Árpád dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Árpáds or Arpads was the ruling dynasty
of the federation of the Hungarian (Magyar) tribes
(9th–10th centuries) and of the Kingdom of Hungary
(1000–1301). The dynasty was named after Grand Prince Árpád
who was the head of the tribal federation when the Magyars occupied the Carpathian Basin, circa 895. It is also referred to as Turul
dynasty.
Both the first Grand Prince of the Hungarians
(Álmos
) and the first King of Hungary
(Saint Stephen) were members of the dynasty. Members of the family reigned occasionally in the Principality (later Kingdom) of Halych (1188–1189, 1208–1209, 1214–1219, 1227–1229, 1231–1234) and in the Duchy of Styria
(1254–1260).
Seven members of the dynasty were canonized or beatified by the Roman Catholic Church
; therefore, the dynasty has been often referred as the "Kindred of the Holy Kings" from the 13th century. Two Árpáds were canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church
.
Although the male line of the dynasty came to end in 1301, all of the subsequent kings of Hungary (with the exception of King Matthias I of Hungary) were cognate descendants of the Árpáds dynasty. The Croy
family and the Drummond family of Scotland
claim to descend from illegitimate sons of medieval Hungarian kings.
.svg.png)
According to medieval chronicle
s, the Árpáds' forefather was Ügyek
whose name derrived from the ancient Hungarian word for "holy" (igy). The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum
("The Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians") mentioned that the Árpáds descended from the gens (clan) Turul
. The Gesta Hungarorum
("The Deeds of the Hungarians") also recorded that the Árpáds' totem
istic ancestor was a turul (probably a falcon
). The medieval chronicles also refer to a tradition according to which the Árpáds were the descendants of Attila the Hun
; e.g., the Gesta Hungarorums anonymous author
has Árpád say
The first member of the dynasty mentioned by a nearly contemporary written source was Álmos
. The Byzantine
Emperor Constantine VII
recorded in his work (De Administrando Imperio
) that Álmos was the first Grand Prince of the federation of the seven Magyar tribes (megas Turkias arkhon). Álmos probably accepted the supremacy of the Khagan
of the Khazars
in the beginning of his rule, but by 862, the Magyar tribal federation seceded from the Khazar khaganate. Álmos was either the spiritual leader of the tribal federation (kende) or its military commander (gyula).
Around 895, the women and cattle of the Magyar warriors battling in the west were attacked by the Pechenegs forcing them to leave their territories east of the Carpathian Mountains
and they moved into the Carpathian Basin. Álmos' death was probably ritual sacrifice practiced attested for steppe peoples when the spiritual ruler lost his charisma, and he was followed by his son, Árpád
.
The Magyar tribes occupied the whole territory of Carpathian Basin gradually between 895 and 907. Between 899 and 970, the Magyars frequently conducted raids into the territories of present-day Italy
, Germany, France and Spain
and to the lands of the Byzantine Empire
. Such activities continued westwards until the Battle of Lechfeld
(955), when Otto, King of the Germans
destroyed their troops; their raids against the Byzantine Empire only ended in 970.
From 917
, the Magyars made raids into several territories at the same time which may have led to the decay of the unity of their tribal federation. The sources prove the existence of at least three and possibly five groups of tribes within the tribal federation, and only one of them was lead directly by the Árpáds.
The list of the Grand Princes of the Magyars in the first half of the 9th century is incomplete which may also prove the lack of central government within their tribal federation. The medieval chronicles mention that Grand Prince Árpád was followed by his son, Zoltán
, but contemporary sources only refer to Grand Prince Fajsz
(around 950). After the defeat at the Battle of Lechfeld
, Grand Prince Taksony
(in or after 955 – before 972) adopted the policy of isolation from the Western countries – in contrast to his son, Grand Prince Géza
(before 972–997) who may have sent envoys to Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
in 973.
Géza was baptised in 972
, and although he never became a convinced Christian
, the new faith started to spread among the Hungarians during his reign. He managed to expand his rule over the territories west of the Danube
and the Garam
(today Hron in Slovakia), but significant parts of the Carpathian Basin still remained under the rule of local tribal leaders.
