History of Pécs III. - In the Age of Conquest (1543-1686)

In the words of the outstanding Turkologist Paul Fodor: "... the merit of this volume is not only that it gives a complete, accurate and clear picture of the life and destiny of Pécs during the occupation. it also gets a comprehensive picture of the occupation. " The image of a large part of Hungarian society about this era is dominated by old stereotypes that distort the reality of the time: the outbreak of Turkish armies, the looting of the Hungarian population, the loss of centuries of values, and the heroism of Hungarian border casters fighting the conquerors. And Turkish sources write about a thriving city. Which position is true? What became of the major medieval city after 1543? Did Turkish rule bring flowering or destruction to Pécs? Did the Ottomans just destroy or did they create value? These questions are being answered by excellent researchers of the era - based on rigorous professional considerations. The work, based on a critical analysis of the literature and the exploration of new sources, gives a credible picture of the city's Ottoman administration and its political and military role in the region, as well as the proportions and situation of the population and the relationship between Muslims and Christians. The reader gets a nuanced picture of the diverse economic and cultural life, through which Pécs in 16-17. It may have been one of the most important Muslim religious and cultural centers of the Hungarian occupation in the 16th century, the dominant center of the Unitarian religion near Transylvania in the 16th century, and an important base for Catholic renewal through the Jesuit order in the 17th century. The authors convincingly demonstrate that the Ottomans not only destroyed but also enriched the city with significant value. Its destruction was not caused by the Turkish rule itself, but by military actions, the attack of the poet Miklós Zrínyi in 1664 and the war of liberation. The professional and readable book, richly illustrated with over 200 color images and 30 maps, can be a useful and interesting read for both professionals and lay readers.