List of princes of Transylvania

This article is about the reigning princes of Transylvania. For wives of the reigning princes, see List of princesses consort of Transylvania.

This is a list of the princes of Transylvania.

List of princes

Sixteenth century

Reign	Portrait	Prince	Birth	Marriage	Death	Notes	Source
1570–1571		John Sigismund Zápolya	7 July 1540 Buda son of John I of Hungary and Isabella of Poland	died unmarried	14 March 1571 Gyulafehérvár	former elected king of Hungary (1540–1551, 1559–1570)	[1][2]
1576–1586		Stephen Báthory	27 Sept 1533 Szilágysomlyó son of Stephen (VIII) Báthory and Catherine Telegdi	Anna of Poland (1576) childless	12 December 1586 Grodno	former voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576); also king of Poland (1576–1586)	[3][4][5]
1586–1598		Sigismund Báthory	1572 Várad son of Christopher Báthory and Erzsébet Bocskai	Maria Christina of Austria (1595) childless	27 March 1613	first reign; Prince Stephen Báthory's nephew; former voivode of Transylvania (1581–1586); abdicated for the duchies of Opole and Ratibor	[3][6][7]
1598	Transylvania is administered by imperial commissioners in the name of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor						[8]
1598–1599		Sigismund Báthory	1572 Várad son of Christopher Báthory and Erzsébet Bocskai	Maria Christina of Austria (1595) childless	27 March 1613	second reign; abdicated in favor of his cousin, Andrew Báthory	[6][8]
1599		Andrew Báthory	1566 Szilágysomlyó son of Andrew Báthory and Margit Majláth	unmarried	3 November 1599 Csikszentdomokos (Sândominic)	nephew of Prince Stephen Báthory, cousin of Prince Sigismund Báthory; former Cardinal; killed by Székelys after his defeat by Voivode Michael the Brave of Wallachia in the battle of Sellemberk	[9][10]
1599–1600	Transylvania is administered by Voivode Michael the Brave of Wallachia, recognized by the Diet as imperial governor of Emperor Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor. In addition, Michael the Brave occupied Moldavia in 1600, and styled himself "By the grace of God, ruler of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia" between 6 June 1600 and December 1600. In his correspondence with Emperor Rudolf II, he always styled himself locum tenens of the emperor.						[11][12][13]

