Pro sustentatione castrorum: the role of the Hospitaller priory of Hungary in King Matthias Corvinus' anti-Ottoman defensive policies, c.1464-90
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | JOURNAL OF MEDIEVAL HISTORY |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03044181.2020.1859402 |
| Description | The properties of the Hospitaller priory of Hungary had since the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg (r. 1387-1437) been occasionally allocated to secular governors as remuneration for maintenance of the defensive system against the Ottomans. While it is widely known that a similar policy was continued by King Matthias Corvinus after 1464, it has not been studied in detail. This paper discusses the secular governors of the priory between 1464 and 1490, identifies the priory's estates entrusted to governors and seeks to offer answers about their role in Matthias' anti-Ottoman defensive structures. Detailed analysis shows that with this scheme, the king aimed to ensure additional revenue for officials tasked with defence of the frontier towards the Ottoman Empire, and that it was an improvised rather than consistent policy. |