Parliament on Cetin
Encyclopedia
The Parliament on Cetin was a gathering (sabor) of the Croatia
n nobility in the town of Cetin
caused by a monarchical crisis after the death of their king Louis II and a major defeat of the Kingdom of Hungary
at the Battle of Mohács
. On January 1, 1527 they elected Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria
as the new king of Croatia.
Faced with the overwhelming force of the Ottoman Empire
, the Croatian nobles met to discuss their strategy and choose a new leader. Louis II, the Hungarian king, had held the crown of Croatia
among other titles. After his death, the Croatians had few options, and the election of Ferdinand was a natural one because he was not only the powerful Archduke of Austria, he also ruled the lands of Croatia's Slavic
neighbours, the Slovenes, as both Duke of Carinthia and Carniola.
The charter signed by the Croatian nobles and representatives of Ferdinand von Habsburg which bears a fine example of the famous chequered state seal of Croatia is among the most important documents of Croatian statehood and is preserved at the Austrian State Archives in Vienna
.
In return for the throne Archduke Ferdinand promised to respect the historic rights, freedoms, laws and customs the Croats had when united with the Hungarian kingdom and to defend Croatia from Ottoman invasion and subjugation.
The charter electing Ferdinand was confirmed with the seals of six Croatian nobles and four representatives of the Archduke:
Croatian Nobles
Austrian Plenipotentiaries
In Slavonia
, an ancient duchy
historically tied to Croatia, some of the nobility distanced themselves from the election and nominated John Zápolya
the rival claimant to the Hungarian throne instead. After his death in 1540 the first option prevailed.
Kingdom of Croatia (Medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
n nobility in the town of Cetin
Cetin
The fortress of Cetin is situated south of Cetingrad above the village of Podcetin, in Croatia. The time of foundation of Cetin is unfortunately still unknown. There are some indications that the settlement existed there in the times of the Roman Empire. The parish of All Saints was first...
caused by a monarchical crisis after the death of their king Louis II and a major defeat of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages
The Kingdom of Hungary was formed from the previous Principality of Hungarywith the coronation of Stephen I in AD 1000. This was a result of the conversion of Géza of Hungary to the Western Church in the 970s....
at 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....
. On January 1, 1527 they elected Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
as the new king of Croatia.
Faced with the overwhelming force of the Ottoman Empire
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...
, the Croatian nobles met to discuss their strategy and choose a new leader. Louis II, the Hungarian king, had held the crown of Croatia
Crown of Zvonimir
The Crown of Zvonimir was bestowed on King Dmitar Zvonimir of Croatia in 1076 by the papal legate. Zvonimir ruled Croatia until 1089 after which the crown was used in the coronation of his successor Stjepan II and presumably by the numerous Hungarian monarchs after the unification of Croatia and...
among other titles. After his death, the Croatians had few options, and the election of Ferdinand was a natural one because he was not only the powerful Archduke of Austria, he also ruled the lands of Croatia's Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
neighbours, the Slovenes, as both Duke of Carinthia and Carniola.
The charter signed by the Croatian nobles and representatives of Ferdinand von Habsburg which bears a fine example of the famous chequered state seal of Croatia is among the most important documents of Croatian statehood and is preserved at the Austrian State Archives in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
In return for the throne Archduke Ferdinand promised to respect the historic rights, freedoms, laws and customs the Croats had when united with the Hungarian kingdom and to defend Croatia from Ottoman invasion and subjugation.
The charter electing Ferdinand was confirmed with the seals of six Croatian nobles and four representatives of the Archduke:
Croatian Nobles
- Andrija Tuškanić
- Ivan KarlovićIvan KarlovicIvan Karlović was the Ban of Croatia from 1521 to 1524 and again from 1527 to 1531. Karlović's seat was in Medvedgrad....
- Nikola ZrinskiNikola III ZrinskiNikola III Zrinski , , was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the Zrinski noble family, influential in the Croato-Hungarian Kingdom.-Life:...
, father of Nikola Šubić ZrinskiNikola Šubic ZrinskiNikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
and great-great-grandfather of Nikola Zrinski, both future bans of Croatia - Juraj FrankopanFrankopanThe Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...
- Vuk FrankopanFrankopanThe Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...
- Stjepan Blagajski
Austrian Plenipotentiaries
- Pavao Oberstain
- Nikola JurišićNikola JurišicBaron Nikola Jurišić was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat, who led the armies of the territory of the Croatian Krajina in defense against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I, advancing towards Vienna.After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Jurisic's vote helped Ferdinand of...
- Ivan KatzianerJohann KatzianerJohann Katzianer , or Hans Katzianer, Freiherr zu Katzenstein und Fledingen was a Carniolan aristocrat and an Imperial Army commander....
- Ivan Pichler
In Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, an ancient duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
historically tied to Croatia, some of the nobility distanced themselves from the election and nominated John Zápolya
John Zápolya
John Zápolya was King of Hungary from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary between 1526 and 1540. He was the voivode of Transylvania before his coronation.- Biography :...
the rival claimant to the Hungarian throne instead. After his death in 1540 the first option prevailed.
Sources
- Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabora Kraljevine Hrvatske 1527, Karlovačka Županija, 1997, Karlovac