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{{Short description|Prince of Transylvania}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name            = Gabriel Báthory
| title           =
| image           = BathoriG.jpg
| image_size      =
| caption         =
| succession      = [[Prince of Transylvania]]
| reign           = 1608–1613
| predecessor     = [[Sigismund Rákóczi]]
| successor       = [[Gabriel Bethlen]]
| spouse          = Anna Horváth Palocsai
| issue           =
| house           =
| father          = [[Stephen Báthory (1553–1601)|Stephen Báthory]]
| mother          = Zsuzsanna Bebek
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1589|08|15|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Oradea|Várad]], [[Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711)|Principality of Transylvania]]
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1613|10|27|1589|08|15|df=y}}
| death_place     = Várad, Principality of Transylvania
| date of burial   =
| place of burial  = [[Nyírbátor]]
| religion        = [[Calvinism]]
}}

'''Gabriel Báthory''' ({{langx|hu|Báthory Gábor}}; 15 August 1589 – 27 October 1613) was [[Prince of Transylvania]] from 1608 to 1613. The Ottomans nicknamed him "Deli Kiral" (Mad King). Born to the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] branch of the [[Báthory family]], he was closely related to four rulers of the [[Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711)|Principality of Transylvania]] (a [[Vassal and tributary states of the Ottoman Empire|vassal state]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] which had developed in the eastern territories of the medieval [[Kingdom of Hungary]]). His father, [[Stephen Báthory (1553–1601)|Stephen Báthory]], held estates in the principality, but never ruled it. Being a minor when his father died in 1601, Gabriel became the [[ward (law)|ward]] of the childless [[Stephen Báthory (1555–1605)|Stephen Báthory]], from the [[Protestant]] branch of the family, who converted him to [[Calvinism]]. After inheriting most of his [[legal guardian|guardian]]'s estates in 1605, Gabriel became one of the wealthiest landowners in Transylvania and [[Royal Hungary]] (a realm of the [[Habsburg Empire]] which included the northern and western parts of medieval Hungary).

Gabriel made an alliance with the [[Hajduk (Kingdom of Hungary)|Hajdús]]{{mdash}}irregular troops stationing along the borders of Transylvania and Royal Hungary{{mdash}}and laid claim to Transylvania against the elderly prince, [[Sigismund Rákóczi]] in February 1608. Rákóczi abdicated and the [[Diet of Transylvania]] elected Gabriel prince without resistance. Both the [[Sublime Porte]] and the Habsburg ruler [[Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor|Matthias II]] acknowledged Gabriel's election. He ignored the privileges of the [[Transylvanian Saxons]] and captured their wealthiest town, Szeben (now [[Sibiu]] in Romania), provoking an uprising in 1610. His attempts to expand his authority over the Ottoman vassal [[Wallachia]] and his negotiations with Matthias II outraged the Ottoman Sultan [[Ahmed I]]. The Sultan decided to replace Gabriel with an exiled Transylvanian nobleman, [[Gabriel Bethlen]], and sent troops to invade the principality in August 1613. Transylvania was unable to resist and the Diet dethroned Gabriel. He was murdered by Hajdú assassins.

== Early life ==

=== Childhood ===

[[File:Cetatea Bathory Simleu-Silvaniei 3.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A stone building with a ruined gate|Ruins of the [[Báthory Castle|Báthorys' castle at Szilágysomlyó]] (now [[Șimleu Silvaniei]] in Romania)]]

Báthory was born in Várad (now [[Oradea]] in Romania) before dawn on 15 August 1589.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=11}}{{sfn|Szabó|2012|p=204}} His father, [[Stephen Báthory (1553–1601)|Stephen Báthory]], was a cousin of [[Prince of Transylvania]] [[Sigismund Báthory]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=12–14}} Stephen was captain of Várad when Gabriel was born.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=11}} Gabriel's mother was his father's first wife, Zsuzsanna Bebek.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=13}} Although she had already given birth to four children, none survived infancy.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=11}} Sigismund Báthory dismissed Gabriel's father from Várad in the summer of 1592, and Gabriel's family then moved to the [[Báthory Castle|Báthorys' ancient castle]] in Szilágysomlyó (now [[Șimleu Silvaniei]] in Romania).{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=14}}

The Principality of Transylvania emerged after the disintegration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary in the 1540s.{{sfn|Keul|2009|pp=40–41}} The principality included the eastern and northeastern regions of the medieval kingdom{{sfn|Keul|2009|pp=40–41}} and its princes paid a yearly tribute to the Ottoman sultans.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=261}} The princes were elected by the Diet, but they were to seek the Ottoman sultans' confirmation to rule the principality.{{sfn|Dörner|2009|pp=138–139}} The Habsburg kings of Royal Hungary regarded the principality as a part of their realm and the first rulers of the principality acknowledged the Habsburgs' claim in secret treaties in the 1570s.{{sfn|Felezeu|2009|pp=25–26}}{{sfn|Barta|1994|pp=259–260}} The Diet of Transylvania consisted primarily of the representatives of the [[Three Nations of Transylvania|Three Nations]] (that is the [[Hungarian nobility|Hungarian noblemen]], the Saxon burghers and the [[Székelys]]).{{sfn|Dörner|2009|pp=154–155}}{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=265}}

