Móric Benovský
Encyclopedia
Maurice Benyovszky, born as Benyovszky Móric Ágost? (20 September 1746, Vrbau (Vrbové
), Habsburg Monarchy
, now Slovakia
23 May 1786, Madagascar
), was a Hungarian
count
with Hungarian, Polish and Slovak ancestry. He was a globetrotter, explorer, colonizer, writer, chess player, ruler of a community in Madagascar
, a French colonel, Polish military commander, and Austrian soldier. Benyovszky could speak more than five languages. Regardless of his nationality, he is a pride of three nations: Hungarian, Slovak, and Polish
.
of Hungarian, Slovak
and Polish background. His father was Samuel Benyovszky from the Trencsén county (Trenčín, present-day Slovakia
) of the Kingdom of Hungary
. His mother, Rozália Révay, was a baroness, from the noble Hungarian Révay
family, and was the widow of a general when she married Benyovszky's father. In the 16th century, after the Battle of Mohács
the Hungarian family moved from southern to northern Hungary
, away from the territory invaded by the Ottomans.
The Benyovszky family has a long history. The ancestors of the Benyovszky family left Hungary to Poland, when the king was Charles I of Hungary
, because they were relatives of Felicián Zách, a supporter of Máté Csák. In 1396, Benjamin and Urbán returned to Hungary and they fought the Battle of Nicopolis
. Because of their deeds, Emperor Sigismund
(Zsigmond) gave them lands at the Váh
, and they became counts. Benjamin was the ancestor of the Benyovszky, and Urbán of the Urbanovszky family. George Benyovszky lived in the 16th century. He had three children: Gábor, Adam and Burián. Burián's son name was Michael, whose son was Samuel, who later become a general in the Austrian army and he was the father of Móric Benyovszky.
As a young man Benyovszky left Hungary to join the Bar Confederation
fighting for freedom against Empress Catherine II of Russia
. He became a close associate of his Polish compatriots. Until his death Poles were his brothers-in-arms. However, as many nobles of the 18th century, Benyovszky was a cosmopolitan in the best tradition, mastering numerous languages.
(today's Slovakia
) near Piešťany
(today's Slovakia
), what was then northern Kingdom of Hungary
, Habsburg Monarchy
. His career began as an officer of the Habsburg army in the Seven Years' War
, because Hungary had Habsburg Empress Maria Theresia as a ruler at that time. However, his religious views and attitudes towards authority resulted in his leaving the country. From this time on he was called a sailor, an adventurer, a visionary, a colonizer, an entrepreneur, and a king.
In 1768 he joined the Confederation of Bar, a Polish
national movement against Russian intervention. He was captured by the Russians, interned in Kazan
, and later exiled in Kamchatka
. Subsequently, he escaped and returned to Europe via Macau
and Madagascar
.
In 1772 Benyovszky arrived in Paris where he impressed King Louis XV of France
. He was offered the opportunity to act in the name of France on Madagascar. In 1776 Benyovszky was elected by a group of local tribal chiefs as their Ampanjakabe (ruler). In 1776 he returned to Paris where, in appreciation for his services as Commander of Madagascar, he was promoted to the rank of General, and granted the military Order of Saint Louis
and a life pension by Louis XVI. In 1779 Benyovszky came to America, where he tried to obtain support for a proposal to use Madagascar as a base against the British in aid of the American War of Independence. He died in 1786 while fighting with the French on Madagascar.
Mother: Rozália Benyovszky (maiden name: Révay), whose father was the Bishop of Szepes county
(today Spiš
, a region in north-eastern Slovakia). This was her second marriage. From his mother's side he was descended from a famous Hungarian noble family of the Révay
.
Wife: Zuzana Benyovszky (maiden name: Hönsch) (1750–1815), the daughter of a butcher. She lived in Baltimore
in 1784, after Móric's death, she and her daughters departed America in 1786 and returned to one of Benyovszky's castles in the Slovak town of Beckovská Vieska. Countess Benyovszky died here in 1825, leaving the other castle in Liptovsky Hradok to the family, although much of this was destroyed during the battle of Hradok-Bella in October 1945.
Siblings: one sister Márta, two brothers Ferenc and Emanuel. His brother was an officer and adventurer in the Caribbean
around 1780 and the adjutant of Major John J. Polerecky, head of the Blue Hussars
of the French cavalry supervising the British surrender at Yorktown in America in 1781. He died in America in 1789.
Thanks to Benjamin Franklin's help, Benyovszky's descendants, such as count Jan Franz Benovsky, a slovak general killed in the nazi purgings of WWII kept the spirit of cosmopolitanism and can be found all across Europe, most notabely the Benovsky family still living in Slovakia that have the name of Benovsky or Beno as well as in the United States.
