Christopher Báthory
Christopher Báthory (Hungarian: Báthory Kristóf; 1530 – 27 May 1581) was voivode of Transylvania from 1576 to 1581. He was a younger son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó. Christopher's career began during the reign of Queen Isabella Jagiellon, who administered the eastern territories of the Kingdom of Hungary on behalf of her son, John Sigismund Zápolya, from 1556 to 1559. He was one of the commanders of John Sigismund's army in the early 1560s.
Christopher Báthory | |
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Christopher depicted in Franz Christoph Khevenhüller's Conterfet Kupfferstich | |
| Voivode of Transylvania | |
| Reign | 14 January 1576 – 27 May 1581 |
| Predecessor | Stephen Báthory |
| Successor | Sigismund Báthory |
| Born | 1530 Szilágysomlyó, Kingdom of Hungary (now Șimleu Silvaniei, Romania) |
| Died | 27 May 1581 (aged 50–51) Gyulafehérvár, Principality of Transylvania (today Alba Iulia, Romania) |
| Buried | Jesuit Church, Gyulafehérvár |
| Noble family | House of Báthory |
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| Father | Stephen VIII Báthory |
| Mother | Catherine Telegdi |
Christopher's brother, Stephen Báthory, who succeeded John Sigismund in 1571, made Christopher captain of Várad (now Oradea in Romania). After being elected King of Poland, Stephen Báthory adopted the title of Prince of Transylvania and made Christopher voivode in 1576. Christopher cooperated with Márton Berzeviczy, whom his brother appointed to supervise the administration of the Principality of Transylvania as the head of the Transylvanian chancellery at Kraków. Christopher ordered the imprisonment of Ferenc Dávid, a leading theologian of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, who started to condemn the adoration of Jesus. He supported his brother's efforts to settle the Jesuits in Transylvania.