Sigismund Báthory, who was a devout Catholic,{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=294}} wanted to join the [[Holy League of Pope Clement VIII]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]], but most Transylvanian noblemen opposed his plan.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=139}} Stephen Báthory's brother, [[Balthasar Báthory|Balthasar]], was an opposition leader.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=139}} Balthasar was captured and murdered at Sigismund's order in late August 1594.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=139}} Gabriel's father fled from Transylvania to Poland, leaving his family behind in Szilágysomlyó;{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=24}} the five-year-old Gabriel was imprisoned with his mother and newborn sister, [[Anna Báthory|Anna]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=14}} Stephen and Balthasar's brother, Cardinal [[Andrew Báthory]] (who lived in Poland), persuaded [[Pope Clement VIII]] to intervene on their behalf.{{sfn|Horn|2002|p=187}} Gabriel, his mother and sister were freed at the pope's request and were allowed to join Stephen in Poland.{{sfn|Horn|2002|p=187}} His mother became seriously ill, and died near the end of 1595.{{sfn|Horn|2002|p=188}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=27}}

The Ottomans routed the armies of the Holy League in a series of battles after 1595.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=295}} Sigismund Báthory abdicated in favor of Gabriel's uncle, Andrew, in early 1599 in the hope that Andrew could regain the Ottoman sultans' favor with Polish mediation.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=25}}{{sfn|Barta|1994|pp=295–296}} Gabriel's father accompanied Andrew back to Transylvania, and his family followed him.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=25}} [[Michael the Brave]], [[Prince of Wallachia]], who had joined the Holy League, invaded Transylvania and defeated Andrew with the assistance of Székely troops.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=142}} After Székely commoners murdered Andrew, Michael the Brave took possession of Transylvania.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=142}} Gabriel's father fled to Kővár (now [[Remetea Chioarului]] in Romania) and swore fealty to the [[Holy Roman Emperor]], [[Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolph]] (who was also [[king of Hungary]]), before his death on 21 February 1601.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=26}}

{{chart top|Báthorys in Transylvania}}
{{tree chart/start|style=font-size:95%; line-height: 120%; margin:1em;|align=center|summary=Boxes and lines diagram with 61 boxes}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | | |StB1| StB1=[[Stephen VIII Báthory|'''Stephen''']]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|1477–1534}}}}<br/>[[Voivode of Transylvania]]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1530–1534}}}}}}
{{tree chart| | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|v|-|-|-|.}}
{{tree chart| | |AB1| | | | | | | | |CB| |StB2 | AB1=Andrew | CB=[[Christopher Báthory|'''Christopher''']]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|1530–1581}}}}<br/>Voivode of Transylvania<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1576–1581}}}} | StB2=[[Stephen Báthory|'''Stephen''']]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|1533–1586}}}}<br/>Voivode/[[Prince of Transylvania]]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1571/1576–1586}}}}}}
{{tree chart| |,|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | |!}}
{{tree chart|StB3| |BB| |AB2| | |SiB| | | | | StB3=[[Stephen Báthory (1553–1601)|Stephen]]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|1553–1601}}}} | BB=[[Balthasar Báthory|Balthasar]]<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|1560–1594}}}} | AB2=[[Andrew Báthory|'''Andrew''']]{{smaller|<br/>{{nowrap|1562/1563–1599}}}}<br/>Prince of Transylvania<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1599}}}} | SiB=[[Sigismund Báthory|'''Sigismund''']]{{smaller|<br/>{{nowrap|1573–1613}}}}<br/>Voivode/Prince of Transylvania<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1581/1586–1599, 1601–1602}}}}}} 
{{tree chart| |!}}
{{tree chart|GB | GB='''Gabriel'''{{smaller|<br/>{{nowrap|1589–1613}}}}<br/>Prince of Transylvania<br/>{{smaller|{{nowrap|''r.'' 1608–1613}}}}}}
{{tree chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

=== In guardianship ===

The orphaned Gabriel and Anna were placed in the guardianship of their father's childless cousin, [[Stephen Báthory (1555–1605)|Stephen Báthory]], and lost most of their father's estates; Szilágysomlyó was seized by the royal treasury, and their scattered estates in [[Szatmár County|Szatmár]], [[Szabolcs County|Szabolcs]] and [[Kraszna County|Kraszna Counties]] were seized by a distant cousin, Peter Szaniszlófi.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=26, 45–46}} Scholar János Czeglédi educated Gabriel in [[Nagyecsed]], and the wealthy Stephen Báthory converted Gabriel from Catholicism to Calvinism.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=37, 42}} Gabriel pledged that he would expel Catholics, Lutherans and [[Unitarian Church of Transylvania|Unitarians]] from his estates.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=37}} The young Gabriel's strength was legendary, and he was said to break horseshoes with his bare hands.{{sfn|Szabó|2012|p=204}}

