The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény (; ; ; , ; , ) was a Hungarian political, military and administrative unit with a special role in the initially anti-Bulgarian, latterly anti-Ottoman defensive system of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. It was founded by Prince Béla in 1228.

Territory The Banate of Severin was a march (or a border province) of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary between the Lower Danube and the Olt River (in present-day Oltenia in Romania). A charter of grant, issued on 2 June 1247 to the Knights Hospitallers, mentioned the Olt as its eastern border. The Knights received the "Land of Severin" (Terra de Zeurino), along with the nearby mountains, from Béla IV of Hungary. The king had described the same region as a "deserted and depopulated" land in a letter to Pope Gregory IX on 7 June 1238. Modern scholars assume that either the Hungarian conquest of the territory or confrontations between Bulgaria and Hungary had forced the local population to flee. Historian László Makkai says, the population began to increase by the end of the 1230s, because Béla requested the pope to appoint a bishop for Severin.

The 1247 charter of grant also mentioned that "Cumania" bordered the Land of Severin from the east. The same diploma listed two Vlach (or Romanian) political units—the kenezatus of John and Farcaș—which were subjected to the Hospitallers on this occasion. A third kenezatus, which was ruled by Voivode Litovoi, was not included in the grant, but it was left to the Vlachs "as they had held it". However, Béla gave the Hospitallers half of the royal revenues collected in Litovoi's land, with the exception of the revenues from the "Land of Hátszeg" (now Țara Hațegului in Romania). Alexandru Madgearu says, the diploma shows that Litovoi's kenezatus bordered the Land of Severin to the north, thus the banate must have only included southern Oltenia in the middle of the 13th century. The kenezatus of Voivode Seneslau, which was located to the east of the Olt, was fully excluded from the grant.

The bans initially had their seat at the fortress of Szörény (now Drobeta-Turnu Severin in Romania). After Szörény was lost in the late 13th century, the fort of Miháld (now Mehadia in Romania) was the center of the province. In addition to Miháld, the banate included Orsova (now Orșova in Romania) and the Romanian districts along the upper course of the Temes (Timiș) river.

History Kaloyan of Bulgaria occupied the region between the rivers Cerna and the Olt around 1199. The Kingdom of Hungary was also expanding southwards over the Carpathian Mountains in the early 13th century, which gave rise to conflicts between the two countries. The Cuman tribes dwelling to the east of the Olt as far as the river Siret agreed to pay a yearly tribute to the kings of Hungary in early 1227. The Hungarians captured the Bulgarian fortress of Severin during a military campaign against Bulgaria in 1231.

In 1330 the Banate was roughly conquered by Basarab I, and most of it remained in the jurisdiction of Wallachia for the next centuries.

After the 1526 Battle of Mohács, the Banate of Severin was divided. The south-eastern part (eastwards from Varcsaró - Vârciorova, today part of Bolvașnița) came under the jurisdiction of Wallachian princes and in the north-western part (westwards from Orsova - present-day Orșova - inclusive) was gradually reorganized into the Banate of Lugos and Karánsebes.

Bans of Severin Thirteenth century Term Incumbent Monarch Notes Source 1226– 1232 Buzád Hahót Andrew II He styled himself "former ban" in 1233. His close relationship with Andrew II's son, Béla, Duke of Transylvania, suggests that he was the ban of Severin (instead of being the ban of Slavonia). 1233 Lucas Andrew II 1235 Pous Csák Béla IV Also Master of the treasury and ispán (or head) of Bács County 1240 Osl Osl Béla IV 1243 Stephen Csák Béla IV 1260 Lawrence, son of Kemény Béla IV First rule. 1262 Stephen Béla IV He is only mentioned in a non-authentic charter. 1263 Lawrence Stephen V (king junior) Also Master of the treasury of Stephen V. 1268 Alexander, son of Drugh Stephen V (king junior) 1268 Ugrin Csák Stephen V (king junior) First rule. 1270 Lawrence, son of Kemény Stephen V Second rule. Also ispán of Doboka County. 1270 Panyit Miskolc Stephen V 1271–1272 Lawrence, son of Kemény Stephen V Third rule. Also ispán of Doboka County. 1272 Albert Ákos Stephen V 1272–1274 Paul Gutkeled Ladislaus IV First rule. Also ispán of Valkó and Doboka Counties. 1274–1275 Ugrin Csák Ladislaus IV Second rule. 1275 Paul Gutkeled Ladislaus IV Second rule. 1275–1276 Mikod Kökényesradnót Ladislaus IV 1276 Ugrin Csák Ladislaus IV Third rule. 1277–1278 Paul Gutkeled (?) Ladislaus IV He is only mentioned in non-authentic charters. Third rule. 1279 Lawrence, son of Lawrence Ladislaus IV First rule. 1291 Lawrence, son of Lawrence Andrew III Second rule, but he may have continuously held the office from 1279 to 1291

