Unio Trium Nationum
Encyclopedia
Unio Trium Nationum
Unio Trium Nationum (Latin
for "Union of the Three Nations" was a pact of mutual aid formed in 1438 by three Estates
of Transylvania
: the (largely Hungarian) nobility
, the Saxon
(i.e. German) burghers
, and the free Szeklers. It marks the irrevocable dissolution of the Estate of the Vlachs
(i.e. Romanians
) of Transylvania.
In medieval times, Transylvania was organised into two types of territorial units:
, one of the first major Ottoman military campaigns against Transylvanian territories was organised in 1421. The invading forces entered the region from Wallachia
. The Saxons
and Székelys living in the border area tried to defend themselves, but were heavily outnumbered by the intruders. King Sigismund
was not able to react promptly because he had recently inherited the Bohemian throne
and was involved there in the Hussite Wars
. Also, Transylvanian Diets had not been organized for decades and there was no forum to coordinate defence preparations of the three nations. (The voivode appointed by Sigismund was basically involved in Hungarian politics in Buda and with his estates in Northern Hungary, and was not interested in Transylvanian issues.) Left alone, the Saxon Burzenland
and the Székely Seat of Háromszék
, both in the border region, were ravaged. Sigismund reacted to the attack only years later, leading a series of military campaigns against the Ottomans in Wallachia. The Ottomans, allied with the Wallachian Voivode, returned in 1432 and Southern Transylvania suffered serious damages again.
In the same period, nobles and church authorities in Central Transylvania were concerned about protesting and revolting serfs. Magyar and Romanian
peasants were dissatisfied with their oppressed status, the high taxes and restrictions to their free movement. Scattered peasant protests turned into a serious revolt in 1437, when peasants and petty nobles defeated the troops of their feudal landlords. The Budai Nagy Antal Revolt was triggered by an attempt by the Bishop of Transylvania to collect unpaid taxes. Although the revolt was led by a Hungarian petty noble – Antal Nagy de Buda
- it was a coalition of various elements of Transylvanian society: Hungarian and Romanian
serfs, also the burghers of Kolozsvár (Klausenburg, Cluj), and some petty nobles. After the successful battle the Treaty of Kolozsmonostor was reached with the nobles, allowing the serfs greater freedom and lower taxes. In this agreement, one of the peasant leaders, Pál Vajdaházi, was called (Standard-bearer of the Union of Hungarian and Romanian inhabitants of this province of Hungary). Consequently, it is possible that the peasant rebels called themselves as the Estate
of Hungarians and Romanians
().
who were still afraid of possible Otoman incursions. The alliance of mutual aid, signed in Kápolna (Căpâlna), was called „Fraterna Unio” (Brotherly Union), and was designed to protect the parties both from peasant revolts and from Ottoman attacks. The existence of the "Brotherly Union" helped the feudal landlords to be able to re-negotiate and partly modify the terms of the previous agreement with the peasants, the alliance, however, did not organise any serious military operations until the end of 1437. When, however, King Sigismund
died in December 1437, the alliance attacked and crushed the peasant army.
military campaigns. The Union ensured that the (largely Romanian) serfs continued to be excluded from the political and social life of Transylvania
, although they made up the majority of the population in the Noble Counties (Comitates
). The alliance of the three privileged estates continued to be effective for many centuries and provided the framework of internal politics in Transylvania.
After the 18th century, when the danger of Ottoman or Tatar attacks was over, the Union became an alliance of the three estates to protect their feudal privileges from those members of society who were not represented in the Transylvanian Diet
. In the 19th century, the term "three nations" became charged with ethnic considerations, because Romanians were mostly peasants and were consequently excluded from Transylvanian politics.
In 1711, the Bulgarians
of Alvinc
and Déva
(led by church leader Balázs Marinovics) and the Armenians
also claimed the privileges of a fourth and fifth natio, but their demands were not met with the elevation of their communities to that privileged status.
Unio Trium Nationum (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "Union of the Three Nations" was a pact of mutual aid formed in 1438 by three Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
: the (largely Hungarian) nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, the Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
(i.e. German) burghers
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, and the free Szeklers. It marks the irrevocable dissolution of the Estate of the Vlachs
Universitas Valachorum
Universitas Valachorum is the Latin denomination for an Estate, an institution of self-government of the Romanians in medieval Transylvania....
(i.e. Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
) of Transylvania.
Medieval administrative structure in Transylvania
- The Noble Counties (ComitatesComitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
) were ruled by feudal landlords. Here, the majority of population were Magyar and Romanian serfs. - In other regions called "Seats"Seat (territorial-administrative unit)Seats were territorial-administrative units in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. The seats were autonomous regions within the Kingdom, and were independent from the feudal county system...
, the free SzékelySzékelyThe Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
and SaxonTransylvanian SaxonsThe Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
nation lived without feudal landlords and had the royal privilege to have local authority and self-government.
Events leading to the Union
With the rise of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman 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...
