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JANOS [JOHN] CORVINUS (1473–1504)

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 210 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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JANOS [See also:

JOHN] See also:CORVINUS (1473–1504)  , illegitimate son of See also:Matthias See also:Hunyadi, See also:king of See also:Hungary, and one See also:Barbara, supposed to be the daughter of a See also:burgess of See also:Breslau . He took his name from the See also:raven (See also:corvus) in his See also:father's See also:escutcheon . Matthias originally intended him for the See also:Church, but on losing all See also:hope of offspring from his See also:consort See also:Queen See also:Beatrice, determined, towards the end of his See also:life, to make the youth his successor on the See also:throne . He loaded him with honours and riches, till he was by far the wealthiest See also:magnate in the See also:land . He publicly declared him his successor, created him a See also:prince with vast apanages in See also:Silesia, made the commandants of all the fortresses in .the See also:kingdom take an See also:oath of See also:allegiance to him, and tried to arrange a See also:marriage for him with Bianca Maria See also:Sforza of See also:Milan, a project which was frustrated by the intrigues of Queen Beatrice . Matthias also intended to make the recognition of Janos as prince royal of Hungary by the See also:emperor See also:Frederick a See also:condition precedent of relinquishing all or See also:part of the conquered hereditary domains of the See also:house of See also:Habsburg; but his sudden See also:death See also:left the See also:matter still pending, and the See also:young prince suddenly found himself alone in the midst of enemies . The inexperienced and irresolute youth speedily became the victim of the most shameful chicanery . He was first induced formally to resign his claims to the throne, on the understanding that he was to be compensated with the See also:crown of Bosnia . He was then persuaded to retire southwards with the royal treasures which Matthias had confided to him, whereupon an See also:army immediately started in pursuit, scattered his forces, and robbed him of everything . Meanwhile the See also:diet had elected Vladislav of Bohemia king (See also:July 15, 1490), to whom Janos hastened to do See also:homage, in See also:order to See also:save something from the See also:wreck of his fortunes . He was also recognized as prince of Slavonia and See also:duke of See also:Troppau, but compelled to relinquish both titles five years later . On the invasion of Hungary by See also:Maximilian, he shewed his See also:loyalty to the crown by relinquishing into the hands of Vladislav the three importantfortressesof See also:Pressburg, See also:Komarom and See also:Tata, which had been entrusted to him by his father .

But now, encouraged by his complacency, the See also:

chief dignitaries, headed by the See also:palatine See also:Stephen Zapolya, laid claim to nearly all his remaining estates and involved him in a whole See also:series of costly processes . This they could do with perfect impunity, as they had poisoned the mind of the indolent and suspicious king against their victim . In 1496 See also:Corvinus married Beatrice, the daughter of See also:Bernard Frangepan . His prospects now improved, and in 1498 he was created perpetual See also:ban of Croatia and Slavonia . From 1499 to 1502 he successfully defended Bosnia against the See also:Turks, and in the following See also:year aspired to the dignity of palatine, but was defeated by a See also:combination of Queen Beatrice and his other enemies . He died on the 12th of See also:October 1504, leaving one son, Prince See also:Christopher,, who died on the 17th of See also:March 1505 . See Gyula Schonherr, Janos Corvinus Hunyadi (Hung.) (See also:Budapest, 1894) . (R . N .

End of Article: JANOS [JOHN] CORVINUS (1473–1504)
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