Seventeenth century

Reign	Portrait	Prince	Birth	Marriage	Death	Notes	Source
1600–1601	Transylvania is administered by General Giorgio Basta in the name of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor						[11]
1601–1602		Sigismund Báthory	1572 Várad (Oradea) son of Christopher Báthory and Erzsébet Bocskai	Maria Christina of Austria (1595) childless	27 March 1613	third reign; fled abroad following his defeat by General Giorgio Basta and Michael the Brave in the battle of Goroszló, but before long he returned abdicated	[6][14]
1601–1603	Transylvania (or parts of Transylvania) is administered by General Giorgio Basta in the name of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor						[15]
1603		Moses Székely	c. 1553 Lövéte (Lueta) son of János Székely	unknown (1st marriage) Anna Kornis (2nd marriage) (c. 1585) 1 child	17 July 1603 by Brassó	backed by the Ottoman governor of the vilajet of Temesvár defeats Giorgio Basta; having received the ahidnâme from Sultan Mehmed III, declared prince by a "Diet at military camp" killed in the battle of Brassó fighting against Voivode Radu Şerban of Wallachia and his Székely allies	[15][16]
July 1603–September 1603	Transylvania was ruled by Radu Şerban of Wallachia who held the title of voivode						[17]
September 1603–1604	Transylvania is administered by General Giorgio Basta in the name of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor						[18]
1605–1606		Stephen Bocskai	1 January 1557 Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) son of George Bocskai and Krisztina Sulyok	Kata Hagymássy (1583) childless	29 December 1606 Kassa	maternal uncle of Prince Sigismund Báthory; elected prince of Hungary (1605–1606)	[19][20]
1607–1608		Sigismund Rákóczi	1544 Felsővadász son of János Rákócsi and Sára Némethy	Judit Bekény (1st marriage) (1587) 1 child Anna Gerendi (2nd marriage) (1592) 3 children Borbála Telegdy (3rd marriage) (1596) childless	5 December 1608 Felsővadász	baron (1588); abdicated in favor of Gabriel Báthory father of George I Rákóczi	[21][22]
1608–1613		Gabriel Báthory	15 August 1589 Várad (Oradea) son of Stephen Báthory and Zsuzsanna Bebek	Anna Palocsai-Horváth (1607) childless	27 October 1613 Várad (Oradea)	his father is a nephew of Prince Stephen Báthory, himself is Prince Andrew Báthory's nephew; also voivode of Wallachia (1611); expelled by Ottoman troops assisting Gabriel Bethlen; murdered by Hajdu assassins	[23][24]
1613–1629		Gabriel Bethlen	15 November 1580 Marosillye son of Farkas Bethlen and Druzsina Lázár de Szárhegy	Zsuzsanna Károlyi (1st marriage) (1605) 3 children (all died) Catherine of Brandenburg (1626) childless	15 November 1629 Gyulafehérvár	elected by Ottoman assistance; also elected king of Hungary (1620–1621); according to the Peace of Nikolsburg of 1621 also duke of Opole and Ratibor in Silesia (1621–1629); according to the same peace, 7 counties (Abaúj, Bereg, Borsod, Szabolcs, Szatmár, Ugocsa, and Zemplén)[citation needed] are joined to the principality for his lifetime	[25][26]
1629–1630		Catherine of Brandenburg	28 May 1604 Brandenburg an der Havel[verification needed] daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg and Anna of Prussia	Gabriel Bethlen (1st marriage) (1626) childless Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg (1639)	27 August 1649 Schöningen	Prince Gabriel Bethlen's widow; her right to success his husband confirmed in his life (1626) by the Diet; usually referred to as "prince" instead of "princess"; abdicated	[27][28][29]
1630		Stephen Bethlen	1584 son of Farkas Bethlen and Druzsina Lázár de Szárhegy	Krisztina Csáky (1st marriage) 3 children[verification needed] Katalin Károlyi 3 children[verification needed]	10 January 1648 Ecsed	Prince Gabriel Bethlen's brother; elected by the Diet, but later opposed by George I Rákóczi	[27][30]
1630–1648		George I Rákóczi	8 June 1593 Szerencs son of Sigismund Rákóczi and Anna Gerendi	Zsuzsanna Lorántffy (1616) 4 children	11 October 1648 Gyulafehérvár	Prince Sigismund Rákóczi's son	[31]
1648–1657		George II Rákóczi	30 January 1621 Sárospatak son of George I Rákóczi and Zsuzsanna Lorántffy	Sophia Báthory (1643) 2 children	7 June 1660 Várad (Oradea)	first reign; Prince George I Rákóczi's son; elected prince by the Diet in his father's life (1642) in recognition of his right to succession; deposed by the Ottoman Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü	[32][33]
(not installed)		Francis I Rákóczi	24 February 1645 Gyulafehérvár son of George II Rákóczi and Sophia Báthory	Countess Ilona Zrínyi (1666) 4 children	8 July 1676 Zboró	elected prince by the Diet in his father's life (1652) in recognition of his right to succession; never installed because of his father's fall	[34]
1657–1658		Francis Rhédey	1610 Várad (Oradea) son of Francis Rhédey and Kata Károlyi	Druzsina Bethlen de Bethlen 1 child	7 May 1667 Huszt	elected prince by the Diet against George II Rákóczi on the order of the Sublime Porte	[35]
1658		George II Rákóczi	30 January 1621 Sárospatak son of George I Rákóczi and Zsuzsanna Lorántffy	Sophia Báthory (1643) 2 children	7 June 1660 Várad (Oradea)	second reign; elected again prince by the Diet; expelled by Ottoman troops	[32]
1658–1659		Ákos Barcsay	c. 1610 son of Sándor Barcsay and Erzse Palatics	Erzsébet Szalánczy (1st marriage) childless Izabella Bánffy (1660) childless	July 1661 Kozmatelke	first reign; appointed by the Sublime Porte, then elected by the Diet against George II Rákóczi; while visiting the Ottoman governor of the vilajet of Temesvár, his opponent returned to the principality	[36]
1659–1660		George II Rákóczi	30 January 1621 Sárospatak son of George I Rákóczi and Zsuzsanna Lorántffy	Sophia Báthory (1643) 2 children	7 June 1660 Várad (Oradea)	third reign; elected again prince by the Diet; defeated in a battle at Szászfenes	[32]
1660		Ákos Barcsay	c. 1610 son of Sándor Barcsay and Erzse Palatics	Erzsébet Szalánczy (1st marriage) childless Izabella Bánffy (1660) childless	July 1661 Kozmatelke	second reign; reinstalled by the Sublime Porte; abdicated	[36]
1661–1662		John Kemény	14 December 1607 Magyarbükkös son of Balthasar Kemény and Zsófia Tornyi	Zsuzsa Kállai (1st marriage) (1632) 1 child[verification needed] Anna Lónyay (1659) 1 child[verification needed]	22 January 1662 Nagyszőllős (Seleuș)		[37]
1661–1690		Michael I Apafi	3 November 1632 Ebesfalva son of George Apafi and Borbála Petki	Anna Bornemissza 9 children	15 April 1690 Fogaras		[38]
1690–1696 or 1701		Michael II Apafi	13 October 1676 Gyulafehérvár son of Michael I Apafi and Anna Bornemissza	Countess Kata Bethlen (1694) childless	1 February 1713 Vienna	Prince Michael I Apafi's son; elected prince by the Diet in his father's life (1681) in recognition of his right to succession; never installed, since he was taken in 1696 by force to Vienna because of his marriage without the previous approval of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor; abdicated of his title in 1701	[39]
1690		Emeric Thököly	25 September 1657 Késmárk son of Count Stephen Thököly and Mária Gyulaffi	Countess Ilona Zrínyi (1683) 2 children	13 February 1705 İzmit	Declared vassal king of Upper Hungary by Sultan Mehmed IV, never elected and crowned.[citation needed]	[40]

Eighteenth century

Reign	Portrait	Prince	Birth	Marriage	Death	Notes	Source
1704–1711		Francis II Rákóczi	27 March 1676 Borsi son of Francis I Rákóczi and Countess Ilona Zrínyi	Charlotte Amalie of Hessen-Rheinfels-Wanfried (1694) 4 children	8 April 1735 Tekirdağ	Prince Francis I Rákóczi's son	[41]

See also

• List of rulers of Transylvania
• List of consorts of Transylvania