Egy kizilbas emigráns a Maros mentén : Kamber bég pályafutása és a Nagylak–Makói szandzsákkezdemény kudarca = A Kizilbash Emigrant on the Hungarian Frontier : The Career of Kamber Bey and the Short-lived Sanjak of Nagylak and Makó

Fóti, Miklós (2026) Egy kizilbas emigráns a Maros mentén : Kamber bég pályafutása és a Nagylak–Makói szandzsákkezdemény kudarca = A Kizilbash Emigrant on the Hungarian Frontier : The Career of Kamber Bey and the Short-lived Sanjak of Nagylak and Makó. TÖRTÉNELMI SZEMLE, 68 (2). pp. 249-264. ISSN 0040-9634

Text TSZ_2026-2_Foti.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only until 19 January 2027. Download (603kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

The study explores the career of Kamber Bey, a mid-level Ottoman military leader who appeared briefly but intensely during the initial, fluid phase of the Ottoman occupation in Hungary in the early 1550s. According to narrative sources, such as Miklós Istvánffy, Kamber was part of the influential “Persian clique” – a group of Kizilbash political emigrants of Turkoman background who defected to Sultan Suleiman. The paper analyzes Kamber’s military activities in the Maros region, specifically his command at Nagylak and his failed attempt to subjugate the wealthy market town of Makó in 1551. Beyond the narrative history, the study provides a pragmatic administrative analysis using Ottoman archival sources containing appointments of sancakbeyis to the new conquests beyond the river Tisza. It deciphers the mysterious and previously unidentified administrative unit, mentioned in Ottoman records as the sanjak of “Yaylak and Makrak.” Through paleographic analysis, the author identifies this as a projected “Nagylak–Makó” sanjak initiative, reflecting the Porte’s strategic ambition to expand its administration into the Maros valley. Finally, the study tracks Kamber’s subsequent career decline, following him from his participation in the siege of Eger back to the Anatolian interior, where he eventually disappears from the scope of this study.

Actions (login required)

View Item