Rudolf's troops occupied Transylvania in 1603 and his officials started to confiscate the estates of noblemen through legal proceedings on false charges of treason.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=297}} One of the wealthiest landowners, [[Stephen Bocskai]], was accused of maintaining secret correspondence with Transylvanian exiles in 1604.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=297}} To avoid imprisonment, he rose up in open rebellion with the backing of the Hajdú, irregular troops stationed along the borders of Transylvania and Royal Hungary.{{sfn|Felezeu|2009|p=37}}{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=154}} Although Stephen Báthory did not openly support Bocskai, he sent Gabriel to Bocskai's court in Kassa.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=55, 289}}{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=154}} Sixteen-year-old Gabriel participated in a battle against the royal army near [[Sárospatak]] in early February 1605; three years later, poet János Rimay accused him of fleeing the battlefield.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=56–57}} Rimay also said that Gabriel spent his days mainly drinking wine and allegedly had an affair with his aunt, Kata Iffjú (who was over thirty years old at the time).{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=60}}

=== Rise to power ===

Bocskai was elected prince of Transylvania on 21 February 1605 and prince of Hungary on 20 April of that year.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=156}} His realm included most of Transylvania proper, [[Partium]] and [[Upper Hungary]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=69–70}} Stephen Báthory died on 25 July 1605.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=289}} He had willed most of his estates to Gabriel, who became one of the wealthiest noblemen in Bocskai's realm.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=49, 289}} Bocskai hinted that he regarded Gabriel as his successor, ordering Bálint Drugeth (commander-in-chief of his army in Upper Hungary) to "hold Gabriel Báthory in the highest esteem among the Hungarian lords" if he did not return from his meeting with [[List of Ottoman Grand Viziers|Ottoman Grand Vizier]] [[Sokolluzade Lala Mehmed Pasha|Lala Mehmed Pasha]]{{sfn|Keul|2009|pp=156–157}} in November 1605.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=70}} Young noblemen (including Gabriel's future enemy, Gabriel Bethlen) and military officials also supported Gabriel.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=70}} Years later, Gáspár Bojti Veres wrote that Gabriel hosted feasts to win popularity with Bocskai's courtiers and commanders.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=70}} Gabriel's relatives, [[Mihály Káthay]] (Bocskai's chancellor) and [[János Imreffy]] (Kata Iffjú's husband), were his principal supporters.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=60, 71–72}} His position weakened after Bocskai who was taken ill suddenly had Káthay imprisoned for treason in early September 1606.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=73}} Káthay's opponents, [[Simon Péchi]] and János Rimay, persuaded the dying (and often unconscious) Bocskai to name Bálint Drugeth his successor in his last will.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=74}}

[[File:Ecsed vára Das ehmals gedrückte, vom Türken berückte, nun trefflich erquickte Königreich Hungarn. Frankfurt u. Leipzig 1688.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Four fortresses connected with a bridge to each other in a marschland|The Báthorys' fortress at Nagyecsed in 1688]]

Bocskai died in Kassa on 29 December 1606.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=159}} A mob accused Káthay of poisoning Bocskai, and lynched him on 12 January 1607.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=75}} Gabriel had demanded the Principality of Transylvania in a 2 January 1607 letter to the grand vizier, [[Kuyucu Murad Pasha]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=75}} Bocskai's deputy, the elderly [[Sigismund Rákóczi]], continued to administer the principality with the consent of the [[Diet of Transylvania]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=80–81}} Gabriel sent Bethlen to Székely captain [[János Petki]] to secure his support, but Bethlen was imprisoned at Rákóczi's order on 26 January.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=81, 83, 94}} Rákóczi also dismissed Várad captain Dénes Bánffy, the fiancé of Gabriel's sister Anna.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=83}}

The delegates of the [[Three Nations of Transylvania]] wanted to demonstrate their right to freely elect the prince.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=304}} The Diet first passed a decree prohibiting a minor from being elected prince, preventing Gabriel's election.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=82}} It ignored Bocskai's last will, electing Rákóczi prince on 12 February.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=304}} Gabriel mustered troops, saying that he only wanted to protect Transylvania.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=82–83}} He demanded the cancellation of the Transylvanian decrees ordering the confiscation of his father and uncles' estates in 1595.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=92}} Gabriel approached Rudolph I's councillors after the Diet expelled the [[Jesuits]] from Transylvania, offering to defend the Catholic Church in the principality if he ascended the throne and saying that he was ready to reconvert to Catholicism.{{sfn|Keul|2009|pp=159–160}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=98}} Rudolph made him governor of Transylvania in June, but the appointment had no real effect on Gabriel's position.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=98}} Gabriel married Bocskai's kinswoman, Anna Horváth Palocsai, about two months later.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=65–66}}

