Rulers of Transylvania
| Affiliation | Ruler | Years | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voivods under the Kings of Hungary | |||
| - | Mercurius (Transylvanian Voivod) | c. 1110 | attested as Mercurius princeps Ultrasylvanus |
| - | Leustachius | 1176-1199 | - |
| - | Legforus | 1199-1200 | - |
| - | Eth (Transylvanian Voivod) | ? | - |
| - | Gyula I | ?-1201 | - |
| - | Benedek | 1201-1206 | - |
| - | Smaragd | 1206 | - |
| - | Benedek | 1206-1209 | - |
| - | Michael I | 1209-1211 | - |
| - | Bertold of Andechs-Meran, Archbishop | 1211-1213 | - |
| - | Nicholas I | 1213 | - |
| - | Gyula I | 1213 | - |
| - | Simon (Transylvanian Voivod) | 1213-1215 | - |
| - | Hippolitus | 1215-1217 | - |
| - | Raphael | 1217-1218 | - |
| - | Neka | 1218-1221 | - |
| - | Pal | 1221-1231 | - |
| - | Gyula II | 1230-1233 | - |
| - | Denes | 1233-1234 | - |
| - | Andrew I | 1234-1235 | - |
| - | Posza | 1235-1240 | - |
| First Mongol invasion 1240-1242 | |||
| - | Lorant | 1242-1252 | - |
| - | Interregnum | 1252-1261 | - |
| - | Ereny Kos | 1261 | - |
| Arpads | Stephen II | 1261-1270 | - |
| - | Matyas | 1270-1272 | - |
| - | Nicholas II | 1272-1273 | 1st rule |
| - | John I | 1273-1274 | - |
| - | Nicholas II | 1274-1275 | 2nd rule |
| - | Ladislaus I Borsa | 1275 | - |
| - | Ugrin | 1275-1276 | - |
| - | Matyas | 1276-1277 | - |
| - | Nicholas III Pok | 1277 | 1st rule |
| - | Aba | 1278-1279 | - |
| - | Stephen III | 1280 | - |
| - | Roland Borsa | 1281-1282 | - |
| - | Apor Pecz | 1283 | - |
| - | Roland Borsa | 1284-1285 | - |
| Second Mongol invasion 1284-1285. No Voivode is appointed during 1285-1288 | |||
| - | Roland Borsa | 1288-1294 | opposed to the king as seigneur of the province during years of feudal anarchy. Defeated by King Andrew III of Hungary |
| - | Ladislaus II Khan | 1294-1315 | opposed to the king as seigneur of the province during years feudal anarchy. |
| Voivods under the Kings of Hungary | |||
| - | Nicholas III | 1315-1318 | 2nd rule |
| - | D of Debrecen | 1318-1321 | - |
| - | Thomas I Szecsenyi | 1322-1342 | - |
| - | Nicholas IV Sirokay | 1342-1344 | - |
| Lackfi | Stephen IV | 1344-1350 | - |
| - | Thomas II Csor | 1350 | - |
| Ilocki | Nicholas V Kont | 1351-1356 | - |
| Lackfi | Andrew II Lackfi | 1356-1359 | - |
| Lackfi | Dionys Lackfi | 1360-1367 | - |
| Lackfi | Nicholas VI | 1367-1368 | - |
| Lackfi | Emeric Lackfi | 1368-1372 | - |
| Lackfi | Stephen V | 1373-1376 | brother of Emeric |
| - | Ladislaus III | 1376-1391 | - |
| - | Emeric I Bebek | 1392-1393 | - |
| - | Frank de Szecseny | 1392-1393 | - |
| - | Stibor of Stiboricz | 1395-1401 | knight of the Order of the Dragon, Clan of Ostoja |
| - | Nicholas VII Csaki & Nicholas VIII Marczali | 1401-1403 | - |
| - | John II Tamasi & Iacob Lack de Szanto | 1403-1409 | - |
| - | Stibor of Stiboricz | 1410-1414 | knight of the Order of the Dragon |
| - | Nicholas VII Csaki | 1415-1426 | 2nd rule |
| - | Ladislaus IV Csaki | 1426-1437 | son of Nicolae Csaki |
| - | Peter I Cseh | 1436-1438 | - |
| - | Losonczi Dezso | 1441-1440 | - |
| - | Ladislaus V Jakcs | January 1441 | - |
| - | John III Hunyadi (Janos Hunyadi / Iancu de Hunedoara) | 1441-1446 | - |
| - | Emeric I Bebek & Nicholas IX Uljaki | 1446-1447 | - |
| - | Emeric II Bebek & John III Hunyadi | May-October 1448 | - |
| - | John IV Rozgonyi | 1449-1460 | - |
| Ilocki | Nicholas IX Ilocki | 1449-1458 | 2nd rule |
| - | Rozgonyi Sebestyen | 1458-1461 | - |
| Ilocki | Nicholas IX Ilocki | 1460 | 3rd rule |
| - | Ladislaus VI | 1460 | - |
| - | Nicholas IX Ilocki & Pongracz Janos | 1462-1465 | - |
| - | Szentgyorgyi Zsigmond & John V Szentgyorgyi | 1465-1467 | - |
| - | John VI Pongracz & Nicholas X Csupor | 1468-1472 | - |
| - | Magyar Balazs | 1472-1475 | - |
| - | John VI Pongracz | 1475-1476 | - |
| - | Peter II Gereb | 1478-1479 | - |
| Bathory (Ecsed) | Stephen VI Bathory | 1479-1493 | - |
| Dragfi | Bartolomeus Dragfi | 1493-1499 | - |
| - | Ladislaus VII Losonczi | 1493-1495 | - |
| - | Peter III Szentgyorgyi | 1499-1510 | - |
| Zapolya | John VII Zapolya (Zapolya Janos) |
