Sigismund Rákóczi (, ; 15445December 1608) was Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608. He was the son of János Rákóczi, a lesser nobleman with estates in Upper Hungary. Sigismund began a military career as the sword-bearer of the wealthy Gábor Perényi in Sárospatak. After Perényi died in 1567, Sigismund served in the royal fortresses of Eger and Szendrő. The royal chamber mortgaged him several estates to compensate him for unpaid salaries. He received Szerencs in 1580, which enabled him to engage in the lucrative Tokaji wine trade. He took possession of the large estates of András Mágóchy's minor sons as their guardian, and the second husband of their mother Judit Alaghy, in 1587.
Sigismund was made the captain of the important stronghold of Eger on 29 June 1588. Rudolph I, King of Hungary, granted him the title of baron on 28 August. Sigismund rose to fame after he routed the united forces of three Ottoman beys (captains) near Szikszó on 8 October. He also helped the Calvinist pastor, Gáspár Károli, publish the Hungarian translation of the Bible (the so-called Vizsoly Bible). He renounced the captaincy in 1590 or 1591 because the royal treasury had not provided enough funds to finance the management of the fortress. Sigismund was a successful commander of the royal army during the first decade of the Long Turkish War, which broke out in 1593.
He continued to provide loans to the royal treasury which enabled him to seize new estates, but these were frequently pillaged both by Tatar marauders or unpaid mercenaries, especially after 1599. The royal chamber made attempts to seize his estates after 1602. Sigismund, who was suffering from an attack of gout, withdrew to his domains along the Polish-Hungarian border. After Stephen Bocskai rose up against Rudolph I in October 1604. Sigismund tried to mediate a reconciliation, but six months later he joined Bocskai who made him governor of Transylvania with limited authority on 14 August 1606.
Although Bocskai named Bálint Drugeth (Sigismund's former son-in-law) his successor in his last will, the Diet of Transylvania elected Sigismund prince on 12 February 1607. Drugeth abandoned his claim to Transylvania, but Gabriel Báthory (who was related to former princes) secured the support of the Hajdús (irregular soldiers) against Sigismund for himself. To avoid a new civil war, Sigismund abdicated in favor of Báthory on 5 March 1608. Sigismund returned to Upper Hungary and tried to seize command of the royal army in the region, but he died. His acquisition of large estates made his descendants the wealthiest magnates of Royal Hungary.
Childhood Sigismund was born to János Rákóczi and Sára Némethy in Felsővadász in 1544. His father held small estates in Abaúj and Zemplén Counties. János Rákóczi was vice-ispán (or deputy head) of Zemplén County in 1551. Sigismund was first mentioned in his father's charter on 22 December 1550. In the charter, János Rákóczi made a complaint against Gábor Perényi, the lord of Sárospatak, who had captured one of the Rákóczis' villages, Selyeb.
Sigismund attended school at his father's insistence, according to the address that István Miskolczi Csulyak gave at his funeral. Historian András Szabó believes Sigismund was most probably educated in the Protestant schools at Sajószentpéter and Sárospatak. He could write and read Latin. He often read the Bible and the works of Roman historians until the end of his life. After his father died in 1561, Sigismund decided on a military career.
Career
Beginnings
Sigismund became the sword-bearer of the wealthy Gábor Perényi in Sárospatak. He fought in the army of Lazarus von Schwendi, the supreme commander of Upper Hungary, during the siege of Tokaj in 1565. After Perényi died in 1567, Sigismund went to serve in the stronghold of Eger. According to a 17th-century family chronicle, Sigismund accompanied Gáspár Bekes to Transylvania and fought by his side in the Battle of Kerelőszentpál in 1575. In the same year Sigismund was adopted by the widowed Júlia Zsoldos who willed him Csenyéte, Irota and Szakácsi.
At an unspecified date between 1573 and 1577, Sigismund was transferred to the fortress of Szendrő. As commander of the Hungarian forces, he participated in many skirmishes against Ottoman soldiers garrisoned in nearby fortresses. For instance, after the bey (captain) of Fülek plundered the fair at Szikszó, Sigismund and the deputy-captain of Kassa (now Košice in Slovakia), Bálint Prépostváry, joined forces and defeated the retreating Ottomans at Vadna on 11 November 1577.
Sigismund often mentioned in his letters that he and his soldiers had not received their salaries. To compensate him for the unpaid amounts, the royal chamber mortgaged several estates to him. He first received Felsőlenke and Sajószentkirály (now Lenke and Kráľ in Slovakia) in the late 1570s. Szerencs was mortgaged to him for 4,000 florins in 1580. Szerencs was located near the Tokaj wine region, enabling Sigismund to trade in wine. This lucrative business made him a wealthy man by the late 1580s. He erected a new castle in Szerencs, which became the center of his domains.
His prestige also increased. Lesser noblemen began regarding him as an able protector. Rudolph I, King of Hungary, tasked him with the collection of the two-florin extraordinary tax payable by each peasant households in Gömör County in 1582, and in Borsod County in 1584. He was made the captain of Szendrő in 1585. By that time Sigismund, like most of his peers in Upper Hungary, had converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism.