After being unpaid for months, the Hajdús rose up in the autumn of 1607.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=87}} They offered their support to Drugeth, who refused to lead them.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=87}} Gabriel also treated them with disdain and promised to protect Transylvania against them at the end of October.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=88}} He soon mustered his troops and marched to Upper Hungary.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=88}} He again approached the royal court, asking Rudolph to make him [[voivode of Transylvania]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=98}} After the representatives of the Hajdús and the noblemen of Upper Hungary made a fifty-day truce in [[Ináncs]] at the end of the year, Gabriel began negotiations with the Hajdús.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=88}} They concluded a treaty on 8 February 1608.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=305}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=89, 289}} Gabriel pledged to grant villages to the Hajdús in Partium, and they promised to support him in seizing Transylvania.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=89}}{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=160}} He also promised to expel "heretics and idolaters" (Unitarians and Catholics) from the royal council.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=89}}{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=160}} According to the contemporary Ferenc Nagy Szabó's memoirs, the Ottoman grand vizier soon decided to support Gabriel.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=101}}

Gabriel sent Imreffy to Rákóczi, offering to help Rákóczi seize two important domains in Upper Hungary if Rákóczi abdicated.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=90}} He informed Rudolph's commissioner, [[Zsigmond Forgách]], on 13 February 1608 that Rákóczi had already agreed to leave Transylvania.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=103}} Although the Hajdús took control of the northwestern region of Partium, Gabriel forbade them to invade Transylvania proper.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=104}} János Petki announced Rákóczi's abdication at the Diet in Kolozsvár (now [[Cluj-Napoca]] in Romania) on 5 March of that year.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=104}}

== Reign ==

=== Consolidation ===

[[File:Michael Weiss.jpg|thumb|right|alt=An elderly bearded man with a hat in his hand wearing a coat decorated with furs|[[Michael Weiß (politician)|Michael Weiss]], mayor of Brassó (now [[Brașov]] in Romania)]]

The Diet elected Gabriel prince on 7 March 1608, and sent delegates to him in Nagyecsed.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=305}} Although his election was technically free, he controlled the strongest army in the principality (making resistance impossible).{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=305}} He pledged to respect the laws of the principality, especially the privileges of the Three Nations, before accepting his election on 14&nbsp;March.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=105}} Gabriel was ceremoniously installed in Kolozsvár on 31 March, and the Diet granted him the domains of Fogaras (now [[Făgăraș]] in Romania) and Kővár as hereditary estates.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=105, 121}} He began settling the Hajdús in Partium, and granted [[Hajdúböszörmény|Böszörmény]] to those forced to leave [[Nagykálló]]; others received parcels in [[Bihar County]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=126}} About 30,000 Hajdú soldiers received parcels of land from Gabriel during his reign.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=127}}

To assert his suzerainty over [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]], he decided to dethrone Prince [[Radu Șerban]] of Wallachia; however, the royal council and [[Michael Weiß (politician)|Michael Weiss]] (mayor of the important [[Transylvanian Saxons|Transylvanian Saxon]] town of Brassó, now [[Brașov]] in Romania) dissuaded him.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=306}}{{sfn|Jakó|2009|p=124}} Radu Șerban voluntarily swore fealty to Gabriel in the presence of his envoys on 31 May.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=306}} On 18 July, thirteen-year-old [[Prince of Moldavia]] [[Constantin I Movilă]] also acknowledged Gabriel's suzerainty and promised to pay a yearly tribute of 8,000 florins.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=306}} That month, Gabriel visited Brassó.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=135}} His feasts infuriated the burghers, who called him a drunkard or a greedy new [[Sardanapalus]] in defamatory poems.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=161}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=145}} Gabriel's promiscuity was notorious; he reportedly seduced young women and promoted noblemen who were willing to offer him their wives.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=140}}

He sent Bethlen to Istanbul and Imreffy to Kassa to secure his recognition by the [[Sublime Porte]] and the royal court.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=307}} After a brief negotiation, Imreffy and representatives of Rudolph's brother [[Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor|Matthias]] (who had persuaded Rudolph to abdicate in his favor) signed two treaties on 20 August.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=290}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=307}} The first treaty summarized the privileges of the Hajdús in Royal Hungary and the Principality of Transylvania.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=307}} The second recognized Gabriel as lawful ruler of Transylvania, but forbade him to secede from the [[Holy Crown of Hungary]].{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=307}} Bethlen returned from Istanbul in late November with the sultan's delegates, who brought the ''[[ahidnâme]]'' confirming Gabriel's election.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=307}} The sultan exempted Transylvania from paying the customary tribute for three years.{{sfn|Andea|2009|p=115}}

Romanian Orthodox priests approached Gabriel for support against noblemen who treated them like serfs.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=161}} At their request, he freed them from taxation and service demands by the landowners in June 1609.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=161}} Gabriel also granted them the right to freely move about the principality.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=161}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=290}} At his initiative, in October the Diet abolished all grants which had exempted some noble estates from taxation.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=290}}

=== Assassination attempt ===

While Gabriel was sleeping at [[István Kendi]]'s home in Szék (now [[Sic, Cluj|Sic]] in Romania) during the night of 10–11 March 1610, a man entered his bedroom.{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=161}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=308}} Although the intruder had wanted to stab Gabriel, he changed his mind and confessed that Kendi and other (mostly-Catholic) noblemen had hired him.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=308}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=152–153}} Kendi soon fled to Royal Hungary, but his accomplices were captured.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=308}} The Diet sentenced the conspirators to death on 24 March, and their estates were confiscated.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=154}} Gabriel made Imreffy chancellor and Bethlen captain of the Székelys.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=309}}

