Roland I Rátót

Family

Roland I was born into the gens Rátót as the son of Dominic I, who served as Master of the treasury from 1238 to 1240. He was killed in the Battle of Mohi in 1241. The ancestors of the kindred were two Norman knights (Oliver and Rathold) from Caserta, Naples, who settled down in Hungary around 1097 during the reign of Coloman, King of Hungary. Roland's earliest known ancestor was his great-grandfather Leustach I Rátót, Voivode of Transylvania in the second half of the 12th century. Roland had three brothers, Stephen, the forefather of the Pásztói, Tari and Kakas de Kaza noble families. The Putnoki family came from Oliver II. Leustach II was the father of Palatine Roland II Rátót and also the ancestor of the Jolsvai, Serkei and Feledi branches. Their only unidentified sister married Maurice II Pok whom the influential baron Nicholas Pok originated.

Roland had two sons from his unidentified wife: Matthias and Rathold II (fl. 1278–1296). The latter one had no any descendants. Matthias, who soon adopted the Paksi (or Paksy) surname, married one of the daughters of Paul Visontai from the Kompolt branch of the kindred Aba. Their two sons were Roland and Oliver Paksi, who held important positions during the reign of Louis I of Hungary.

Early career

He was first mentioned by contemporary records in 1241, when he held the dignity of Master of the cupbearers following the Mongol invasion of Hungary and his father's death. Roland was soon replaced by his brother-in-law Maurice II Pok in that position. According to László Markó, Roland might have been in office until the next year. From 1242 to 1245 (or from 1241 to 1246, according to non-authentic charters), he served as Master of the stewards, beside that he also governed Nyitra County (1242–1243) then Sopron County (1244–1245).

In 1246, he led Béla IV of Hungary's royal campaign against Frederick II, Duke of Austria, who had attacked Hungary and claimed the western counties of Moson, Sopron and Vas County. He defended Sopron and Pozsony Castle. Later Roland's army was defeated by the Austrians in the Battle of the Leitha River on 15 June 1246, however Frederick was killed on the battlefield, resulting the end of the conflict and interregnum in Austria. Following this, Roland was appointed Judge royal in 1247 and held the dignity possibly until 1248.

First term as Palatine

Roland was appointed Palatine in 1248, serving in that capacity unusually long period of time in that era, until 1260 as loyal to King Béla IV. He was also ispán of Pozsony County during that time (1248–1260) and ispán of Sopron County for a short time in 1255 (his seal preserved in that year). Before Roland, the palatines acted as itinerant judges, wandering in the whole realm in the 1230s and early 1240s. However he abandoned this practice and mostly heard cases in Pressburg (now Bratislava in Slovakia). During the Árpádian royals, Roland was the Palatine, who issued the majority of diplomas with accurate dates and locations. Most of his judgments connected to the kingdom's northwestern region. He was the last Palatine, who judged over the Pannonhalma Archabbey (in 1254 and 1255), the monastery received waiver of privileges sometime later. During his term, the dignity gradually became a political office overshadowing its former "traditional" functions (e.g. litigation).

In 1254, Palatine Roland participated in drafting of peace treaty, which was signed in his residence, Pressburg on 1 May. In accordance with the treaty, Ottokar, who had in the meantime become King of Bohemia, ceded the Duchy of Styria to Béla, who also adopted the title Duke. He helped Béla IV in organizing and consolidating the Hungarian administration in Styria, he stayed Bad Radkersburg (Regede) several times in the 1250s. Discontented with the Hungarian rule, the Styrian lords sought assistance from Ottokar of Bohemia. Béla and his allies invaded Moravia, but Ottokar vanquished them in the Battle of Kressenbrunn on 12 June 1260. The defeat forced Béla to renounce Styria in favor of the King of Bohemia in the Peace of Vienna, which was signed on 31 March 1261 following the intermediary activity of Roland Rátót.

