TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Campaign · 1541
After Mohács Suleiman had taken Buda and left it to the Hungarian king Szapolyai. According to the TDV article on Buda, when Szapolyai died in 1540 leaving a son not yet a year old, the struggle flared up again; Ferdinand's siege of the city brought the Ottoman forces against Buda. Under the changed circumstances Suleiman abandoned his policy of protection and decided to attach the centre of Hungary permanently. While the infant heir and the leading nobles were his guests in his tent outside the walls, the Janissaries seized the strategic points of the city; a governor-general was appointed and a new province directly under the centre was created (1541). A Habsburg attempt to retake it in 1542 failed.
| Date | August 1541 |
|---|---|
| Location | Buda |
| Result | The province of Buda was created; central Hungary came under direct Ottoman rule |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Habsburg Monarchy |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Suleiman I | Ferdinand |
Took place during the reign of Suleiman I (1520–1566). Suleiman I
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
By the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 3,633,000 km² in 1541; at the start of Suleiman I's reign they measured 3,034,000 km², at its end 5,127,000 km².
During Suleiman I (1520–1566) the atlas records 20 regions gained and 1 region lost.
Regions gained: Belgrade–Šabac (1521), Rhodes and the Dodecanese (1522), Eastern Slavonia and Syrmia (Osijek–Vukovar) (1526), Lika–Krbava (1527), Baghdad–Basra (1534), Požega (central Slavonia) (1537), Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1537), Yemen–Asir (1538), and 12 more.
Regions lost: Kars–Ardahan–Artvin (1565).
With a reign of forty-six years he ruled longer than any other sultan. He brought the state to its military, legal and cultural peak; yet the executions of his sons Mustafa and Bayezid are the gravest instances of violence within the dynasty.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “BUDİN” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Siege of Buda (1541): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/siege-of-buda-1541/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections
Terms on this page: Janissaries