First period of rule Petru Rareș

petru rareş

in hungarian battles between ferdinand habsburg , john zápolya, sided ferdinand, when ottomans awarded recognition zápolya, switched allegiances. in exchange citadel of bistrița, entered transylvania on zápolya s side , crushed ferdinand @ feldioara on 22 june 1529. zápolya gave him ungurașul in spite of efforts made rareș unable occupy bistrița. neither subdue brașov, besieged again in october several weeks. far realizing plan of ruling transylvania. had content himself ciceu , cetatea de baltă, ruled father, , bishopric of vad.

he shifted attention poland , in 1530 occupied pokuttya. polish general jan tarnowski reconquered it, when petru re-entered pokuttya, defeated tarnowski through superior tactics @ obertyn on 22 august 1531.

events forced him return transylvania. here, ottomans had dispatched italian adventurer, lodovico gritti, restore order. transylvanian voievod istván majláth , country s nobles forced him close himself in mediaș. since petru had received orders sultan free gritti, sent trusted vassal huru job. however, instead of helping gritti, huru lured him out , delivered him enemies, killed him on spot (1534). rareș killed gritti s sons, had entered moldavia. ottomans not presently retaliate, being occupied in persia, petru free continue intrigues between ferdinand , zápolya. poles tried in vain have him replaced in 1538, appealing sultan punish him. over-zealous petru, deserted own boyars, capital iași ablaze, , faced turkish-tatar-polish army headed suleiman magnificent, bringing Ştefan lăcustă throne, had flee transylvanian fortress of ciceu.

it said that, during flight, rareş wandered 2 weeks in impassable forests of transylvania, difficulty making way through spiny vegetation , ancient bushes , trees. overcome hunger, thirst, shock , despair, seen group of fishermen. since himself had been fisherman, recognized , sheltered , cared him. once had recovered, hosts garbed him in fishermen s clothes , showed him shortcut citadel.