Research putting the history of Ottoman occupation following the Battle of Mohács into a new light will be presented by the May lecture of Season 4 of the lecture series entitled “Orientalists in NSZL”. Next presenter of the cultural historical series featuring internationally renowned Hungarian researchers into the East will be Géza Dávid, historian-Turcologist, Professor of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest.
Over the course of time, about 40-45 percent of the territory of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary had come under Ottoman rule. Everyday life for those living here had significantly been changed by the new political situation and the unusual organization of the conquerors. What could be saved from the past, and to what extent did the Hungarian communities survive in the different regions, how did the state of economy change? To some extent, these questions would be difficult to answer, taking into consideration the 17th century. However, using the 16th-century Ottoman source material, we can form a reliable picture of demographic conditions, the operation of public administration and, a bit less thoroughly, of the development of agricultural production and the struggles of everyday life.
About the series
Main aim of the lectures, discussions and book presentations, to be held once in a month and starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, is to provide the general public with state-of-the-art knowledge on issues covering various fields and periods, and on the latest research results by lectures delivered by internationally renowned Hungarian researchers.
Cultural historical series entitled Orientalists in NSZL, presenting various fields and results of Hungarian research into the East, has been edited by László Tüske, Director-General of NSZL, Arabist, professor of Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Date: Wednesday May 8, 2019, 5 p.m.
Venue: National Széchényi Library, Wing “F” of Buda Royal Palace, 4–5–6 Szent György Square, H-1014 Budapest
Admission is free
Interview with Géza Dávid on our blog (in Hungarian)