The motivation for the conspiracy is unclear.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=152–153}} According to the contemporary [[Tamás Borsos]], the conspirators wanted to murder Gabriel because his undisciplined Hajdú troops had destroyed many villages.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=152–153}} Calvinist pastor Máté Szepsi Laczkó said that the Catholic noblemen wanted to get rid of the Protestant prince.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=153}} Others claimed that Boldizsár Kornis (captain of the Székelys) joined the plot because Gabriel had tried to seduce his young wife.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=152}}

Gabriel met [[Palatine of Hungary]] [[György Thurzó]] in Királydaróc (now [[Craidorolț]] in Romania) in June, but they could not reach an agreement.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=291}} He said during the negotiations that he was a sovereign, but the palatine was merely a "lord's serf".{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=118}} After returning to Transylvania, Gabriel planned to reunite Royal Hungary and Transylvania under his rule with Ottoman support.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=168}} Although he ordered the princes of Moldavia and Wallachia to send reinforcements and the Saxons to pay a tax of 100,000 florins, the prince of Moldavia did not send troops and the Saxons paid only 10,000 florins.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=168}} Imreffy again went to Royal Hungary to negotiate with Thurzó in Kassa.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=168}} By 15 August, they reached a compromise which resolved most of the contentious issues.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=168–169}} However, Matthias II did not ratify the agreement because it stated that Transylvania was not required to provide military assistance to Royal Hungary against the Ottomans.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=172}}

=== Conflicts ===

[[File:Hermanstatt (Sibiu), 17th century engraving.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Dozens of houses and towers surrounded by a double line of walls|Szeben during the 17th century]]

Gabriel went to Szeben (now [[Sibiu]] in Romania), the wealthiest Saxon town, on 10 December.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=176–177}} Although only 50 soldiers accompanied him into the town, his army was stationed on the outskirts.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=176}} Gabriel stopped at the gate of the town the following day, pretending that he only wanted to study it; while the gate was open, his army unexpectedly marched in and captured the town without resistance.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=176–177}} He said that he wanted to secure his entry into Szeben because the Saxons could refuse monarchs entry into their towns.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=174}} According to the contemporaneous [[Diego Duque de Estrada|Diego de Estrada]], Gabriel wanted to transfer his capital to Szeben from Gyulafehérvár (now [[Alba Iulia]] in Romania), which had been destroyed during the [[Long Turkish War]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=174}} The Diet declared Szeben capital of the principality on 17 December, limiting its privileges, authorizing noblemen to acquire real estate and Calvinist priests to preach in the town's Lutheran churches.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=174, 177–178}}{{sfn|Keul|2009|p=165}}

Gabriel launched a military campaign against Wallachia on 26 December.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=309}}{{sfn|Andea|2009|p=116}} Radu Şerban fled the country, enabling Gabriel to take possession of [[Târgoviște]] without resistance.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=309}}{{sfn|Felezeu|2009|p=34}} Gabriel styled himself prince of Wallachia in a 26 January 1611 charter.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=181}} According to Radu Popescu's chronicle, his troops brought pillage, destruction and death to the countryside.{{sfn|Jakó|2009|pp=126–127}} Gabriel sent his envoys to Istanbul, asking Ottoman Sultan [[Ahmed I]] to confirm his rule in Wallachia.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=181}} He outlined a plan for the conquest of Poland.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=309}} He also demanded compensation for the salaries of his Hajdús from the Ottomans, who began to call him ''"Deli Kiral"'' (Mad King) because of his actions.{{sfn|Felezeu|2009|p=34}}

The Ottoman governors of [[Budin Eyalet|Buda]] and [[Temeşvar Eyalet|Temesvár]] (now [[Timișoara]] in Romania) invaded the Hajdú villages in Partium, forcing them to hurry back and defend their homes.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=182}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=310}} Ahmed I granted Wallachia to [[Radu Mihnea]] and ordered Gabriel to return to Transylvania in March.{{sfn|Felezeu|2009|p=35}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=183}} Although the sultan's decision outraged Gabriel, he had no choice but to accept it.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=183}} Radu Şerban ousted Radu Mihnea from Wallachia at the head of an army of [[Cossack]] and Moldavian mercenaries.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=183}} The Diet ordered the mobilization of the Transylvanian army,  authorizing Gabriel to collect an extraordinary tax in April.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=187}} However, Michael Weiss (who had regarded Gabriel as a new [[Nero]]) incited the burghers of Brassó to rise up against the monarch.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=189, 215}} Gabriel dispatched Hajdú captain András Nagy to lay siege to Brassó, but Weiss bribed Nagy to lift the siege.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=190–191}} Radu Şerban invaded [[Burzenland]] (now Țara Bârsei in Romania) unexpectedly, and routed Gabriel's army near Brassó on 8 July 1611.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=194, 290–291}} Gabriel barely escaped from the battlefield to Szeben.{{sfn|Jakó|2009|p=127}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=201}}