1511-1526 | elected King of Hungary by one party of Hungarian nobles in 1526, while another party elected Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria. |
| - | Peter IV Pereny | 1526-1534 | appointed by John VII Zapolya |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Stephen VII Bathory | 1529-1534 | appointed by John I Zapolya |
| - | Hieronymus Laski | 1531-1534 | - |
| - | Stephen VIII Majlath (Stefan Mailat) | 1534-1536 | - |
| - | Emeric III Balassa | 1536-1540 | - |
| - | Frater Gyorgy | 1542-1551 | guardian of John II Sigismund Zapolya |
| Bathory (Ecsed) | Andrew Bonaventura Bathory | 1551-1552 | lieutenant of Ferdinand of Austria |
| - | Stephen IX Dobo & Francise Kendi | 1552-1556 | - |
| - | vacant | 1556-1570 | direct rule of John II Sigismund Zapolya as claimant to the throne of Hungary |
| Princes of Transylvania and parts of Hungary | |||
| Zapolya | John VIII Sigismund Zapolya (Janos Zsigmond) | 1570-1571 | Son of John Zapolya, renounced his royal claim in 1570 in favour of Emperor Maximilian and remained Prince of Transylvania and parts of Hungary until his death in 1571. |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Stephen X Bathory | 1571-1586 | elected Voivod by a diet, King of Poland since 1575, assumed title of Prince of Transylvania and parts of Hungary |
| - | Gaspar Bekes | 1571-1572 | rival voivod, designated as successor by John II Sigismund Zapolya and supported by the Habsburg King, defeated by Stephen Bathory |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Christopher Bathory | 1575-1581 | older brother of Stephen Bathory, administered Transylvania as Voivod during the absence of his brother. |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Sigismund Bathory | 1581/1586-1598 | son of Christopher, succeeded his father as Voivod and his uncle as Prince; assumed regency in 1588; abdicated in April 1598 in favor of Habsburg Rudolf, King of Hungary |
| Habsburg | Rudolf | April-August 1598 | - |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Sigismund Bathory | August 1598 - March 1599 | returned in August 1598, again abdicated in March 1599 favor of his cousin Andrew Cardinal Bathory. |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Andrew Cardinal Bathory | March-November 1599 | Cousin of Sigismund, driven out by Michael of Wallachia and killed by his Szekely allies |
| Draculesti | Michael II (Michael the Brave) | 1599-1600 | was recognized by the Transylvanian parliament (diet) only as imperial governor subject to the Holy Roman Emperor, however, he was de facto ruler of Transylvania. Deposed in September 1600 by Hungarian nobles. Romanian historiography asserts that he was Prince of Transylvania. |
| Habsburg | Rudolf | 1600-1601 | ruled through the governor Giorgio Basta, 1600-1601 |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Sigismund Bathory | 1601 | attempted to regain Transylvania, recognized by the diet of Kolozsvar/Klausenburg/Cluj but defeated by Basta and Michael the Brave, eventually abdicated in 1602 in favor of King Rudolf II |
| Habsburg | Rudolf | 1601-1606 | ruled through the governor Giorgio Basta, 1601-1604 |
| - | Mozes Szekely | April - July 1603 | rebelled against Habsburgs and defeated Basta with Tartar mercenaries and claimed the title of Prince but was defeated by Radu Serban, Voivode of Wallachia |
| Princes of Transylvania between Ottomans and Habsburgs | |||
| Bocskay | Stephen XI Bocksay | 1605-1606 | rebelled against Habsburgs with support of Hungarian nobles and the Turks, confirmed in his position in the Treaty of Vienna (1606) |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | Sigismund Rakoczi | 1607-1608 | elected by the estates against the wishes of Bocskay, Habsburgs and Ottomans; deposed by a military rebellion under Gabriel Bathory |
| Bathory (Somlyo) | Gabriel Bathory | 1608-1613 | ally of Bocskay, came to power in a military rebellion |
| Bethlen (Iktar) | Gabriel Bethlen | 1613-1629 | claimed the Kingship of Hungary 1619-1621 |
| Bethlen (Iktar) | Stephen XII Bethlen | 1629-1630 | originally chosen to succeed his brother, opposed his sister-in-law |
