Mog, Palatine of Hungary

Mog, also Moch or Mok (died after 1210) was a powerful Hungarian lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, who served as Palatine of Hungary three times.

Mog
Palatine of Hungary
Reign	1192–1193 1198–1199 1206
Predecessor	Thomas (1st term) Esau (2nd term) Nicholas (3rd term)
Successor	Esau (1st term) Mika Ják (2nd term) Csépán Győr (3rd term)
Died	after 1210

Family

His origin and ancestry is uncertain; historians Mór Wertner and Pál Engel assigned him to the Hont-Pázmány clan as the son of Jakó Hont-Pázmány from the Födémes branch,[1] while Attila Zsoldos argued it is also considerable that Palatine Mog was identical with Mog from the gens Csanád whose son Michael is mentioned by a charter in 1237.[2] Mog had a child from his unidentified wife.[3]

Career

Mog was a loyal supporter of Béla III of Hungary. He had pledged to participate in a crusade to the Holy Land, but he had been allowed to defer the fulfillment his vow.[3] He served as Judge royal (Latin: curialis comes) between 1185 and 1186.[4] He was appointed ispán of Nyitra County in 1188.[5] He became Palatine at first even the reign of Béla III, assuredly from 1192 to 1193, however according to non-authentic royal charters he already held the office from 1188 and was also mentioned as Palatine in a false diploma issued in 1194.[6] Beside that high-rank position, Mog also functioned as ispán of Bács County between 1192 and 1193.[7] Thus he was the first known incumbent Palatine who also received an ispánate in addition to the dignity.[8]

His first term as Palatine reflected developments on the functions of the position; the Latin phrase of "comes" worn down permanently from the title of the office, the term "palatinus" gradually changed to noun in the following decades.[8] According to a charter issued by the Diocese of Veszprém in 1192, Palatine Mog functioned as a judge at two land proceedings of Hahold II from the gens Hahót, who accused a certain Paris that he expropriated a portion of Hahold's estate. The second trial was between Hahold and udvornici from Zala County. In both cases Mog ruled in favor of Hahold. This is the first source when a Palatine judged not only due special orders of the King.[9] Thus it is highly probable that an independent palatinal judicial bench was established on a permanent basis during the first term of Mog. The judicial role of special presence was transformed to the position of Judge royal, as a result the Judge royal's economic functions was taken over by the Master of the treasury which dignity was stabilized during that time.[10]

Mog was nominated for the second time as head of the palatinal institution in 1198, replacing Esau.[6] He became ispán of Bács County (which presumably was the first ex officio ispánate of the Palatine dignity) again.[7] However, in the next year Mog lost his office. Duke Andrew hatched his umpteenth conspiracy against his elder brother Emeric, King of Hungary with the help of many other prelates and lords, including Palatine Mog. However the coup attempt was uncovered on 10 March 1199 and royal troops routed Andrew's army while the duke fled to Austria. Andrew was allowed to return to Croatia and Dalmatia in the next year. Becoming a member of Andrew's retinue, comes Mog frequently appeared in the dignity lists of the charters issued by Andrew in the period between 1200 and 1202, alongside other defected lord, Nicholas.[11] Mog lost all of his political influence at the royal court during the remaining rest of Emeric's reign, and in this desperate situation, he decided to fulfill his vow finally thus he joined to the Fourth Crusade.[3]

He returned to Hungary when Andrew II ascended the throne in 1205, following the sudden death of his nephew Ladislaus III, Emeric's son. He served as ispán of Bodrog County in 1205.[12] Mog participated in Andrew's campaign to recapture Halych and protect the realm of the child-prince Daniel Romanovich. When Andrew, now also "King of Galicia and Lodomeria" returned to home, he left behind a Hungarian garrison in Sanok under the leadership of Mog.[3]

In 1206, Mog was appointed Palatine for the third time[13] and ispán of Sopron County.[14] Beside these offices he also served as ispán of Bihar County from 1206 to 1207.[15] He was soon ousted from the king's innermost circle and has not received high dignity anymore.[3] According to a charter, he was ispán of Bars County in 1208.[16] Between 1208 and 1210, he functioned as ispán of Pozsony County. He died sometime after.[17]

References

1. Engel: Genealógia (Genus Hont-Pázmány 5., Födémes branch)
2. Zsoldos 2011, p. 338.
3. Markó 2006, p. 240.
4. Zsoldos 2011, p. 27.
5. Zsoldos 2011, p. 173.
6. Zsoldos 2011, p. 16.
7. Zsoldos 2011, p. 126.
8. Szőcs 2014, p. 15.
9. Szőcs 2014, p. 47.
10. Szőcs 2014, p. 48.
11. Szabados 1999, p. 103.
12. Zsoldos 2011, p. 141.
13. Zsoldos 2011, p. 17.
14. Zsoldos 2011, p. 197.
15. Zsoldos 2011, p. 138.
16. Zsoldos 2011, p. 134.
17. Zsoldos 2011, p. 183.

Sources

• Markó, László (2006). A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig: Életrajzi Lexikon [Great Officers of State in Hungary from King Saint Stephen to Our Days: A Biographical Encyclopedia] (in Hungarian). Helikon Kiadó. ISBN 963-208-970-7.
• Szabados, György (1999). "Imre és András [Emeric and Andrew]". Századok (in Hungarian). Magyar Történelmi Társulat. 133 (1): 85–111. ISSN 0039-8098.
• Szőcs, Tibor (2014). A nádori intézmény korai története, 1000–1342 [An Early History of the Palatinal Institution: 1000–1342] (in Hungarian). Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Támogatott Kutatások Irodája. ISBN 978-963-508-697-9.
• Zsoldos, Attila (2011). Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1000–1301 [Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1000–1301] (in Hungarian). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. ISBN 978-963-9627-38-3.