Matthias II considered Gabriel's attack against Wallachia as treachery, because he regarded Transylvania and the two Romanian principalities as realms of the Hungarian Crown.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=197}} Zsigmond Forgách, commander-in-chief of Upper Hungary, invaded Transylvania in late June.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=198}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=310}} Although Nagy and the Hajdús under his command supported Forgách, most Protestant noblemen refused to join the invasion.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=199}} Most Transylvanians regarded the invasion as an unlawful action, and only the Saxons were willing to support Forgách.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=200}} He and Radu Şerban besieged Szeben, but could not capture it.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=203}} Gabriel sent envoys to Istanbul, seeking assistance from the Sublime Porte.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=205}} Nagy and his Hajdú troops deserted Forgách and routed the reinforcements sent to him from Upper Hungary in mid-September.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=207}} After learning of the arrival of Ottoman troops to support Gabriel, Radu Şerban withdrew from Szeben; this forced Forgách to lift the siege.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=208}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=310}} The Transylvanian army routed the retreating royal troops, capturing hundreds of soldiers.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=208}}

Gabriel led his army from Szeben to Várad, but the Ottoman troops did not accompany him.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=209}} Delegates of the counties and towns of Upper Hungary persuaded Thurzó to begin negotiations with Gabriel, and their envoys signed an agreement in [[Tokaj]] in December.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=210}} Gabriel pledged to send delegates to the [[Diet of Hungary]] and not allow serfs to join the Hajdús.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=211}} However, the princes of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] persuaded Matthias II not to ratify the treaty until Gabriel reached an agreement with the Saxons.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=223}}

Meanwhile, Gabriel sent Hajdú captain [[András Géczi]] to Istanbul to express his gratitude for Ottoman support.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=215}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=311}} Géczi made an agreement with Michael Weiss in Brassó, however, and asked for Gabriel's removal on behalf of the [[Three Nations of Transylvania]] in Istanbul in November.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=292}}{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=311}} The [[Imperial Council (Ottoman Empire)|Imperial Council]] of the Ottoman Empire accepted the proposal, and decided to replace Gabriel with Géczi.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=311}} After the burghers of Brassó refused to surrender, Gabriel invaded Burzenland and captured seven Saxon fortresses in late March and early April 1612.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=219–221}} The Diet of Transylvania urged the Saxons of Brassó to surrender in May, but the Three Nations delegates did not punish the noblemen who had fled to the town.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=221}} Gabriel proposed a month later at the Diet that the principality should renounce the sultan's suzerainty, but his proposal was refused.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=311}}

Géczi sent letters to András Nagy (who promised to murder Gabriel), but Nagy's letter was captured.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=223}} Gabriel killed Nagy or had him executed in August, according to various sources.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=223}} Gabriel Bethlen (the leading figure of the pro-Ottoman policy) fled to Ottoman territory on 12 September, and visited the Ottoman governors of Temesvár, Buda and [[Kanije Eyalet|Kanizsa]].{{sfn|Péter|1994|pp=311–313}} With their help, he contacted the grand vizier [[Nasuh Pasha]].{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=313}} Weiss, who wanted to install Géczi as prince in Gyulafehérvár, left Brassó at the head of an undisciplined army on 8 October 1612.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=224}} Gabriel attacked Weiss and his troops, annihilating them six days later.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=224}}{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=312}} Weiss was beheaded on the battlefield, and Géczi withdrew to Brassó.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=225}} The Diet sentenced the absent Géczi and Bethlen to death, granting amnesty to those who had surrendered.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=225}}

=== Fall ===

[[File:Fn braun-varadinum.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A walled town on a peninsula surrounded by houses|Várad (now [[Oradea]] in Romania) in 1617]]

The Diet authorized Gabriel to begin negotiations with Matthias II, and their envoys signed an alliance in Pressburg (now [[Bratislava]] in Slovakia) on 24 December 1612.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=259}} Matthias sent his delegates to Transylvania to urge the Saxons to surrender to Gabriel.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=259}} The treaty outraged Ahmed I, who decided to replace Gabriel with Bethlen in March.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=313}}{{sfn|Szabó|2012|p=205}} Matthias and Gabriel's envoys concluded a new treaty on 12 April, and Matthias acknowledged Gabriel's hereditary right to rule Transylvania.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=259, 261}} In a secret agreement, Gabriel promised to support Matthias even against the Ottomans.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=261}} He granted a royal pardon to the Saxons and their allies, including Géczi (who was made commander of Gabriel's guard).{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=226}}

Gabriel Bethlen left Istanbul in August, accompanied by Skender, the Pasha of Kanizsa.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=313}} Radu Mihnea invaded Transylvania from Wallachia in early September.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=313}} [[Canibek Giray]], [[List of Crimean khans|Khan of the Crimean Tatars]], invaded the principality three weeks later.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=313}} By early October, Ottoman troops arrived to support Bethlen.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=313}} Gabriel fled from Transylvania proper and withdrew to Várad to seek assistance from Royal Hungary against Bethlen and his allies.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=274, 276}} Zsigmond Forgách sent an army of 2,000 troops, commanded by Miklós Abafy, to Várad.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=276}}

