Michael Apafi was the son of the Hungarian Michael I Apafi

Michael I Apafi

Michael Apafi was a Hungarian Prince of Transylvania.He was elected by the nobles of Transylvania on 14 September 1661, with the support of the Ottoman Empire, as a rival to the Habsburg-backed ruler János Kemény...

 and Anna Bornemissza. Following his father, he was Prince of Transylvania from 10 June 1690 to 1699.

Michael had been associated with his father as ruler since 10 June 1681 and had been confirmed as heir by the Ottomans

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. At his father's death, the Turks however recognized Imre Thököly

Imre Thököly

Count Imre Thököly de Késmárk was a Hungarian statesman, leader of an anti-Habsburg uprising, Prince of Transylvania, and vassal king of Upper Hungary.- Early life :Imre Thököly was born at Késmárk, Royal Hungary Count Imre Thököly de Késmárk (Thököly/Tököly/Tökölli Imre in Hungarian, Mirko...

, an anti-Habsburgian claimant of Hungary, as Prince of Transylvania. Thököly briefly held Transylvania in 1690/91 but left the country after his generals had been defeated by Habsburg troops.

In the meantime, Michael's advisors had reached an agreement with Emperor Leopold

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...

, who granted in 1690 the country administrative, economic and cultural autonomy and freedom of religion. The Emperor recognized Michael as Prince and in 1691 the diet of Fogrash appointed a governing council until the Prince would come of age. The council was chaired by George Bánffy as governor and also included Chancellor Miklós Bethlen, General Gergely Bethlen und Treasurer János Haller. To protect himself against new Turkish attacks and Habsburg attempts to restrict Transylvanian autonomy, Prince Michael - at the advise of his Chancellor - declared the King of England

William III of England

William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...

 and the Elector of Brandenburg

Frederick I of Prussia

Frederick I , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia in personal union . The latter function he upgraded to royalty, becoming the first King in Prussia . From 1707 he was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...

 as his guardians.

England and the Netherlands pressured Emperor Leopold into ending the war against the Turks, proposing a peace that would also respect the independence of Transylvania, which should be ruled by Prince Michael under the joint protectorate of Habsburgs and Ottomans and the control of the international powers. Based on these proposals, negotiations continued until 1698.

However, the Habsburgs considered an independent Transylvania protected by English and Dutch guarantees a threat to their dynasty's future. In parallel to the peace negotiations, they strengthened their own position in the country. In 1692, Prince Michael was called to Vienna, ostensibly concerning a dispute over his recent marriage, interned and forced to cede to Leopold the official control of Transylvania, which in 1695 was occupied by 8,000 men and in 1696 put under the rule of a military governor.

Michael received a pension from the Emperor and lived in Vienna until his death in 1713, aged 36.