The dying Gáspár Mágóchy made Sigismund the guardian of András Mágóchy's sons in 1587. András (who was the wealthy Gáspár's nephew) had died in the summer of 1586. His orphaned sons inherited large estates in Bereg, Szepes and Torna Counties. Sigismund wrote a poem in Hungarian in Munkács on 25 May, praising God and seeking his protection. In the poem, he also referred to his obligation to protect the orphans and widows. Before the end of the following month, he married András Mágóchy's widow (the mother of his wards), Judit Alaghy. He was the representative of the untitled noblemen on the committee, set up at the demand of the Diet of Hungary in 1588, to review the administration of royal revenues in Upper Hungary. The committee members visited all the important centers of the region, but their report was ignored by the royal court.
Magnate
Being the guardian of the minor Mágóchys, and the husband of their mother, Sigismund took possession of their properties, including the domain of Munkács. He employed knezes who gathered colonists to establish new villages on his new estates. He reinvested his income, either lending money to the royal treasury, or buying new landed property.
Sigismund was made the captain of the fortress of Eger in 1588 at the initiative of the king's brother, Ernest. The Diet had demanded the appointment of a Hungarian nobleman to command Eger since 1580, and his loyalty to the king was unquestionable. Count Nogarola, the supreme commander of Upper Hungary, installed Sigismund on 29 June. By that time, the former villages of the fortress had either been captured by the Ottomans, or mortgaged by Sigismund's predecessor, Krsto Ungnad. Sigismund could finance the administration of the fortress from the revenues of the Bishopric of Eger, and from subsidies from the royal treasury. At his appointment, he was commander of a garrison of over 500 horsemen and 450 foot soldiers; by the end of 1590, he was the head of 440 horsemen and 830 foot soldiers.
As captain of Eger, he also became the ispán (head) of Heves and Borsod Counties. Rudolph I granted him the rank of baron on 28 August 1588, raising him from the masses of untitled noblemen. Before long, he had to face an Ottoman attack against Szikszó. He first routed the troops of the bey of Szolnok on 2 October. His son, George, would later say, Sigismund always relied on espionage to prevent sudden attacks. After reinforcements from Kassa, Szendrő and Tokaj joined his troops, Sigismund hurried to Szikszó and routed the united army of three beys on 8 October. His victory was celebrated by the whole kingdom, and in Vienna and Prague. The minstrel György Tardi composed a poem to commemorate it.
The Hungarian translation of the Bible, known as the Vizsoly Bible, completed by the Calvinist pastor Gáspár Károli, was printed under the auspices of Sigismund between February 1589 and July 1590. He also financed the education of young men at the universities of Heidelberg and Wittenberg. After finishing their studies, he employed them as Calvinist priests on his estates. He had a good relationship with some Catholic prelates. For instance, the provost (head) of the Eger Chapter borrowed 150 florins from him in 1589. He also employed Orthodox priests for his Rusyn serfs. However, he imprisoned the Orthodox bishop of Munkács who had filed a complaint against him at the royal court for unknown reasons.
Sigismund continued the restoration the fortress of Eger which had begun in 1569. He redeemed at least four villages in the royal estates centered around the fortress which had been mortgaged by his predecessors. However, he found his position onerous because the royal treasury was unwilling to pay all the expenses. He announced that he wanted to renounce his captaincy of the fortress on 12 March 1590, but his successor, Bálint Prépostváry, was only appointed on 15 July 1591. He moved to Munkács and restored the castle. He retained the guardianship of his stepsons after his wife died in July 1591. In an attempt to seize the guardianship, his stepsons' cousin, Magdolna Káthay, filed a lawsuit against Sigismund stating that he had been negligent, but she lost the case. Sigismund married his second wife, Anna Gerendi, before 15 July 1592.
Long Turkish War
The Diet of Hungary voted an extraordinary tax to finance the defense of Slavonia and Croatia against the Ottomans in early 1593. The Diet appointed Sigismund to collect the tax in Upper Hungary. After the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Koca Sinan Pasha, invaded Transdanubia, rumours about his plan to transform Upper Hungary into a voivodate (vassal state) were spreading. Sigismund urged the influential Nicholas Pálffy to persuade Rudolph I to launch a counter-invasion against the Ottomans without delay. He also suggested that Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia should be included in an anti-Ottoman coalition.
When the royal army broke into Ottoman territory in October, Sigismund was one of its commanders. After routing an Ottoman army at Romhány on 14 November, the royal troops laid siege to the important Ottoman fortress of Fülek. Since Sigismund was famed for his reliability, the defenders approached him to discuss the terms of their surrender. They and their families were allowed to leave the fortress on 27 November. The royal army also captured the nearby Ottoman fortresses before the end of 1593. The capture of Fülek reinforced Sigismund's reputation.
He joined Simon Forgách who led a contingent of the royal army against the important Ottoman fortress of Hatvan in early 1594. They defeated the Pasha (governor) of Buda at Tura on 1 May, but they could not capture Hatvan. Crimean Tatars broke into Upper Hungary to assist the Ottoman forces, plundering the villages near Munkács during their march. Sigismund was made a member of the royal council around 1595, thus becoming the only councillor who did not hold a high office of the realm. He never attended the meetings of the royal council.