Skender Pasha convoked the delegates of the Three Nations to a Diet at Gyulafehérvár.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=313}} The Diet dethroned Gabriel on 21 October, urging him in a letter of farewell to accept the decision,{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=279}} and elected Bethlen prince two days later.{{sfn|Barta|1994|p=313}} According to the contemporaneous historian Máté Szepsi Lackó, András Géczi and Miklós Abaffy soon hatched a plot to murder Gabriel in Várad.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=281}} They entered his room on 26 October 1613 and persuaded him to give them his sword, but did not attack the strong prince because he still had a dagger.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=281}} The following day, Abaffy told Gabriel that the troops from Royal Hungary wanted to see him.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=282}} After visiting Abaffy's army, Gabriel returned to Várad in a carriage.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=282}} Horsemen suddenly attacked the carriage, forcing it to turn into a narrow street.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=282}} Gabriel jumped out of the carriage, but was soon shot.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=282}} He tried to resist at a willow tree near the [[Peța River|Pece Stream]], but dozens of Hajdús attacked and killed him.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=282–283}} Hajdú infantry captain Balázs Nagy brought Gabriel's body first to Nagyecsed, and then to [[Nyírbátor]].{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=284}} His body lay unburied in the crypt of the church in Nyírbátor, and he was ceremoniously buried at Bethlen's order only in 1628.{{sfn|Szabó|2012|p=205}}{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=284}}

Transylvania went through a chaotic period during Gabriel's rule.{{sfn|Szabó|2012|p=205}} Historian Katalin Péter states that Gabriel "was not the man to tolerate inaction for long" and "ruled with extravagance and capricious irresponsibility".{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=307}} Gabriel, according to Péter, was unable to keep a balance among the different groups of the Transylvanian nobility, which gave rise to new tensions between Calvinists and Catholics, natives and newcomers, pro-Habsburg and pro-Ottoman politicians.{{sfn|Péter|1994|pp=307–308}} Neither could he realize that the Ottoman Empire had recovered after the [[Long Turkish War]] by the time he ascended the throne and his expansionist ambitions were not tolerated by the Sultan.{{sfn|Péter|1994|p=309}} Historian László Nagy's evaluation of Báthory's rule is different.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=5}} He says that Báthory's bad fame can be traced back to the works of historians who worked in the court of Gabriel Bethlen who made conscious efforts to denigrate his predecessor.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=5}} Nagy also emphasizes that 17th-century popular literary works show that many commoners was mourning Báthory's death.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=6}} The 20th-century Hungarian novelist [[Zsigmond Móricz]] characterizes Gabriel Báthory as a "true fairy prince", adding that "fairies are unfit for this world".{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=5}}

== Family ==

{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|title=Ancestors of Gabriel Báthory{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=13}}{{sfn|Horn|2002|pp=13–14, 244–245}}{{sfn|Markó|2000|pp=232, 282, 289}}
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Gabriel Báthory'''

|2= [[Stephen Báthory (1553–1601)|Stephen Báthory]]
|3= Zsuzsanna Bebek

|4= 4. András Báthory
|5= 5. [[Margit Majláth]]
|6= 6. György Bebek
|7= 7. Zsófia Patócsy

|8= 8. [[Stephen VIII Báthory|Stephen Báthory]]
|9= 9. [[Catherine Telegdi]]
|10= 10. Stephen Majláth
|11= 11. Katalin Nádasdy
|12=
|13=
|14=
|15=

|16= 16. Miklós Báthory
|17=
|18=
|19=
|20= 20. Mátyás Majláth
|21=
|22= 21. Ferenc Nádasdy
|23=
|24=
|25=
|26=
|27=
|28=
|29=
|30=
|31=
}}

