Stephen Bockai’s Early Relations with Poland (1583–1594)

Abstract

Stephen Bocskai (1557–1606), Prince of Transylvania, had a social network of Polish relations spanning decades, which was particularly extensive during the period of the revolt (1604–1606). In this study, I focus on the early phase of this extensive social network, up to 1594. These relations can be demonstrated from 1583, and their development is closely linked to his kinship with the Báthory family, the ruling family of Transylvania. After the marriage of Bocskai’s niece, Christina Báthory, to the Polish chancellor and great hetman Jan Zamoyski, Bocskai himself became related to and began corresponding with a leading figure in Polish political life. Stephen Bocskai’s diplomatic missions to Poland in 1588 and 1590, which also involved the Báthory family and its affairs, helped him to personally strengthen and expand his Polish relations with Zamoyski and others. In my study, I use two instructions and other relevant sources to reconstruct the purposes and circumstances of these journeys, as well as Bocskai’s role and activities. For my research, in addition to using the relevant literature and source publications, I collected unpublished sources from the Cathedral Library of Esztergom, the Manuscript Archives of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the National Archives of Hungary.