, Slovakia
) near Nagyszombat, (today Trnava
, Slovakia). The Kingdom of Hungary at that time, which in turn was part of the Habsburg Empire.
1746–1759 : Benyovszky spends his childhood in Verbó.
1759–1760 : Benyovszky studies at the Piarist College in Szentgyörgy (today Svätý Jur
), a suburb of Pressburg (today Bratislava
).
1760 : His mother dies, her property is inherited by her daughters from her first marriage, and Benyovszky has to care for his brothers and sister.
c.1762 : He shortly enters the army as an officer in the Seven Years' War
(1755–1763), then escapes and stays in the Szepes county
(today Spiš
).
1764 : He is accused of deserting and of apostasy
(he had a rebellious attitude in matters of Catholic
religion) and must participate in a tribunal.
1765 : He captures his mother's (see 1760) property in Hrusó (today Hrušové) near Verbó (today Vrbové
), previously seized by one of his brothers-in-law. He is accused for this and must participate in a tribunal in Nyitra (today Nitra
). Before the trial ends (1766?), he flees to Poland, by which he violates the order of queen Maria Theresa forbidding him to leave the country.
1767 – 68 : He stays in those Szepes towns that Hungary had pawned to Poland in 1412.
1768 (beginning of) : For unknown reasons, Benyovszky flees to Poland and enters into contact with Confederation of Bar (Konfederacja Barska) in Poland, which was rebelling against the Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski installed by Russia.
1768 (July) : He is arrested in Szepesszombat (today Spišská Sobota), a suburb of Poprád (today Poprad
) in the house of the German butcher Hönsch (whose daughter will become his wife – see Family), because he had tried to organize a military unit for Confederation of Bar. In the same month he is imprisoned in the Stará Ľubovňa
Castle (a part of the pawned territories).
1769 - 1770 : He joins the Polish Confederation at Bar
(Konfederacja Barska) to fight together with Kazimierz Pułaski for the independence of Poland from the Russian rule in the Ukraine
. He is captured and interned in a camp at Kazan
. Taking advantage of local rebellions (according to some sources the rebellion was incited by Benyovszky), he flees from there to St. Petersburg
, where he tries to board a Dutch ship; the captain of the ship delivers him to the Russian police.
1770 - 1771 : This time, the Russians send him into exile 8,000 km further east to eastern Siberia
(Kamchatka
). There he is one of the few educated people, so the local governor asks him to teach his daughter to play the piano. She falls in love with him. In May 1771 Benyovszky organizes a revolt of mainly Polish
prisoners, during which the rebels, under his leadership, capture weapons, money and a Russian battleship. Benyovszky's girl is killed in ambush by a flying bullet. Benyovszky then commandeers the captured battleship and on May 23 sets out for a discovery trip through the Northern Pacific (well before James Cook
and Jean-François de La Pérouse
) along the Aleutians, Alaska
, Japan, and Formosa (Taiwan
), until the rebels finally arrive in Macau
in July 1771.
1771–1773 : In Macau
, he enters into contact with France. The Kamchatka rebels sell their original ship and sail to France on another. On their way (around the Cape of Good Hope
) they also visit the huge island of Madagascar
off the African coast, then still independent and ruled by countless native chieftains. Finally in July 1772, he and most of the Kamchatka rebels arrive in France, where he is joined by his wife and learns about his promotion to General of the Polish Confederation, as well as his growing international fame. He suggests to King Louis XV
that he could establish a French colony on Formosa (Taiwan) or Madagascar. The king appoints him as Governor of Madagascar, gives him the title of count and a few promises, and charges him with leading a French military and trade mission to the island of Madagascar (see 1774);1774 (February): Benyovszky, 21 officers, and 237 volunteers land at Madagascar.
1774–1775 First expedition to Madagascar : In Madagascar, he starts to build the town of Louisbourg, a kind of base, through which France could enter into trade relations with Madagascar. He begins to build roads, settlements and to dry up swamps. Louisbourg was at Maroantsetra
(Antongil Bay) and included a hospital/quarantine on Nosy Mangabe. From the beginning, he is in conflict with the governors of the French colonies Réunion
and Mauritius
, who are his superiors and are sending negative reports on his activities to Paris, hindering his projects and causing the French Maritime Ministry to send a committee, which then finds deficiencies in Benyovszky's performance.
1776 : On October 1, several local chiefs recognize Benyovszky as their Ampanjakabe (ruler). Among other things, Benyovszky attempted to introduce a transcription of the Malagasy language
using the Latin alphabet. In general, however, Benyovszky's mission largely fails (also due to illnesses caught by his men – their number will reduce to 63 in 1778) and Paris
ignores his requirements. At the end of the year, Benyovszky leaves the island and goes to France.
