It consists of the chancellor, who is the head of government, the vice chancellor and the ministers. Appointment Since the 1929 reform of the Austrian Co ...
.


Francis II Rákóczi

Francis Rákóczi II (March 27, 1676, Borsi, Hungary – April 8, 1735,
Tekirdağ Tekirdağ () is a city in northwestern Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. The city forms the urban part of the Süleymanpaşa district, with a population of 186,421 in 2022. Tekirdağ ...
, Turkey), also known as Ferenc II Rákóczi, was the prince of Transylvania and leader of the last major Hungarian uprising against Austria until 1848. He is celebrated as a national hero in Hungary. Francis was raised by Austrian standards and attended a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
college in
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
, though he was majorly influenced by the nationalist fervor of his family growing up. Francis returned to his estates in Hungary in 1694 and was elected prince of Transylvania in 1704. Around the turn of the 18th century,
King Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monar ...
sought Rákóczi's help in his attempt to reduce Austrian power and promised to aid Rákóczi in return for an attempt at Hungarian independence. However, Rakoczi was arrested in 1700 after an Austrian spy alerted the emperor. He escaped to Poland and at the start of the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
, he led a
Kuruc Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti- Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711. Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national inde ...
uprising in an attempt to gain Hungarian independence, leading to the War for Independence. However, the war failed, and Francis left Hungary forever in
1711 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Sunday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January – Cary's Rebellion: The Lords Proprietor appoint Edward ...
, living in
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. He is commemorated by statues and monuments throughout Hungary, as well as in the
Rákóczi March The "Rákóczi March" (Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Rákóczi-induló''), sometimes known as the "Hungarian March" was one of the unofficial state anthems of Hungary before Ferenc Kölcsey wrote the Himnusz. It was most likely composed by Nikol ...
.


Major events


War for Independence

In 1678, anti-Habsburg revolutionaries led by Imre Thököly and aided by Louis XIV of France and the Ottomans rose in uprising against the Habsburgs. After the failed Battle of Vienna in 1683, Thököly lost support and was defeated in 1685. Around 1700, Louis XIV reached out again, this time to Francis II Rákóczi, in his attempt to mitigate Austrian power. Francis was arrested for this correspondence but eventually escaped to Poland. The
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
forced much of the Austrian army to leave Hungary, creating an opportunity to revolt. The
Kurucs Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti-Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711. Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national indep ...
, or the anti-Habsburg rebels, began an uprising headed by Rákóczi. However, very few nobles supported the revolution. Additionally, Austrian military victories over the French and the Bavarians caused aid to the revolution to falter. By 1706, Rákóczi was forced to retreat. Peace negotiations were largely unsuccessful, and Hungarian defeat at the
Battle of Trencsén A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...
solidified Austrian victory.McKay, John P. and Others. ''A History of Western Society: Since 1300''. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011, 495.


See also

*
List of titled noble families in the Kingdom of Hungary The following is a list of titled noble families in the Kingdom of Hungary. Dukes and princes Marquesses Counts Barons References Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{Refend Croatian noble families Hun ...


References


External links

* * {{Authority control * Surnames Hungarian noble families