Ban of Slavonia

In 1260, Roland was succeeded by Henry Kőszegi. During that time tensions emerged between King Béla IV and his eldest son Stephen. Béla's favoritism towards his younger son, Béla (whom he appointed Duke of Slavonia) and daughter, Anna irritated Stephen. Following the death of Stephen Gutkeled in 1259 or 1260, Roland became Ban of Slavonia, he appeared in contemporary sources in this capacity at first in August 1261. Roland served as the young prince's mentor and mainstay in accordance with King Béla's wish. As Ban, he acquired several lands and possessions to the south of the Drava River. Roland was also head of Split (Spalato) between 1265 and 1267.

King Béla IV and Duke Stephen's conflict degenerated into war by the end of 1264. After a few months, Duke Stephen gained a decisive victory over his father's army in the Battle of Isaszeg in March 1265. Soon, Béla and Stephen signed the peace treaty in the Convent of the Blessed Virgin on the Rabbits' Island. Roland Rátót kept himself away the conflict, as he resided near Zagreb at that time. Following the peace, Stephen intended to punish limitedly the Cumans, with the approval of Béla, who had earlier betrayed him and joined the King's camp during tha war. Béla provided a royal army to his son under the leadership of Roland, whose person was acceptable for Duke Stephen. Roland also participated in a campaign against the Second Bulgarian Empire in the summer of 1266, when Stephen invaded Bulgaria, seized Vidin, Pleven and other forts and routed the Bulgarians in five battles, resulting that Despot Jacob Svetoslav again accepted Stephen's suzerainty.

However, despite the former agreement, Roland soon became a political victim of the rivalry between Béla IV and Stephen. Under the influence of loyal barons' intrigues, King Béla dismissed Roland and replaced him with Henry Kőszegi. His estates were also plundered and destroyed in Slavonia. It is highly probable that Béla considered his participation in Duke Stephen's campaign against Bulgaria as a misuse of powers since the King gave him the army only for regularizing the Cuman tribes. Béla also could afraid that the skilled military leader Stephen gathered allies among his supporters during these expeditions.

Later career

Stephen V ascended the Hungarian throne in 1270. During his short rule, he donated the Kalnik Castle and its surrounding areas to Roland, who also became perpetual count of Kalnik ispánate. The sudden death of Stephen V and subsequent coronation of the 10-year-old Ladislaus IV in August 1272 allowed him to become one of the most powerful barons in the country. His influence increased further in November of that year when Duke Béla of Macsó was brutally assassinated by Henry Kőszegi and the barons partitioned the territory of the Duchy of Macsó among themselves. Roland Rátót became Palatine and the first Ban of Macsó. He was actively involved in the internal conflicts between the two baronial groups which emerged during the last decade of Béla IV. Roland supported the Kőszegi–Gutkeled baronial group against the Csák faction.

According to historian Jenő Szűcs, Roland has been able to reach the highest-ranking secular position for the second time in November 1272, because the two rival baronial groups and the nominal regent Dowager Queen Elizabeth the Cuman considered the semblance of unity as important in the first years yet. By May 1273, he was replaced as Palatine and Ban by Lawrence, son of Kemény, an ally of the Kőszegi family, and Egyed Monoszló, respectively, however in the next month, he was again Palatine and held the dignity at least until October.

Following the Battle of Föveny in September 1274, where Henry Kőszegi was killed, Roland defected to the supporters of the Csák kindred, and could manage to become Palatine for a fourth term. He held that dignity until June 1275, when the Kőszegis, despite of the late Henry Kőszegi's betrayal, was able to retain its influence and the royal court expressed confidence towards them, when Nicholas Kőszegi was elected Palatine, replacing Roland Rátót. Following this Roland served as ispán of Vas County in the summer of 1275. He also functioned as Master of the treasury for Elizabeth of Sicily, Queen of Hungary between 1275 and 1276. Beside that he was also the head of Szana County in Slavonia. In 1277, he served as Judge royal after exactly thirty years of his first term. Roland Rátót died in that year or early 1278. He was mentioned as a deceased person in March 1278.