1776 : Back in France, he tries to make sure that the amounts he had invested in Madagascar are paid to him, and he presents new proposals for the colonization of the island. He is promoted to the rank of general, and is granted the military Order of Saint Louis
and a life pension by Louis XVI
.
1777 : Still in Paris, he becomes a close friend of Benjamin Franklin
(American envoy in France) and Kazimierz Pułaski. Franklin becomes like an uncle to Benyovszky's two daughters. Franklin and Benyovszky regularly play chess, often joined by Count Pułaski. Franklin later supported Benyovszky in trying to organize an American expedition to Madagascar (see 1784). In the same year, Pułaski goes to America with Benjamin Franklin's letter of recommendation and presents to the Continental Congress a proposal from Benyovszky to use Madagascar as a base in the American struggle against England. The project is not approved, because the Continental Congress does not want to risk alienating France. Also in 1777, Benyovszky turns to the Austrian royal court. He petitions the Austrian empress Maria Theresa, offers his services and experience acquired abroad for the development of the commerce of his native country, and asks her pardon and permission to return home (see 1765). The royal court in Vienna changes its attitude towards Benyovszky (because he now is in service of France, whose queen is member of the same — Habsburg — dynasty as that in Vienna). Amnesty is granted to him on October 17.
Late 1777/ early 1778 : He returns to Hungary and writes a letter to the French Maritime and Colonial Ministry from his castle in Beckókisfalu (today Beckovská Vieska in Slovakia
) near Trencsén (today Trenčín
in Slovakia
).
1778 : France grants him the title of brigadier with annual payments of 4,000 pounds, but all his proposals are rejected by the French court. On April 3 he receives a letter by Maria Theresa promoting him to the rank of count. However, his project for maritime trade from historic Hungary and for the establishment of a trade route from Komárno
to Fiume (today Rijeka
in Croatia
) (i.e., the Mediterranean) is refused by the Austrian royal court. In addition he enters the army and fights in the war between Austria and Prussia (1778–1779) in Prussia
.
1779 First expedition to America : Benyovszky follows Pułaski to America and offers his services in the American Revolution in person and in a letter to the Continental Congress. He is approved to report to General Pułaski at the siege of Savannah
, where Pułaski dies in his friend's arms. Without Pułaski's support, Benyovszky has no choice but to return to Europe.
1780 : In Austria, he presents another project aiming at promoting the maritime trade, but again it is rejected.
1781 - 1782 Second expedition to America : In 1782 Benyovszky visits Philadelphia with letters of recommendation from Benjamin Franklin, offering in a letter to General Washington
through General Baron Steuben to serve in person the American Revolution and the USA, "of which he is desirous to become a citizen"; his offer is respectfully declined. A month later, through the French Minister to the United States, he submits a plan to General Washington proposing to raise in Germany a body of troops consisting of three legionary corps of cavalry, infantry, grenadiers, chasseurs and artillery, the whole amounting to 3,383 effective men, and after their transport to America they would be subject to the order of the United States and take the oaths of fidelity and allegiance. The project is favorably evaluated. Benyovszky meets George and Mary Washington in their headquarters in Newborough (Newburgh, New York). Following this discussion with Washington, Benyovszky rewrites his proposal and presents it to the Continental Congress on May 6. However, the proposal is rejected by Congress following a reconciliatory change in British attitude under the new British cabinet. Benyovszky writes a farewell letter to Washington and embarks on the Friendship for Europe. He stops en route in Saint Domingue (now Haiti
) to visit his brother, Francis Benyovszky, stationed there with a French army unit.
1783 : He returns to Hungary, where he visits his castle at Beckovská Vieska and receives a privilege from the Emperor Joseph II
, under which he is under special protection of the king and is authorized to found an Austrian colony on Madagascar, of which Benyovszky will be the governor under the Austrian flag. However this project is not realized, because the royal court does not provide money for it.
1783 : After failing to gain recognition in France, Austria, and the US, he turns to Great Britain, where he asks the British government to grant him an expedition to Madagascar. He gives to John Hyacinth de Magellan, a member of the Royal Society
and descendant of the famous Ferdinand Magellan
, his memoirs, written in French, describing and exaggerating all his past journeys. In the same year Magellan translates it into English under the title: Memoirs and Travels; the memoir will be published in 1790 in the UK. The manuscript comprises four volumes in French and Benyovszky appended a signature to each of them in witness of his responsibility for their contents. The manuscript was deposited in the British Museum
Library by the owners subsequent to their publication and are still kept in the manuscript division of the British Library
. The memoir would shortly be published in German (Berlin, 1790; Vienna, 1816), French (Paris, 1791), Dutch (Haarlem, 1791), Swedish (Stockholm, 1791), Polish (Warsaw, 1797), Slovak (Pressburg, 1808), and Hungarian (1888) and would become a worldwide bestseller. In the same year, with Benjamin Franklin's and J.H. Magellan's assistance, Benyovszky enters into contact with the Baltimore businessmen Messonier and Zollikofer, who found an American-British company for trade with Madagascar.
