Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/45

 TRANSYLVANIA

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TRANSYLVANIA

German character, for Saxons had settled also in Burzenland. The manufacturing German towns that sprang up in the district became centres of a flourishing civilization and the main props of the Hun- garian authority. The Magj-ars in Transylvania were ruled bj- a voi\ode, while the Germans formed a separate nation who were governed by the Count of Saxony. A third nation, the Szcklers in Szeklcr- land, apparently a branch of the Magyars, had a gov- ernor or Ge:iijnrin of tlieir own. The \\'allachians or Rumanians [Btaci), who had settled in various parts of the country, were not on a pohtical equahty with the others; they appear chiefly as tenants of the great Hungarian landowners.

As one of the frontier bulwarks of Hungary, Transylvania was often obliged to defend itself against the incursions of foreign tribes. Thus it had to contend against the Kunianis and Tatars who traversed, in the thirteenth century, almost the whole of eastern Europe, plundering and burning as they went, and who in the years 1241-42 devastated the whole of Transylvania. The country also, for more than a century, resisted successfully the attacks of the Turks, who from the fifteenth century repeatedly forced their way into Transylvania along the rivers Danube and Maros. The numerous fortified castles of the country, the fortified churches, and the church strongholds, that are a pecuhar feature of Tran.syl- vania, belong chiefly to this period of the incursions of the Tatars and Turks. The devastation wrought by the Turks, the misery that followed their incursions, and a revolt of the peasants led to a union of the three nations. This union was formed in 1437 for the common protection and defence of the country, utterly neglected by the Hungarian government. Even at this early date the alhance led to the growth of the idea of separation from the mother-country. This took place in the sixteenth century, and was due to the successful advance of the Turks. In 1.526 the Hungarian King Louis II, a member of the Jagel- lon dyna.sty, was kiUed in the battle against the Turks at Mobiles. A part of the Htmgarian nobihty elected the Archduke Ferdinand I, brother of the Emperor Charles V, as King of Hungary, on account of a treaty of succession made by Waladislaus, father of King Louis; while another faction elected John Ziipolya, Count of Zips. During the struggle be- tween these two parties the Turks conquered almost the whole of Hungarj', with the exception of the northern and extreme western sections. Transyl- vania now separated from Hungary, at this time under the rule of the Hab.sburgs, and John Zapolya made it an independent principaUty, although under Turkish suzerainty.

The separation from the rest of the empire of the Habsburgs was greatly aided by reUgious discord. On account of the active intercourse between the Holy Roman Empire and the Germans, in particular, of Transylvania, the writings of Luther and the other Reformers were circulated in Transylvania as early as 1.521, and the new doctrine spread rapidly, espe- cially among the nobility, who meant to seize the lands belonging to the Church. Zapolya's revolt against Ferdinand, the secularizing in 1.5.56 of the Diocese of Weissenburg by the nobles, and the lack of priests, all were of advantage to Protestantism. In 1.544 the whole Saxon nation decided to adopt the Augsburg Confession, which in 1.5.57 was placed on a parity with the Catholic Church. From the year 1.5.54 the teachings of Calvin also gained ground in Transyl- vania, and in 1.564 Calvinism received full recogni- tion and was placed on a parity with the two other denominations. During the reign of John Sigmund, son of John Ziipolya, the doctrines of Socinus also spread in Transylvania and the adherents of these teachings, the I'nitarians, were granted the free exercise of their religion in 1.571. In addition, there

were also Anabaptists and other sects in the country. Consequently the Catholic Faith declined more and more, its members became the minority of the popu- lation, and were robbed of nearly all their Cliurch lands. The exercise of the Catholic worship was forbidden in a large part of the land, and the diocese was only nominalh' filled for over a century and a half. In 1579 Prince Christopher Bathory called in the Jesuits for the protection of the Catholic Faith, but they were driven away in 1.588, and all their later attempts to return were frustrated by force.

The period of the Turkish suzerainty over Transyl- vania lasted for a century and a half. During this era the country was nominally a constitutionally governed principahty, for the prince had the adminis- trative aid of a Council of State and a diet, but in reahty the nobihty governed, as they had the right to the free election of a successor after the death of the ruhng prince. Yet this right was often illusory on account of the pressure exercised by the Turks. A number of the princes of this era gained reputation by the part they took in European affairs. Among these were: John Sigmund Zdpolya (1.541-70), Stephen Bilthory (1571-75), afterwards King of Poland; Signiund Biithory (1581-1602), Bethlen ■Gabor (162.5-29), the two rulers named George Rd,k6czy (1630-61), who were allies of France in the Thirty Years War, and Michael I Apdfy (1662-90). The feehng constantlj' grew in Transylvania that the supremacy of the Turks, who repeatedly interfered in the internal affairs of the country, was discredit- able. This and the influence of a strong party in favour of the Habsburgs, which had always existed in the country, led several times to the union of Transylvania with the Austrian monarchy, as in the years 1551-56, and 1598-1602. The final connexion with Austria was brought about by the successful advance of the imperial army after the second siege of Vienna by the Turks in 1683, and the reconquest of Hungary by Austria in 1684-85. Transylvania was separated from Turkey and the oath of loyalty to Leopold I as King of Hungary was confirmed by several treaties between the emperor and the Transyl- vanian estates, the most important of which was the Leopoldine Diploma of 4 December, 1691. On his side Leopold recognized all the rights of the three political nations of Transylvania and confirmed the former liberties of the four confessions recognized in Transylvania. In 1697 Prince Michael II Apdfy renounced all his rights for a pension and the title of a prince of the empire, while the Porte withdrew all claims to Transylvania in the Peace of Karl6witz (1699). In this way Transylvania was once more won for the Hungarian Crown and the Habsburg dynasty. The Hungarian revolt under Francis II Rdk6czy threatened the loss of Transylvania again, as his adherents proclaimed him ruler of the princi- pality (1704), but after a few years the revolt was 8uppre.ssed.

Under the rule of Austria the country was made a separate crown land. The ruler of Austria who was Prince of Transylvania did not reside in the coimtry, consequently, the Transylvanian Hoyal Chancellery (Eiceha CanceUaria regia Transylyania Aulica) was formed at Vienna as the chief authority for the exer- cise of the princely rights. Its head was a chancel- lor and the orders of the chancellery were imperative upon the royal board of government (Excelsum regium Guhernium) which had been established at Hermannstadt in 1713, and which was moved to Klausenburg in 1790. This board directed the administration of the country, supervised the churches and schools, and formed the supreme court. Laws were i.s.sued by the ruler in conjunction with a Diet consisting of one chamber. In 1765 Maria Theresa raised the principality to the rank of a grand princi- pality, by which nothing, in reality, was changed.