Fourteenth century Term Incumbent Monarch Notes Source 1335–1341 Denis Szécsi Charles I Also master of the stewards. 1342–1349 Stephen Losonci Charles I, Louis I 1350–1355 Nicholas Szécsi Louis I Also ispán of Keve and Krassó Counties. 1355–1359 Denis Lackfi Louis I Also master of the horse, and ispán of Keve and Krassó Counties. 1359–1375 Vacant. 1375–1376 John Treutel Louis I 1376–1387 Vacant.

1299–1307 András Tárnok 1308–1313 András Tárnok and Márton Tárnok 1314–1318 Domokos Csornai 1319–1323 László Rátholti 1323–1329 Dénes Szécsi 1324 Pál 1330–1341 Dénes Szécsi 1342–1349 István Losonci 1350–1355 Miklós Szécsi 1355–1359 Dénes Lackfi 1359–1375 vacant 1376 János Treutel 1376–1387 vacant 1387 László Losonci Jr. 1387–1388 István Losonci 1388–1390 János Kaplai-Serkei 1390–1391 Miklós Perényi 1392 Szemere Gerebenci 1392–1393 Bebek Detre 1393 Frank Szécsi 1393–1397 vacant 1397 Lukács of Oszkola 1393–1408 vacant 1408–1409 Pipo of Ozora 1409 vacant 1410 Lőrinc, son of Majos 1410–1428 vacant 1428 Imre Marcali 1430–1435 Miklós Redwitz 1429–1435 vacant 1435 László Hagymás of Beregszó and János Dancs of Macedonia 1436–1439 Franko Talovac 1439–1446 John Hunyadi, Ban of Severin 1445–1446 Miklós Újlaki 1447–1454 Mihály Csornai 1449 Balázs Csornai 1452–1454 Péter Dancs of Sebes 1455-57 vacant 1458 Vlad and Gergely Bethlen 1459–1460 vacant 1460 László Dóczi 1462–1463 Nicholas of Ilok 1464–1466 vacant 1466 János Pongrácz of Dengeleg 1467 vacant 1467 István and Mihály de Muthnoki 1468–1471 vacant 1471–1478 Imre Hédervári 1478 János Erdő and Domokos Bethlen 1478 vacant 1479 Ambrus Török and György Szenthelsebethi 1479 Bertalan Pathócsy 1480–1483 Bertalan Pathócsy and Ferenc Haraszti 1483–1489 Ferenc Haraszti and András Szokoly 1490 Imre Ozorai 1491 Imre Ozorai and Dánfy András of Doboz 1491–1492 Ferenc Haraszti and Dánfy András of Doboz 1492 Móré Fülöp Csulai 1492–1494 Móré György Csulai and Ferenc Balassa 1495–1501 Tárnok Péter Macskási and Jakab Gerlisthey 1501 Jakab Gerlisthey and Bélai Barnabás 1502 Jakab Gerlisthey and Tárnok Péter Macskási 1503 Bélai Barnabás 1503 Jakab Gerlisthey 1504–1508 Jakab Gerlisthey and Barnabás Bélai 1508–1513 Mihály Paksi and Barnabás Bélai 1514 Barnabás Bélai and János Szapolyai 1515–1516 Miklós Hagymási of Berekszó 1517–1518 vacant 1519 Bélai Barnabás 1520–1521 Miklós Gerlisthey 1522–1523 János Vitéz Kállay 1524–1526 János Vitéz Kállay and János Szapolyai 1526–1540 Under the rule of Lugos and Karánsebes Bans 1526–1860 Under Ottoman occupation

See also Banat of Craiova Țara Amlașului Țara Făgărașului Glad Ahtum

References

Bibliography

Further reading Hațegan I., Cavalerii teutoni în Banatul Severinului (1429–1435), "Tibiscus-istorie" V, Muzeul Banatului, Timișoara, 1978, pp. 191–196. http://mek.niif.hu/02100/02114/html/316.html Histoire de la Transylvanie

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