1784 Third expedition to America : On March 24, Benyovszky appoints J.H. Magellan Plenipotentiary
for the State of Madagascar and authorizes him to act as representative of all economic and political affairs of the island. He leaves Baltimore for Madagascar on board the 5CC-ton vessel Intrepid provided by Messonier and Zollikofer. During the voyage the ship is blown off course and is delayed for repairs along the coast of Brazil
.
1785 - 1786 Second expedition to Madagascar : In Madagascar Benyovszky captures the French trade settlement Foulpointe. He starts building the capital of his empire, the trade settlement Mauritania (named after himself — Maurice) at the easternmost point of the island, Cape East. In the contract with his Anglo-American associates, lots are guaranteed for all of them in the city. From Mauritania, he trades with Maryland
and Baltimore. The main trade is in slaves.
1786 : The French Maritime Ministry, outraged by Benyovszky's cooperation with the US and by the capture of Foulpointe, sends an unexpected expedition from the Pondicherry colony to stop Benyovszky. The expedition manages a surprise attack on May 23, 1786. Benovsky dies from a bullet wound to his chest. He is buried at the village of Mauritania by his former lieutenant Jacques de Lassalle, together with two Russian fugitives who had accompanied him from Kamchatka. However, there is some debate as to whether his body was later retrieved and reburied in the family tomb outside the village of Vavrisovo, Slovakia.
, was presented in Paris in 1800. The US premiere of the play Count Benyowsky — The Conspiracy of Kamchatka, a tragi-comedy in five acts by the German playwright August Friedrich von Kotzebue, took place in Baltimore, along with the first performance of the US national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, on October 19, 1814. The second of eight operas by the Austrian composer Albert Franz Doppler (1821–1883), later arranged for piano by the Hungarian composer Mihaly Mosonyi
, is called Benyovszky. Beniowski is also the name of an epic poem by the Polish poet Juliusz Słowacki (1809–1849). There are also a slovak novel The adventures of Móric Benyovszky by Jozef Nižňanský (1933) and a Czechslovak-Hungarian TV series Vivat Benyovszky from 1975 about him.
Benyovszky's name and memory have survived in Madagascar to the present day. The island opposite Cape East is called the Benyowsky Island on older maps, and on the way from Antalaha
to Cape East there is a ford named Baron Passage, relating to Benyovszky's first stay on the island. A street in the capital of Madagascar at Antananarivo
, Rue Benyovski, is named after him, as are streets in several other cities.
Vrbové
Vrbové ; ) is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,309 as of 2005. The town lies around northwest from Piešťany.- Characteristics :...
), Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, now Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
23 May 1786, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
), was a Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
with Hungarian, Polish and Slovak ancestry. He was a globetrotter, explorer, colonizer, writer, chess player, ruler of a community in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, a French colonel, Polish military commander, and Austrian soldier. Benyovszky could speak more than five languages. Regardless of his nationality, he is a pride of three nations: Hungarian, Slovak, and Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
.
Variations on his name
- English: Maurice Benyovszky
- French: Maurice Auguste de Benyowsky/-ski
- German: Moritz Benjowsky/-wski/Benyowski/Benyovszky
- Hungarian: Benyovszky Móric Ágost
- Russian: Мориц Беневский
- Polish: Maurycy August Beniowski
- Slovak: Móric Beňovský
Nationality, origin of the family
Benyovszky was a Hungarian countCount
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Hungarian, Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Polish background. His father was Samuel Benyovszky from the Trencsén county (Trenčín, present-day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. His mother, Rozália Révay, was a baroness, from the noble Hungarian Révay
Révay
The Révay Family was a Hungarian noble family, who owned estates in Turóc county, the Kingdom of Hungary until the early 20th century. Their property included i.a...
family, and was the widow of a general when she married Benyovszky's father. In the 16th century, after the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
the Hungarian family moved from southern to northern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, away from the territory invaded by the Ottomans.
The Benyovszky family has a long history. The ancestors of the Benyovszky family left Hungary to Poland, when the king was Charles I of Hungary
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
, because they were relatives of Felicián Zách, a supporter of Máté Csák. In 1396, Benjamin and Urbán returned to Hungary and they fought the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
. Because of their deeds, Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
(Zsigmond) gave them lands at the Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
, and they became counts. Benjamin was the ancestor of the Benyovszky, and Urbán of the Urbanovszky family. George Benyovszky lived in the 16th century. He had three children: Gábor, Adam and Burián. Burián's son name was Michael, whose son was Samuel, who later become a general in the Austrian army and he was the father of Móric Benyovszky.
