John Zápolya

King of Hungary, Prince of Transylvania

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Lived 1487–1540, aged 53

Wikipedia
48 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1487–1540
Aged 53

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

The king who saved Hungary from peasants, then lost it to the Ottomans. John Zápolya crushed the 1514 revolt and was hailed as liberator — twelve years later he wore the crown, fled to Poland, and cut a deal with the Sultan that made his kingdom a vassal state.

Biography

About

John Zápolya came from a prominent Croatian-Slavonian noble family; his father became one of Hungary's wealthiest lords and served as Palatine. He was Voivode of Transylvania from 1510 to 1526, and during the Peasants' Revolt of 1514 led by György Dózsa, his military campaigns crushed the uprising and earned him the title "liberator of the realm." His power declined after his sister Barbara's death in 1515. He became King of Hungary in 1526, though Archduke Ferdinand I disputed the title and also claimed the crown. In 1528 John fled to Poland, then aligned with the Ottomans — a bargain that tu…

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