, one of the first major Ottoman military campaigns against Transylvanian territories was organised in 1421. The invading forces entered the region from Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
. The Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
and Székelys living in the border area tried to defend themselves, but were heavily outnumbered by the intruders. King 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...
was not able to react promptly because he had recently inherited the Bohemian throne
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and was involved there in the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
. Also, Transylvanian Diets had not been organized for decades and there was no forum to coordinate defence preparations of the three nations. (The voivode appointed by Sigismund was basically involved in Hungarian politics in Buda and with his estates in Northern Hungary, and was not interested in Transylvanian issues.) Left alone, the Saxon Burzenland
Burzenland
The Burzenland is a historic and ethnographic area in southeastern Transylvania, Romania with a mixed population...
and the Székely Seat of Háromszék
Háromszék
Háromszék is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in central Romania...
, both in the border region, were ravaged. Sigismund reacted to the attack only years later, leading a series of military campaigns against the Ottomans in Wallachia. The Ottomans, allied with the Wallachian Voivode, returned in 1432 and Southern Transylvania suffered serious damages again.
In the same period, nobles and church authorities in Central Transylvania were concerned about protesting and revolting serfs. Magyar and Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
peasants were dissatisfied with their oppressed status, the high taxes and restrictions to their free movement. Scattered peasant protests turned into a serious revolt in 1437, when peasants and petty nobles defeated the troops of their feudal landlords. The Budai Nagy Antal Revolt was triggered by an attempt by the Bishop of Transylvania to collect unpaid taxes. Although the revolt was led by a Hungarian petty noble – Antal Nagy de Buda
Antal Nagy de Buda
Antal Nagy de Buda or Antal Budai Nagy was a petty nobleman from Kolozs County, Transylvania, who led the first major peasant revolt in medieval Hungary in 1437....
- it was a coalition of various elements of Transylvanian society: Hungarian and Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
serfs, also the burghers of Kolozsvár (Klausenburg, Cluj), and some petty nobles. After the successful battle the Treaty of Kolozsmonostor was reached with the nobles, allowing the serfs greater freedom and lower taxes. In this agreement, one of the peasant leaders, Pál Vajdaházi, was called (Standard-bearer of the Union of Hungarian and Romanian inhabitants of this province of Hungary). Consequently, it is possible that the peasant rebels called themselves as the Estate
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
of Hungarians and Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
().
Brotherly Union (Union of Kápolna)
In this situation, the Transylvanian Diet was still not called together by the voivode and the nobles initiated a meeting of the three nations. After almost half a century, the estates now had the opportunity to discuss about Transylvanian issues. On this occasion, nobles set up an alliance with Székelys and SaxonsTransylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
who were still afraid of possible Otoman incursions. The alliance of mutual aid, signed in Kápolna (Căpâlna), was called „Fraterna Unio” (Brotherly Union), and was designed to protect the parties both from peasant revolts and from Ottoman attacks. The existence of the "Brotherly Union" helped the feudal landlords to be able to re-negotiate and partly modify the terms of the previous agreement with the peasants, the alliance, however, did not organise any serious military operations until the end of 1437. When, however, King 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...
died in December 1437, the alliance attacked and crushed the peasant army.
Founding of the Union of Three Nations
After the successful campaign, the alliance of Nobles, Székelys and Saxons was reinforced in the agreement called „Unio Trium Nationum” (Union of three Nations) on February 2, 1438. Similarly to the Brotherly Union, the co-operation was aimed at providing mutual aid against peasant revolts and OttomanOttoman 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...
military campaigns. The Union ensured that the (largely Romanian) serfs continued to be excluded from the political and social life of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, although they made up the majority of the population in the Noble Counties (Comitates
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
). The alliance of the three privileged estates continued to be effective for many centuries and provided the framework of internal politics in Transylvania.
After the 18th century, when the danger of Ottoman or Tatar attacks was over, the Union became an alliance of the three estates to protect their feudal privileges from those members of society who were not represented in the Transylvanian Diet
Transylvanian Diet
The Transylvanian Diet was the constitutional and political body of Principality of Transylvania, and later of the Grand Principality of Transylvania...
. In the 19th century, the term "three nations" became charged with ethnic considerations, because Romanians were mostly peasants and were consequently excluded from Transylvanian politics.
In 1711, the Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
of Alvinc
Vintu de Jos
Vinţu de Jos, also known as Vinţ is a commune located in the centre of Alba County, Romania. It is composed of eighteen villages: Câmpu Goblii , Ciocaşu , Crişeni , Dealu Ferului , Gura Cuţului , Haţegana , Inuri , Laz , Mătăcina , Mereteu...
and Déva
Deva, Romania
Deva is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, on the left bank of the Mureș River. It is the capital of Hunedoara County.-Name:...
(led by church leader Balázs Marinovics) and the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
also claimed the privileges of a fourth and fifth natio, but their demands were not met with the elevation of their communities to that privileged status.
Further reading
- Magyarország történeti kronológiája, MTA Történettudományi Intézet (Historical Chronology of Hungary, Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1981
- Erdély története, MTA Történettudományi Intézet (History of Transylvania, Hungarian Academy of Sciences), 1986