| House of Rákóczi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent family | Bogát-Radván Clan |
| Country | Principality of Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Final ruler | Francis II |
| Titles | |
| Estate(s) | Principality of Hungary,Principality of Transylvania |
TheHouse of Rákóczi (older spellingRákóczy) was aHungarian noble family in theKingdom of Hungary between the 13th century and 18th century. Their name is also spelledRákoci (in Slovakia),Rakoczi andRakoczy in some foreign sources. The family was named after Rákóc (Rakovec, nowRakovec nad Ondavou, Slovakia).[1]
The family originated from theBogátradvány clan which had Bohemian roots, according toSimon of Kéza's chronicle. The foundations for the family's wealth and power were laid down bySigismund Rákóczi; some decades into the17th century, the Rákóczis became the wealthiest aristocrats of Hungary.[2] Most famous wasFrancis II Rákóczi, who led an unsuccessful revolt againstHabsburg rule between 1703-1711, that wasRákóczi's War of Independence.
The last member of the family was György (George) Rákóczi, the son of Francis II Rákóczi, who died in France in1756.
The mysteriousCount of St. Germain is believed by some to have been the son of Prince Francis (Ferenc) II Rákóczi.
TheRákóczi March byJános Bihari and (memorably orchestrated byHector Berlioz) refers to them.
The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 byFranz Liszt refers to the rebellion led by Francis II Rákóczi.
Sigismund Rákóczi briefly reigned as Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608.
George Rákóczi I (born June 8, 1593, Szerencs – Oct. 11, 1648) was the prince ofTransylvania from 1630. In 1643, Rákóczi formed an alliance withSweden. In February 1644, leading a 30,000-man army, he launched a campaign against the Habsburgs in theThirty Years War. Peasants who struggled for national liberation in theKingdom of Hungary supported him. He also encouraged the development of the mining industry and commerce.[3]
George Rákóczi II (30 January 1621, Hungary – June 7, 1660) was a Hungarian nobleman andprince of Transylvania (1648-1660). In 1657, he led an army of 40,000 men againstKing John II Casimir of Poland in the third part of theSecond Northern War (1655-1660). He took Kraków and entered Warsaw with the Swedes, but the moment his allies withdrew, he was defeated by the Poles atCzarny Ostrów. Finally, the Poles allowed him to return to Transylvania. When the Turks invaded Transylvania, he died at the battle of Gyalu (Gilău) in May of 1660.
Francis Rákóczi I (February 24, 1645,Gyulafehérvár,Transylvania – July 8, 1676, Zboró,Royal Hungary) was the elected prince of Transylvania and Hungarian aristocrat. He was the son of George II Rákóczi, who was the prince of Transylvania, though George transferred his power to his son in 1652 through theTransylvanian Diet. However, Francis was never able to occupy this role because theOttoman government prohibited Rákóczi inheritance of the Transylvanian throne in 1660. Francis therefore lived as an aristocrat in Royal Hungary.
In terms of religion, Francis I broke with theCalvinist Rákóczi tradition by converting toCatholicism in imitation of his mother, Zsófia Báthori, which gained him favor with the Catholic Habsburg Court.Francis I married Croatian-Hungarian countessIlona Zrínyi in 1666 and had three children, György (1667); Julianna Borbála (1672–1717); and Francis II (1676–1735). He soon joined the Wesselenyi Conspiracy as a result of his marriage to Zrínyi. He became the leader of this group and attempted to stage an uprising among Hungarian nobles, but this was poorly organized and was soon crushed by theAustrian government.
Francis Rákóczi II (March 27, 1676,Borsi, Hungary – April 8, 1735,Tekirdağ, Turkey), also known as Ferenc II Rákóczi, was the prince of Transylvania and leader of the last major Hungarian uprising against Austria until 1848. He is celebrated as a national hero in Hungary.
Francis was raised by Austrian standards and attended aJesuit college inBohemia, though he was majorly influenced by the nationalist fervor of his family growing up. Francis returned to his estates in Hungary in 1694 and was elected prince of Transylvania in 1704.[5]
Around the turn of the 18th century,King Louis XIV sought Rákóczi's help in his attempt to reduce Austrian power and promised to aid Rákóczi in return for an attempt at Hungarian independence. However, Rakoczi was arrested in 1700 after an Austrian spy alerted the emperor. He escaped to Poland and at the start of theWar of the Spanish Succession, he led aKuruc uprising in an attempt to gain Hungarian independence, leading to theWar for Independence.
However, the war failed, and Francis left Hungary forever in1711, living inTurkey. He is commemorated by statues and monuments throughout Hungary, as well as in theRákóczi March.
In 1678, anti-Habsburg revolutionaries led by Imre Thököly and aided by Louis XIV of France and the Ottomans rose in uprising against the Habsburgs. After the failed Battle of Vienna in 1683, Thököly lost support and was defeated in 1685.
Around 1700, Louis XIV reached out again, this time to Francis II Rákóczi, in his attempt to mitigate Austrian power. Francis was arrested for this correspondence but eventually escaped to Poland. TheWar of the Spanish Succession forced much of the Austrian army to leave Hungary, creating an opportunity to revolt. TheKurucs, or the anti-Habsburg rebels, began an uprising headed by Rákóczi. However, very few nobles supported the revolution. Additionally, Austrian military victories over the French and the Bavarians caused aid to the revolution to falter. By 1706, Rákóczi was forced to retreat. Peace negotiations were largely unsuccessful, and Hungarian defeat at theBattle of Trencsén solidified Austrian victory.[6]
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