As a young man Benyovszky left Hungary to join the Bar Confederation
Bar Confederation
The Bar Confederation was an association of Polish nobles formed at the fortress of Bar in Podolia in 1768 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against Russian influence and against King Stanisław August Poniatowski and Polish reformers who were...
fighting for freedom against Empress Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
. He became a close associate of his Polish compatriots. Until his death Poles were his brothers-in-arms. However, as many nobles of the 18th century, Benyovszky was a cosmopolitan in the best tradition, mastering numerous languages.
Biography
Benyovszky was born and raised in VrbovéVrbové
Vrbové ; ) is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,309 as of 2005. The town lies around northwest from Piešťany.- Characteristics :...
(today's Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) near Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
(today's Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), what was then northern Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. His career began as an officer of the Habsburg army in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, because Hungary had Habsburg Empress Maria Theresia as a ruler at that time. However, his religious views and attitudes towards authority resulted in his leaving the country. From this time on he was called a sailor, an adventurer, a visionary, a colonizer, an entrepreneur, and a king.
In 1768 he joined the Confederation of Bar, a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
national movement against Russian intervention. He was captured by the Russians, interned in Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, and later exiled in Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
. Subsequently, he escaped and returned to Europe via Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
In 1772 Benyovszky arrived in Paris where he impressed King Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. He was offered the opportunity to act in the name of France on Madagascar. In 1776 Benyovszky was elected by a group of local tribal chiefs as their Ampanjakabe (ruler). In 1776 he returned to Paris where, in appreciation for his services as Commander of Madagascar, he was promoted to the rank of General, and granted the military Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
and a life pension by Louis XVI. In 1779 Benyovszky came to America, where he tried to obtain support for a proposal to use Madagascar as a base against the British in aid of the American War of Independence. He died in 1786 while fighting with the French on Madagascar.
Family
Father: Sámuel Benyovszky, from the old noble Benyovszky family. At the time of Móric's birth, Samuel was an Austrian colonel. From the father side he had Hungarian, Slovak and Polish ancestors too.Mother: Rozália Benyovszky (maiden name: Révay), whose father was the Bishop of Szepes county
Szepes (county)
Szepes is the Hungarian name of the historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary officially called Scepusium before the late 19th century. It now lies in northeastern Slovakia, with a very small area in southeastern Poland...
(today Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
, a region in north-eastern Slovakia). This was her second marriage. From his mother's side he was descended from a famous Hungarian noble family of the Révay
Révay
The Révay Family was a Hungarian noble family, who owned estates in Turóc county, the Kingdom of Hungary until the early 20th century. Their property included i.a...
.
Wife: Zuzana Benyovszky (maiden name: Hönsch) (1750–1815), the daughter of a butcher. She lived in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in 1784, after Móric's death, she and her daughters departed America in 1786 and returned to one of Benyovszky's castles in the Slovak town of Beckovská Vieska. Countess Benyovszky died here in 1825, leaving the other castle in Liptovsky Hradok to the family, although much of this was destroyed during the battle of Hradok-Bella in October 1945.
Siblings: one sister Márta, two brothers Ferenc and Emanuel. His brother was an officer and adventurer in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
around 1780 and the adjutant of Major John J. Polerecky, head of the Blue Hussars
Blue Hussars
The Blue Hussars, officially called the Mounted Escort, was the ceremonial army troop that escorted the President of Ireland on state occasions, most famously to and from presidential inaugurations between 1938, when the first president took office, and 1948 when they were disbanded...
of the French cavalry supervising the British surrender at Yorktown in America in 1781. He died in America in 1789.
Thanks to Benjamin Franklin's help, Benyovszky's descendants, such as count Jan Franz Benovsky, a slovak general killed in the nazi purgings of WWII kept the spirit of cosmopolitanism and can be found all across Europe, most notabely the Benovsky family still living in Slovakia that have the name of Benovsky or Beno as well as in the United States.
Important dates
September 9, 1746 : Benyovszky is born in Verbó (today VrbovéVrbové
Vrbové ; ) is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,309 as of 2005. The town lies around northwest from Piešťany.- Characteristics :...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) near Nagyszombat, (today Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
, Slovakia). The Kingdom of Hungary at that time, which in turn was part of the Habsburg Empire.
1746–1759 : Benyovszky spends his childhood in Verbó.
