Teleki Mihály, „minden későbbi széki Teleki ősatyja”
Teleki Mihály, “the forefather of all later Teleki of Szék”

Summary/Abstract: The name of the Teleki family and their involvement in public life are undoubtedly well known in Hungarian history. One of the most prominent members of the family was Mihály Teleki, the Transylvanian politician of the late 17th century who established the family’s wealth and prestige, but his activities and reputation were fraught with controversy. Starting his career at the court of György II Rákóczi, Teleki chose to commit himself to the side of Mihály I Apafi, serving several Transylvanian princes due to the turbulent political circumstances. The aim of the study is to give a brief overview of Teleki’s career, who rose steadily through the political ranks and held many national offices, and of his related acquisitions of property and court. In the course of presenting his career, I will also discuss how his contemporaries and historiography evaluated Mihály Teleki’s activities, and I will also explore Telekʼs motivations and thus nuance the ambivalent image of him in historiography.

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