Géza was followed by his son, Stephen (originally called Vajk), who had been a convinced follower of Christianity
. Stephen had to face the rebellion of his relative, Koppány
who claimed Géza's inheritance based on the Magyar tradition of agnatic seniority
. He was able to defeat Koppány with the assistance of the German retinue of his wife, Giselle of Bavaria
.
The Grand Prince Stephen was crowned on December 25, 1000 or January 1, 1001), becoming the first King of Hungary
(1000–1038) and founder of the state. He unified the Carpathian Basin under his rule by 1030, subjugating the territories of the Black Magyars
and the domains that had been ruled by (semi-)independent local chieftains (e.g., by the Gyula Prokuj, Ajtony
). He introduced the administrative system of the kingdom, based on counties
(comitatus), and founded an ecclesiastic organization with two archbishoprics and several bishoprics. Following the death of his son, Emeric
(September 2, 1031), King Stephen I assigned his sister's son, the Venetian Peter Orseolo as his heir which resulted in a conspiracy led by his cousin, Vazul
, who had been living imprisoned in Nyitra
(today Nitra in Slovakia). Vazul was blinded on King Stephen's order and his three sons (Levente
, Andrew and Béla) were exiled.
When King Stephen I died on August 15, 1038 Peter Orseolo ascended the throne, but he had to struggle with King Stephen's brother-in-law, Samuel Aba
(1041–1044). King Peter's rule ended in 1046 when an extensive revolt of the pagan Hungarians broke out and he was captured by them.
With the assistance of the pagans, Duke Vazul's son, Andrew, who had been living in exile in the Kievan Rus'
and had been baptized there, seized power and was crowned; thus a member of a collateral branch of the dynasty seized the crown. King Andrew I (1046–1060) managed to pacify the pagan rebels and restore the position of Christianity in the kingdom. In 1048, King Andrew invited his younger brother, Béla to the kingdom and conceded one-third of the counties
of the kingdom (Tercia pars regni) in appanage
to him. This dynastic division of the kingdom, mentioned as the first one in the Chronicon Pictum
(prima regni huius divisio), was followed by several similar divisions during the 11–13th centuries, when parts of the kingdom were governed by members of the Árpád dynasty. In the 11th century, the counties entrusted to the members of the ruling dynasty did not form a separate province within the kingdom, but they were organized around two or three centers. The dukes governing the Tercia pars regni accepted the supremacy of the kings of Hungary, but some of them (Béla, Géza
and Álmos
) rebelled against the king in order to acquire the crown and allied themselves with the rulers of the neighboring countries.
King Andrew I was the first king who had his son, Solomon
crowned during his life in order to ensure his son's succession (1057). However, the principle of agnatic primogeniture was not able to overcome the tradition of seniority, and following King Andrew I, his brother, King Béla I (1060–1063) acquired the throne despite the claims of the young Solomon. From 1063 until 1080 there were frequent conflicts between King Solomon (1057–1080) and his cousins, Géza
, Ladislaus and Lampert
who governed the Tercia pars regni. Duke Géza rebelled against his cousin in 1074 and was proclaimed king by his partisans in accordance with the principle of seniority. When King Géza I died (April 25, 1077) his partisans, disregarding his young sons, proclaimed his brother Ladislaus king.
King Ladislaus I (1077–1095) managed to persuade King Solomon, who had been ruling in some western counties, to abdicate the throne. During his reign, the Kingdom of Hungary strengthened and he could also expand his rule over neighboring Croatia (1091), which became a province of Hungary. He entrusted the government of the newly occupied province to his younger nephew, Álmos
.
On 20 August 1083, two members of the dynasty, King Stephen I and his son, Duke Emeric were canonized in Székesfehérvár
upon the initiative of King Ladislaus I. His daughter Eirene
, the wife of the Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos
, is venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church
.
When King Ladislaus I died, his elder nephew Coloman was proclaimed king (1095–1116), but he had to concede the Tercia pars regni in appanage to his brother Álmos. King Coloman defeated an uprising led by Petar Svačić
in 1097.
in adultery; she was divorced and sent back to Kiev around 1114. Eufemia bore a son, named Boris
in Kiev, but King Coloman refused to accept him as his son. Around 1115, the king had Duke Álmos and his son, King Béla
blinded in order to ensure the succession of his own son, King Stephen II
(1116–1131).