1759–1760 : Benyovszky studies at the Piarist College in Szentgyörgy (today Svätý Jur
Svätý Jur
Svätý Jur is a small town northeast of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The name means Saint George. Between 1960 and 1990, the Communist government forced the town to use a "non-religious" name Jur pri Bratislave. Svätý Jur has a population of almost 5,000.-Geography:Svätý Jur is situated in...
), a suburb of Pressburg (today Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
).
1760 : His mother dies, her property is inherited by her daughters from her first marriage, and Benyovszky has to care for his brothers and sister.
c.1762 : He shortly enters the army as an officer in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1755–1763), then escapes and stays in the Szepes county
Szepes (county)
Szepes is the Hungarian name of the historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary officially called Scepusium before the late 19th century. It now lies in northeastern Slovakia, with a very small area in southeastern Poland...
(today Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
).
1764 : He is accused of deserting and of apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
(he had a rebellious attitude in matters of Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
religion) and must participate in a tribunal.
1765 : He captures his mother's (see 1760) property in Hrusó (today Hrušové) near Verbó (today Vrbové
Vrbové
Vrbové ; ) is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,309 as of 2005. The town lies around northwest from Piešťany.- Characteristics :...
), previously seized by one of his brothers-in-law. He is accused for this and must participate in a tribunal in Nyitra (today Nitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
). Before the trial ends (1766?), he flees to Poland, by which he violates the order of queen Maria Theresa forbidding him to leave the country.
1767 – 68 : He stays in those Szepes towns that Hungary had pawned to Poland in 1412.
1768 (beginning of) : For unknown reasons, Benyovszky flees to Poland and enters into contact with Confederation of Bar (Konfederacja Barska) in Poland, which was rebelling against the Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski installed by Russia.
1768 (July) : He is arrested in Szepesszombat (today Spišská Sobota), a suburb of Poprád (today Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
) in the house of the German butcher Hönsch (whose daughter will become his wife – see Family), because he had tried to organize a military unit for Confederation of Bar. In the same month he is imprisoned in the Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
Castle (a part of the pawned territories).
1769 - 1770 : He joins the Polish Confederation at Bar
Bar, Ukraine
Bar is a city located on the Rov River in the Vinnytsia Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Barskyi Raion , and is part of the historic region of Podolia. The current estimated population is 17,200 .-History:The city was a small trade outpost named Row...
(Konfederacja Barska) to fight together with Kazimierz Pułaski for the independence of Poland from the Russian rule in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. He is captured and interned in a camp at Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
. Taking advantage of local rebellions (according to some sources the rebellion was incited by Benyovszky), he flees from there to St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, where he tries to board a Dutch ship; the captain of the ship delivers him to the Russian police.
1770 - 1771 : This time, the Russians send him into exile 8,000 km further east to eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
(Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
). There he is one of the few educated people, so the local governor asks him to teach his daughter to play the piano. She falls in love with him. In May 1771 Benyovszky organizes a revolt of mainly Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
prisoners, during which the rebels, under his leadership, capture weapons, money and a Russian battleship. Benyovszky's girl is killed in ambush by a flying bullet. Benyovszky then commandeers the captured battleship and on May 23 sets out for a discovery trip through the Northern Pacific (well before James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
and Jean-François de La Pérouse
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was a French Navy officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania.-Early career:...
) along the Aleutians, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Japan, and Formosa (Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
), until the rebels finally arrive in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
in July 1771.
1771–1773 : In Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, he enters into contact with France. The Kamchatka rebels sell their original ship and sail to France on another. On their way (around the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
) they also visit the huge island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
off the African coast, then still independent and ruled by countless native chieftains. Finally in July 1772, he and most of the Kamchatka rebels arrive in France, where he is joined by his wife and learns about his promotion to General of the Polish Confederation, as well as his growing international fame. He suggests to King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
that he could establish a French colony on Formosa (Taiwan) or Madagascar. The king appoints him as Governor of Madagascar, gives him the title of count and a few promises, and charges him with leading a French military and trade mission to the island of Madagascar (see 1774);1774 (February): Benyovszky, 21 officers, and 237 volunteers land at Madagascar.
1774–1775 First expedition to Madagascar : In Madagascar, he starts to build the town of Louisbourg, a kind of base, through which France could enter into trade relations with Madagascar. He begins to build roads, settlements and to dry up swamps. Louisbourg was at Maroantsetra
Maroantsetra
Maroantsetra is a market town and domestic seaport in Analanjirofo Region, Madagascar. It is located on the Bay of Antongil near .Maroantsetra is the main point of access to Masoala National Park and the Nosy Mangabe special reserve, and the headquarters of the park authority.Access to the town is...
(Antongil Bay) and included a hospital/quarantine on Nosy Mangabe. From the beginning, he is in conflict with the governors of the French colonies Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, who are his superiors and are sending negative reports on his activities to Paris, hindering his projects and causing the French Maritime Ministry to send a committee, which then finds deficiencies in Benyovszky's performance.
