Stephen Bocskai

Stephen Bocskai (1557–1606) was a Hungarian Calvinist nobleman born at Kolozsvár in Transylvania. He spent his youth at Emperor Maximilian's court and became captain of Várad in 1592. As councillor to Prince Sigismund Báthory, he signed Transylvania's alliance with the Holy League in 1595 and led its troops to victory at Giurgiu.

Hounded by Rudolf II's anti-Protestant officials, he rose in revolt in 1604 with Hajdú soldiers and was elected Prince of Transylvania in February 1605 and Prince of Hungary in April. The Treaty of Vienna of June 1606 secured Transylvania's autonomy and religious freedom; he died that December.