Ottoman Hungary Török hódoltság (Hungarian) | |
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1541–1699 | |
![]() Ottoman rule on Hungary at its peak in 1683, including Budin, Egri, Kanije, Temesvar, Uyvar, and Varat eyalets. The semi-independent Principality of Transylvania was an Ottoman vassal state for the majority of the 16th and 17th centuries, the short lived Imre Thököly's Principality of Upper Hungary also became briefly a vassal state due to an anti-Habsburg Protestant uprising between 1682 and 1685. | |
Common languages | Hungarian |
Religion | Roman Catholicism Reformed Church in Hungary Islam |
Demonym(s) | Hungarian |
Government | |
Beylerbey, Pasha, Agha, Dey | |
History | |
1541 | |
1686 | |
1699 | |
Today part of | Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania |
History of Hungary |
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Ottoman Hungary (Hungarian: Török hódoltság, literally "the Turkish subjugation") refers to the parts of the Kingdom of Hungary that were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire during the period of significant Ottoman presence in the kingdom, from the occupation of Buda in 1541 to the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The territory was incorporated into the empire, under the name Macaristan.[1] For most of its duration, Ottoman Hungary covered Southern Transdanubia and almost the entire region of the Great Hungarian Plain.
Since the 1360s, Hungarians confronted with the Ottoman Empire, leading several crusades and campaigns and carrying out several defence battles and sieges against the Ottomans. They bore the brunt of the Ottoman wars in Europe during the 15th century and successfully halted the empire’s advance. However, from 1490, after the death of King Matthias of Hungary, the royal power declined and in 1521, Hungary was invaded by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. After two previous sieges, the Ottomans captured the border fortress Belgrade (considered as the key and southern gate of the Kingdom of Hungary) by the Third Siege of Belgrade. The Sultan launched an attack against the weakened kingdom, whose smaller army was defeated in 1526 at the Battle of Mohács and King Louis II of Hungary died.[2] After the death of the Hungarian king, both the Hungarian noble Zápolya family and the Austrian Habsburg family claimed the Hungarian throne. King John I of Hungary ruled central Hungary and the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom while the Habsburgs ruled northern and western parts. The Habsburgs tried several times to unite all Hungary under their rule, but the Ottoman Empire prevented that by supporting the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom. King John I died in 1540, the Habsburg forces besieged Buda the Hungarian capital in 1541, Sultan Suleiman led a relief force and defeated the Habsburgs, the Ottomans captured the city by a trick during the Siege of Buda and the south central and central areas of the kingdom came under the authority of the Ottoman Empire, therefore Hungary was divided into three parts. The north-western rim of the Hungarian kingdom remained unconquered and recognised members of the House of Habsburg as Kings of Hungary, giving it the name "Royal Hungary". The Eastern Hungarian Kingdom is the predecessor of the Principality of Transylvania, which was established by the Treaty of Speyer in 1570 and the Eastern Hungarian King became the first Prince of Transylvania. The Principality of Transylvania was a semi-independent state, and a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, it continued to be part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the sense of public law, John Sigismund's possessions belonged to the Holy Crown of Hungary, and was a symbol of the survival of Hungarian statehood. The boundary between the three territories thereupon became the frontline in the Ottoman–Habsburg wars over the next 150 years. In 1686, Buda was recaptured from the Ottomans, and in 1687, after the Second Battle of Mohács, the Hungarian parliament recognized that the inheritance of the Hungarian crown had passed to the Habsburgs. The imperial armies pushed the Turks out of Hungary relatively quickly and occupied Transylvania as well. Following the defeat of the Ottomans in the Great Turkish War, the Ottomans recognized the loss of the Ottoman Hungary by the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The remaining Ottoman occupied territories (that encompassed the southern border regions of the Kingdom of Hungary), Temeşvar Eyalet, Syrmia and Belgrade, were reconquered by the Habsburgs during the Austro-Turkish War between 1716 and 1718, the cession of these regions was acknowledged by signing of the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718.[3]
During the period of Ottoman rule, Ottoman conquered parts of Hungary was divided for administrative purposes into Eyalets (provinces), which were further divided into Sanjaks. Ownership of much of the land was distributed to Ottoman soldiers and officials with about 20% of the territory being retained by the Ottoman state. As a border territory, much of Ottoman Hungary was heavily fortified with troop garrisons. During the long three-way Hungarian–Habsburg–Ottoman wars the Hungarian population highly decimated.[2] The wartorn territory became a depopulated area, thus later sizeable Orthodox Southern Slavic speaking population was installed by the Ottoman Porte during the 17th century. The territory became economically under-developed, and it was only a drain on Ottoman resources. Although there was some immigration from other parts of the Empire and some conversions to Islam, the territory was populated by largely Orthodox southern Slavonic speakers. The Ottomans were relatively religiously tolerant and this tolerance allowed Protestantism to gain traction in the Eastern edges of Ottoman Hungary, also known as Partium, unlike in Royal Hungary where the Habsburgs tried to repress it.
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