1776 : On October 1, several local chiefs recognize Benyovszky as their Ampanjakabe (ruler). Among other things, Benyovszky attempted to introduce a transcription of the Malagasy language
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
using the Latin alphabet. In general, however, Benyovszky's mission largely fails (also due to illnesses caught by his men – their number will reduce to 63 in 1778) and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ignores his requirements. At the end of the year, Benyovszky leaves the island and goes to France.
1776 : Back in France, he tries to make sure that the amounts he had invested in Madagascar are paid to him, and he presents new proposals for the colonization of the island. He is promoted to the rank of general, and is granted the military Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
and a life pension by Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
.
1777 : Still in Paris, he becomes a close friend of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
(American envoy in France) and Kazimierz Pułaski. Franklin becomes like an uncle to Benyovszky's two daughters. Franklin and Benyovszky regularly play chess, often joined by Count Pułaski. Franklin later supported Benyovszky in trying to organize an American expedition to Madagascar (see 1784). In the same year, Pułaski goes to America with Benjamin Franklin's letter of recommendation and presents to the Continental Congress a proposal from Benyovszky to use Madagascar as a base in the American struggle against England. The project is not approved, because the Continental Congress does not want to risk alienating France. Also in 1777, Benyovszky turns to the Austrian royal court. He petitions the Austrian empress Maria Theresa, offers his services and experience acquired abroad for the development of the commerce of his native country, and asks her pardon and permission to return home (see 1765). The royal court in Vienna changes its attitude towards Benyovszky (because he now is in service of France, whose queen is member of the same — Habsburg — dynasty as that in Vienna). Amnesty is granted to him on October 17.
Late 1777/ early 1778 : He returns to Hungary and writes a letter to the French Maritime and Colonial Ministry from his castle in Beckókisfalu (today Beckovská Vieska in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) near Trencsén (today Trenčín
Trencín
Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
).
1778 : France grants him the title of brigadier with annual payments of 4,000 pounds, but all his proposals are rejected by the French court. On April 3 he receives a letter by Maria Theresa promoting him to the rank of count. However, his project for maritime trade from historic Hungary and for the establishment of a trade route from Komárno
Komárno
Komárno is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Komárno was formed from part of a historical town in Hungary situated on both banks of the Danube. Following World War I, the border of the newly created Czechoslovakia cut the historical, unified town in half,...
to Fiume (today Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) (i.e., the Mediterranean) is refused by the Austrian royal court. In addition he enters the army and fights in the war between Austria and Prussia (1778–1779) in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
.
1779 First expedition to America : Benyovszky follows Pułaski to America and offers his services in the American Revolution in person and in a letter to the Continental Congress. He is approved to report to General Pułaski at the siege of Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, where Pułaski dies in his friend's arms. Without Pułaski's support, Benyovszky has no choice but to return to Europe.
1780 : In Austria, he presents another project aiming at promoting the maritime trade, but again it is rejected.
1781 - 1782 Second expedition to America : In 1782 Benyovszky visits Philadelphia with letters of recommendation from Benjamin Franklin, offering in a letter to General Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
through General Baron Steuben to serve in person the American Revolution and the USA, "of which he is desirous to become a citizen"; his offer is respectfully declined. A month later, through the French Minister to the United States, he submits a plan to General Washington proposing to raise in Germany a body of troops consisting of three legionary corps of cavalry, infantry, grenadiers, chasseurs and artillery, the whole amounting to 3,383 effective men, and after their transport to America they would be subject to the order of the United States and take the oaths of fidelity and allegiance. The project is favorably evaluated. Benyovszky meets George and Mary Washington in their headquarters in Newborough (Newburgh, New York). Following this discussion with Washington, Benyovszky rewrites his proposal and presents it to the Continental Congress on May 6. However, the proposal is rejected by Congress following a reconciliatory change in British attitude under the new British cabinet. Benyovszky writes a farewell letter to Washington and embarks on the Friendship for Europe. He stops en route in Saint Domingue (now Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
) to visit his brother, Francis Benyovszky, stationed there with a French army unit.
1783 : He returns to Hungary, where he visits his castle at Beckovská Vieska and receives a privilege from the Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, under which he is under special protection of the king and is authorized to found an Austrian colony on Madagascar, of which Benyovszky will be the governor under the Austrian flag. However this project is not realized, because the royal court does not provide money for it.