Gabriel's wife, Anna, was the daughter of György Horváth Palocsai and Krisztina Sulyok.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=66}} According to Nagy Szabó, she was "a big fat woman" and Gabriel "did possibly not love her too much".{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=66}} Michael Weiss said that Gabriel's separation from his wife was a reason for the Saxons' rebellion because it contradicted divine law.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=217}} Bethlen accused Gabriel of an [[incestuous]] affair with his sister, Anna, first mentioning the rumour in Istanbul in 1613 in an attempt to depose him.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|p=61}} The accusation was repeated during a secret lawsuit against Anna, whom Bethlen accused of [[witchcraft]] in 1614.{{sfn|Nagy|1988|pp=61–62}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Sources ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Andea |first=Susana |editor1-last=Pop |editor1-first=Ioan-Aurel |editor2-last=Nägler |editor2-first=Thomas |editor3-last=Magyari |editor3-first=András |title=The History of Transylvania, Vo. II (From 1541 to 1711) |publisher=Romanian Academy, Center for Transylvanian Studies |year=2009 |pages=113–131 |chapter=Political Evolution in the 17th Century-From Stephen Bocskai to Michael Apafi |isbn=978-973-7784-04-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Barta |first=Gábor |editor1-last=Köpeczi |editor1-first=Béla |editor2-last=Barta |editor2-first=Gábor |editor3-last=Bóna |editor3-first=István |editor4-last=Makkai |editor4-first=László |editor5-last=Szász |editor5-first=Zoltán |editor6-last=Borus |editor6-first=Judit | title=History of Transylvania |publisher=Akadémiai Kiadó |year=1994 |pages=247–300 |chapter=The Emergence of the Principality and its First Crises (1526–1606) |isbn=963-05-6703-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Dörner |first=Anton |editor1-last=Pop |editor1-first=Ioan-Aurel |editor2-last=Nägler |editor2-first=Thomas |editor3-last=Magyari |editor3-first=András |title=The History of Transylvania, Vo. II (From 1541 to 1711) |publisher=Romanian Academy, Center for Transylvanian Studies |year=2009 |pages=133–178 |chapter=Power structures |isbn=978-973-7784-04-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Felezeu |first=Călin |editor1-last=Pop |editor1-first=Ioan-Aurel |editor2-last=Nägler |editor2-first=Thomas |editor3-last=Magyari |editor3-first=András |title=The History of Transylvania, Vo. II (From 1541 to 1711) |publisher=Romanian Academy, Center for Transylvanian Studies |year=2009 |pages=15–73 |chapter=The International Political Background (1541–1699); The Legal Status of the Principality of Transylvania in Its Relations with the Ottoman Porte |isbn=978-973-7784-04-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Horn |first=Ildikó |year=2002 |title=Báthory András ''[Andrew Báthory]'' |publisher=Új Mandátum |isbn=963-9336-51-3 |language=hu }}
* {{cite book |last=Jakó |first=Klára |editor1-last=Papp |editor1-first=Klára |editor2-last=Jeney-Tóth |editor2-first=Annamária |editor3-last=Ulrich |editor3-first=Attila |title=Báthory Gábor és kora ''[Gabriel Báthory and His Times]'' |publisher=Debreceni Egyetem Történeti Intézete; Erdély-történeti Alapítvány |year=2009 |pages=123–132 |chapter=Báthory Gábor és a román vajdaságok [Gabriel Báthory and the Romanian Principalities] |isbn=978-963-473-272-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=Keul |first=István |year=2009 |title=Early Modern Religious Communities in East-Central Europe: Ethnic Diversity, Denominational Plurality, and Corporative Politics in the Principality of Transylvania (1526–1691) |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-17652-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Markó |first=László |year=2000 |title=A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig: Életrajzi Lexikon ''[Great Officers of State in Hungary from King Saint Stephen to Our Days: A Biographical Encyclopedia]'' |publisher=Magyar Könyvklub |isbn=963-547-085-1 |language=hu }}
* {{cite book |last=Nagy |first=László |year=1988 |title=Tündérkert fejedelme: Báthory Gábor ''[Prince of the Pixies' Garden: Gabriel Gáthory]'' |publisher=Zrínyi Kiadó |isbn=963-326-947-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Péter |first=Katalin |editor1-last=Köpeczi |editor1-first=Béla |editor2-last=Barta |editor2-first=Gábor |editor3-last=Bóna |editor3-first=István |editor4-last=Makkai |editor4-first=László |editor5-last=Szász |editor5-first=Zoltán |editor6-last=Borus |editor6-first=Judit | title=History of Transylvania |publisher=Akadémiai Kiadó |year=1994 |pages=301–358 |chapter=The Golden Age of the Principality (1606–1660) |isbn=963-05-6703-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Szabó |first=Péter Károly |editor1-last=Gujdár |editor1-first=Noémi |editor2-last=Szatmáry |editor2-first=Nóra |title=Magyar királyok nagykönyve: Uralkodóink, kormányzóink és az erdélyi fejedelmek életének és tetteinek képes története ''[Encyclopedia of the Kings of Hungary: An Illustrated History of the Life and Deeds of Our Monarchs, Regents and the Princes of Transylvania]'' |publisher=Reader's Digest |year=2012 |pages=204–205 |chapter=Báthory Gábor |isbn=978-963-289-214-6 |language=hu }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web |last=Péter |first=Katalin |url=http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/169.html |title=Gábor Báthory leads the ''Hajdús'' |publisher=mek.oszk.hu}}
{{Refend}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Báthory|House of Báthory]]|15 August|1589|27 October|1613}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Sigismund Rákóczi]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prince of Transylvania]]|years=1608–1613}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Gabriel Bethlen]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Radu Şerban]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Wallachian rulers|Voivode of Wallachia]]|years=1611}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Radu Mihnea]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathory, Gabriel}}
[[Category:Princes of Transylvania]]
[[Category:1589 births]]
[[Category:1613 deaths]]
[[Category:Báthory family|Gabriel]]
[[Category:17th-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:1600s in Romania]]
[[Category:17th-century monarchs in Europe]]
[[Category:People of the Long Turkish War]]
[[Category:Assassinated Hungarian people]]
[[Category:Hungarian Calvinist and Reformed Christians]]