He took possession of the large estates of András Mágóchy's minor sons as their guardian, and the second husband of their mother Judit Alaghy, in 1587.

He continued to provide loans to the royal treasury which enabled him to seize new estates, but these were frequently pillaged both by Tatar marauders or unpaid mercenaries, especially after 1599.

Sigismund tried to mediate a reconciliation, but six months later he joined Bocskai who made him governor of Transylvania with limited authority on 14 August 1606.

Drugeth abandoned his claim to Transylvania, but Gabriel Báthory (who was related to former princes) secured the support of the Hajdús (irregular soldiers) against Sigismund for himself.

[5] In the charter, János Rákóczi made a complaint against Gábor Perényi, the lord of Sárospatak, who had captured one of the Rákóczis' villages, Selyeb.

[6] Sigismund attended school at his father's insistence, according to the address that István Miskolczi Csulyak gave at his funeral.

[9] According to a 17th-century family chronicle, Sigismund accompanied Gáspár Bekes to Transylvania and fought by his side in the Battle of Kerelőszentpál in 1575.

[10][12] For instance, after the bey (captain) of Fülek plundered the fair at Szikszó, Sigismund and the deputy-captain of Kassa (now Košice in Slovakia), Bálint Prépostváry, joined forces and defeated the retreating Ottomans at Vadna on 11 November 1577.

[32] After reinforcements from Kassa, Szendrő and Tokaj joined his troops, Sigismund hurried to Szikszó and routed the united army of three beys on 8 October.

[42] In an attempt to seize the guardianship, his stepsons' cousin, Magdolna Káthay, filed a lawsuit against Sigismund stating that he had been negligent, but she lost the case.

[46] After the Ottoman Grand Vizier, Koca Sinan Pasha, invaded Transdanubia, rumours about his plan to transform Upper Hungary into a voivodate (vassal state) were spreading.

[52] He joined Simon Forgách who led a contingent of the royal army against the important Ottoman fortress of Hatvan in early 1594.

[53] Crimean Tatars broke into Upper Hungary to assist the Ottoman forces, plundering the villages near Munkács during their march.

[56] He married Borbála Telegdy in May 1596[57] As guardian of her daughter, Zsuzsa Chapy, he took possession of her estates in Eszeny (now Eseny in Ukraine) and Parnó (now Parchovany in Slovakia).

[63] An attack of gout paralysed him shortly before the Battle of Mezőkeresztes, which ended with the catastrophic defeat of the united armies of Maximilian and Sigismund Báthory, prince of Transylvania on 28 October.

[73] Ruthenian prince Janusz Ostrogski sold the domain of Makovica in Sáros County (at present-day Zborov in Slovakia) to him for 80,000 florins in August 1601.

[75][76] The domain was Sigismund's own property, in contrast with most of his other estates that he held either as a security for the loans he had provided to the royal treasury or as his wards' guardian.

[83] Royal officials obtained three of Sigismund's letters in which he complained about the state of affairs in Hungary, and mentioned his correspondence with Ottoman beys about the redemption of prisoners of wars.

[86] Sigismund did not attend the Diet because he had fallen ill.[83] At his request, the delegates of the Eger Chapter visited him in Makovica and issued a certificate proving that he was unable to move.

[88] The Lutheran and Calvinist noblemen and burghers of Upper Hungary assembled at Gálszécs (now Sečovce in Slovakia) on 8 September, demanding the withdrawal of the decree.

[91] Cooperating with István Csáky, Sigismund tried to mediate a compromise between Bocskai and the monarch, fearing that the Ottomans would take advantage of the civil war in Hungary.

[92] Giorgio Basta was convinced that Sigismund actually wanted to secure the Principality of Transylvania and the rule of Upper Hungary for Bocskai.

[101] Sigismund bought the domains of Szádvár and Sáros' fortresses (now Šariš Castle in Slovakia) from István Csáky's widow, but he could not pay the purchase price.

[107] The Diet of Transylvania stated that Bocskai's death had put an end to Sigismund's appointment, but confirmed his position as governor on 22 January 1607.

[118][119] The Ottoman grand vizier, Kuyucu Murad Pasha, had confirmed Drugeth as Bocskai's successor on 18 January, but his envoy, Mustafa, modified the ahidnâme (diploma) after he learned of Sigismund's election.

[122] The noblemen of Upper Hungary assembled at Rozgony (now Rozhanovce in Slovakia) and urged Sigismund to abdicate in favor of Drugeth on 19 April.

[139] He planned to go to Pressburg to be present at the Diet which had been convoked to elect Matthias II as King of Hungary, but he fell seriously ill.[140] He died in Felsővadász on 5 December 1608.

[143] He was born as a lesser nobleman and died as a magnate, showing that he had been a "man of considerable talent," according to historian Katalin Péter.

[121] His acquisition of dozens of estates made him one of the wealthiest landowners of Royal Hungary, and established the basis of his descendants' power in the 17th century.

[56] Sigismund admitted that he had "loved women so much, that he could not live without them" in a letter addressed to his nephew, Lajos Rákóczi, a few months after Anna's death.