1783 : After failing to gain recognition in France, Austria, and the US, he turns to Great Britain, where he asks the British government to grant him an expedition to Madagascar. He gives to John Hyacinth de Magellan, a member of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and descendant of the famous Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
, his memoirs, written in French, describing and exaggerating all his past journeys. In the same year Magellan translates it into English under the title: Memoirs and Travels; the memoir will be published in 1790 in the UK. The manuscript comprises four volumes in French and Benyovszky appended a signature to each of them in witness of his responsibility for their contents. The manuscript was deposited in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
Library by the owners subsequent to their publication and are still kept in the manuscript division of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
. The memoir would shortly be published in German (Berlin, 1790; Vienna, 1816), French (Paris, 1791), Dutch (Haarlem, 1791), Swedish (Stockholm, 1791), Polish (Warsaw, 1797), Slovak (Pressburg, 1808), and Hungarian (1888) and would become a worldwide bestseller. In the same year, with Benjamin Franklin's and J.H. Magellan's assistance, Benyovszky enters into contact with the Baltimore businessmen Messonier and Zollikofer, who found an American-British company for trade with Madagascar.
1784 Third expedition to America : On March 24, Benyovszky appoints J.H. Magellan Plenipotentiary
Plenipotentiary
The word plenipotentiary has two meanings. As a noun, it refers to a person who has "full powers." In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government as a prerogative...
for the State of Madagascar and authorizes him to act as representative of all economic and political affairs of the island. He leaves Baltimore for Madagascar on board the 5CC-ton vessel Intrepid provided by Messonier and Zollikofer. During the voyage the ship is blown off course and is delayed for repairs along the coast of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
1785 - 1786 Second expedition to Madagascar : In Madagascar Benyovszky captures the French trade settlement Foulpointe. He starts building the capital of his empire, the trade settlement Mauritania (named after himself — Maurice) at the easternmost point of the island, Cape East. In the contract with his Anglo-American associates, lots are guaranteed for all of them in the city. From Mauritania, he trades with Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Baltimore. The main trade is in slaves.
1786 : The French Maritime Ministry, outraged by Benyovszky's cooperation with the US and by the capture of Foulpointe, sends an unexpected expedition from the Pondicherry colony to stop Benyovszky. The expedition manages a surprise attack on May 23, 1786. Benovsky dies from a bullet wound to his chest. He is buried at the village of Mauritania by his former lieutenant Jacques de Lassalle, together with two Russian fugitives who had accompanied him from Kamchatka. However, there is some debate as to whether his body was later retrieved and reburied in the family tomb outside the village of Vavrisovo, Slovakia.
Legacy
Besides being the author of a bestseller at the meeting of the of 18th and 19th centuries, Benyovszky became a rich source of inspiration for many writers, poets, and composers. The opera Benyowsky and the exiles of Kamchatka, by François-Adrien BoïeldieuFrançois-Adrien Boïeldieu
François-Adrien Boieldieu was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called "the French Mozart".-Biography:...
, was presented in Paris in 1800. The US premiere of the play Count Benyowsky — The Conspiracy of Kamchatka, a tragi-comedy in five acts by the German playwright August Friedrich von Kotzebue, took place in Baltimore, along with the first performance of the US national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, on October 19, 1814. The second of eight operas by the Austrian composer Albert Franz Doppler (1821–1883), later arranged for piano by the Hungarian composer Mihaly Mosonyi
Mihály Mosonyi
Mihály Mosonyi was a Hungarian composer. Born Michael Brand, he changed his name to Mosonyi in honor of the district of Moson , with Mihály being the Hungarian equivalent of "Michael"...
, is called Benyovszky. Beniowski is also the name of an epic poem by the Polish poet Juliusz Słowacki (1809–1849). There are also a slovak novel The adventures of Móric Benyovszky by Jozef Nižňanský (1933) and a Czechslovak-Hungarian TV series Vivat Benyovszky from 1975 about him.
Benyovszky's name and memory have survived in Madagascar to the present day. The island opposite Cape East is called the Benyowsky Island on older maps, and on the way from Antalaha
Antalaha
Antalaha is a commune in northern Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Antalaha, which is a part of Sava Region. According to 2001 census the population of Antalaha was 75,000....
to Cape East there is a ford named Baron Passage, relating to Benyovszky's first stay on the island. A street in the capital of Madagascar at Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Rue Benyovski, is named after him, as are streets in several other cities.
Further reading
- Jókai, Mór. Gróf Benyovszky Móric.
- Rónaszegi, Miklós. A Nagy Játszma.
- Pallas nagy lexikon http://mek.oszk.hu/00000/00060/html/012/pc001238.html
- http://www.varlap.hu/arckep/arckep.php?id=163
External links
- http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/exhibits/benyowsky/
- http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/MABeniowski.html
- http://www.benyovszky.com/
- http://www.benovsky.sk/media/coin/coin_en.htm
- http://www.slovakopedia.com/m/moric-benovsky.htm