    |
Matthias Corvinus was born in Kolozsvár (now Cluj) in Transylvania in 1443, the second son of John Hunyadi, a successful warlord who rose through the ranks of the nobility to become regent of Hungary
Matthias was born in Kolozsvár (now Cluj) in Transylvania in 1443, the second son of John Hunyadi, a successful warlord who rose through the ranks of the nobility to become regent of Hungary. The later epithet Corvinus was coined by Matthias' biographer Antonio Bonfini, who claimed that the Hunyadi family descended from the ancient Roman gens of the Corvini.
After the death of Matthias's father, there was a two-year struggle between Hungary's various barons and its Habsburg king. In 1457 Matthias's older brother Laszlo was captured with a trick and beheaded, while the king died in November that year. The lower aristocrats and the people of Pest came out in support of electing Matthias Corvinus as king, while most barons, thinking the young scholar would be a weak ruler, also agreed to support his election. On the 20th January, 1458, Matthias who was being held hostage by the new king of Bohemia, George of Podebrady, was elected king. Matthias was released him under the condition that he would marry his daughter. There was some opposition to the idea and several battles were fought against Matthias, but these petered out 1463, when the other contender, Emperor Frederick III, officially accepted Matthias Corvinus as the rightful king of Hungary.
Matthias Corvinus was 15 when he was crowned King of Hungary and he soon learned the finesses of power from his mentor, the Italian Antonio Bonfini, regent of Hungary. Matthias was educated in Italian and his fascination with the achievements of the Renaissance led to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural influences in Hungary. He spoke Hungarian, Croatian, Latin, and later also German, Czech, Slovak, and other Slavic languages. After coming to power in 1463, Matthias fought many battles over a 20 year period. He was triumphant against the Ottoman Empire, both in beating back attacks and starting smaller campaigns of reprisals: 1463-64 in Bosnia, 1475 in Southern Hungary, 1479-83 in Transylvania, Wallachia, Serbia, and Bosnia; and in 1481 he send a contingent to help in the retaking of the Italian port Otranto. Like his father, Matthias had great ambitions and desired to build up an empire strong enough to push back the Ottoman Turks. At his death in 1490, Matthias had gained control of Moravia, Silesia, Lusatia and half of Austria, ruling from Vienna after 1485.
At one point during his reign, Matthias had Vlad III (Dracula), the Prince of Wallachia, as his vassal. In 1462, the two rulers came to a disagreement, resulting in Wallachia being invaded and Vlad being imprisoned.
After his death and having no direct heir to the throne except for an illegitimate son, John Corvin, whom the noblemen of the country did not accept as their king, his empire began to dissolve. The then king of Bohemia, Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary of the Polish/Lithuanian Jagiellon line, ascended the throne, nominally ruling the areas Matthias Corvinus had conquered with the exception of Austria. The real power fell back into the hands of the nobles and in 1514, two years before Ladislaus's death; the nobility crushed the peasant rebellion of Gyorgy Dozsa. As central rule fell apart, the scene was set for a defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. In 1521, Belgrade fell, and in 1526, the Hungarian army was destroyed in the Battle at Mohacs.
The imposed high taxes which were levied to sustain a lavish lifestyle and the Black Army could be seen by some that Matthias Corvinus wasn't very popular with his contemporaries. But the matter of fact was that this had the opposite effect. By keeping the barons in check, coupled with persistent rumors about him sounding public opinion by mingling among commoners incognito, and the misfortune that befell Hungary after his death, ensured that Matthias' reign is considered one of the most glorious chapters of Hungarian history. Songs and tales converted him into Matthias the Just, a ruler of justice and great wisdom, the most popular hero of Hungarian folklore.
|
