Az erdélyi vajdák honvédelmi szerepe a Jagelló-korban

Abstract

This study sets out to analyse the contribution of Transylvanian voivodes to the anti-Turkish war effort of Hungary at the end of the Middle Ages. The voivodes had considerable power at heir disposal, because Transylvania was perhaps the most exposed part of the Hungarian kingdom to foreign invasion throughout the medieval period. The distance from the centre of the kingdom made it necessary for the voivodes to be able to act independendy before the king was informed about the impending danger. Therefore, as in other periods of the his ton' of medieval Hungary, voivodes in the Jagelló age can be regarded as the king's equivalent in Transylvania. As their role was predominandy military in its nature, they actively participated in the defence of the realm, no matter what part of it came under Turkish attack. In the above mentioned period the role of voivode János Szapolyai (1510-1526) must be stressed, who found himself in the crossfire of criticism because he failed to turn up in the battle of Mohács, and some contemporaries as well as historians of later times accused him of secretly plotting with, the Turks to bring about the king's downfall. However, an objective analysis of the situation reveals him to have been innocent of this crime. Szapolyai as voivode of Transylvania cannot be regarded as a conspirator against King Louis II; he did not reach the batdefield of Mohács because of the great distance, the mistakes of the Hungarian high command and Turkish diversion.