| Hohenzollern | Catherine of Brandenburg | 1629-1630 | daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, widow of Gabriel Bethlen |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | George I Rakoczi | 1630-1648 | - |
| Habsburg | Ferdinand III | 1630-1645 | claimed the Principality but accepted George I in 1645 in the treaty of Linz |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | George II Rakoczi | 1648-1657 | married Sophia Bathory, niece of Gabriel Bathory, claimed the Kingship of Poland in 1657, abdicated in favor of Habsburg Leopold, King of Hungary, deposed by a diet at Turkish command |
| Rhedey (Aba) | Francis Rhedey | 1657-1658 | backed by Charles X Gustav of Sweden (1654-1660). Francis Rhedey was a descendent from the Royal House of Aba - King Samuel Aba of Hungary |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | George II Rakoczi | 1657-1658 | restored by a diet, deposed by the Turks |
| Barcsay (Nagybarcsa) | Akos Barcsay | 1658-1659 | - |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | George II Rakoczi | 1659-1660 | fell in battle against the Turks |
| Kemeny | John IX Kemeny | 1661-1662 | backed by the Habsburg King Leopold |
| Apafi (Apanagyfalu) | Michael III Apafi | 1661-1690 | backed by the Turks, opposed King Leopold, made peace with the Habsburg King in 1685/7 |
| Apafi (Apanagyfalu) | Michael IV Apafi | 1681-1692 | elected as heir during his father's lifetime, and accepted as such by the Turks, ruled with George Banffy as governor, moved to Vienna and forced to cede the Principality to King Leopold |
| Thokoly (Kesmarkium) | Imre Thokoly | 1690-1699 | earlier claimant of Upper Hungary, appointed Prince of Transsylvania by the Turks at the death of Michael I, held the country with Turkish support briefly in 1690/91 |
| In 1692 the Habsburg Kings of Hungary permanently assumed the title of Prince of Transylvania, administering the country through governors. | |||
| Habsburg | Leopold I | 1690-1705 | governors: * George Banffy, 1691-1696 * Rabutin de Bussy 1696-1708 |
| Rakoczi (Felsovadasz) | Francis II Rakoczi | 1704-1711 | grandson of George II Rakoczi, rebelled against King Leopold, claiming the titles Prince of Transylvania and Ruling Prince of Hungary |
| Habsburg | CharlesI | 1711-1740 | governors: * Stephen Haller, 1709-1710 * Wesselenyi Istvan, 1710-1713 * Sigismund Kornis, 1713-1731 * Wesseleny Istvan, 1731-1732 * Francisc Anton Wallis, 1732-1734 * John Haller 1734-1755 |
| Habsburg | Maria Theresa | 1740-1765 | governors: * Francisc Venceslav Wallis, 1755-1758 * Ladislaus Kemeny, 1758-1762 * Adolf Buccow, 1762-1764 *Hadik Andras, 1764-1765 |
| The Principality is elevated to the Grand Principality of Transylvania, with the Habsburg Grand Princes administering the country through governors. | |||
| Habsburg | Maria Theresa | 1765-1780 | governors: * Andreas Hadik 1765-1767 * Carol O'Donell 1767-1770 * Joseph Maria von Auersperg 1771-1774 * Samuel von Brukenthal 1774-1775, 1776-1787 |
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Joseph II | 1780-1790 | governors: * Samuel von Brukenthal 1774-1775, 1776-1787 * Banffy Gyorgy II, 1787-1822 |
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Leopold II | 1790-1792 | governor: Banffy Gyorgy II, 1787-1822| |
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Francis II | 1792-1835 | governors: * George Banffy II, 1787-1822 * Josika Janos 1822-1834 * Ferdinand d'Este 1835-1837 |
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Ferdinand I | 1835-1848 | * John Kornis, 1838-1840 * Teleki Jozsef, 1842-1848 |
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Franz Joseph I | 1848-1916 | governors: * Ludwig Wohlgemuth, 1849-1851 * Karl B. Schwarzenberg, 1851-1858 * Friedrich von Liechtenstein, 1858-1861 * Miko Imre 1860-1861 * Ludwig Folliot of Crenneville, 1861-1867 |
| In the wake of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian government dissolved the Grand Principality and incorporated its territory into the Kingdom of Hungary. The Habsburg Kings continue to use the title of a Grand Prince of Transsylvania. | |||
| Habsburg-Lorraine | Karl I | 1916-1918 | - |
Map of Transylvania