King Stephen II did not father any sons and his sister's son Saul was proclaimed heir to his throne instead of the blind Duke Béla. When King Stephen II died on March 1, 1131 his blind cousin managed nevertheless to acquire the throne. King Béla II (1131–1141) strengthened his rule by defeating King Coloman's alleged son, Boris, who endeavoured to deprive him of the throne with foreign military assistance. King Béla II occupied some territories in Bosnia
and he conceded the new territory in appanage to his younger son, Ladislaus
. Henceforward, members of the Árpád dynasty governed southern or eastern provinces (i.e., Slavonia, Croatia and Transylvania
) of the kingdom instead of the Tercia pars regni.
During the reign of King Géza II
(1141–1162), the Bishop Otto of Freising
recorded that all the Hungarians "are so obedient to the monarch that not only irritating him by open opposition but even offending him by concealed whispers would be considered for felony by them". His son, King Stephen III
(1162–1172) had to struggle for his throne against his uncles, Kings Ladislaus II
(1162–1163) and Stephen IV
(1163–1165), who rebelled against him with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire
. During his reign, the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
occupied the southern provinces of the kingdom on the pretext that the king's brother, Béla
(the Despotes Alexius) lived in his court. As the fiancé of the Emperor's only daughter, "Despotes Alexius" was the heir presumptive
to the Emperor for a short period (1165–1169).
Following the death of King Stephen III, King Béla III
(1173–1196) ascended the throne but he had imprisoned his brother, Géza in order to secure his rule. King Béla III, who had been educated in the Byzantine Empire, was the first king who used the "double cross"
as the symbol of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1188, Béla occupied Halych
, whose prince had been dethroned by his boyar
s, and granted the principality to his second son Andrew
, but his rule became unpopular and the Hungarian troops were expelled from Halych in 1189.
On June 27, 1192, the third member of the dynasty, King Ladislaus I was canonized in Várad
(today Oradea in Romania).
King Béla III bequeathed his kingdom intact to his elder son King Emeric
(1196–1204), but the new king had to concede Croatia and Dalmatia in appanage to his brother Andrew
who had rebelled against him.
, from the house of Barcelona, and he may have followed Barcelonese (Catalan) patterns when he chose his coat-of-arms that would become the Árpáds' familiar badget (an escutcheon barry of eight Gules
and Argent
). His son and successor, King Ladislaus III
(1204–1205) died in childhood and was followed by his uncle, King Andrew II
(1205–1235).
His reign was characterized by permanent internal conflicts: a group of conspirators murdered his queen, Gertrude of Merania
(1213); discontent noblemen obliged him to issue the Golden Bull of 1222
establishing their rights (including the right to disobey the king); and he quarrelled with his eldest son, Béla
who endeavoured to take back the royal domains his father had granted to his followers. King Andrew II, who had been Prince of Halych (1188–1189), intervened regularly in the internal struggles of the principality and made several efforts to ensure the rule of his younger sons (Coloman
or Andrew) in the neighboring country. One of his daughters, Elisabeth
was canonized during his lifetime (July 1, 1235) and thus became the fourth saint of the Árpáds. King Andrew's elders sons disowned his posthumous son, Stephen who would be educated in Ferrara
.
King Béla IV
(1235–1270) restored the royal power, but his kingdom became devastated during the Mongol invasion
(1241–1242). Following the withdrawal of the Mongol troops, several fortresses were built or enstrengthened on his order. He also granted town privileges
to several settlements in his kingdom, e.g., Buda
, Nagyszombat
(today Trnava in Slovakia), Selmecbánya
(now Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia) and Pest received their privileges from him. King Béla IV managed to occupy the Duchy of Styria
for a short period (1254–1260), but later he had to abandon it in favour of King Ottokar II of Bohemia
. During his last years, he was struggling with his son, Stephen
who was crowned during his lifetime and obliged his father to concede the eastern parts of the kingdom to him. Two of his daughters, Margaret
and Kinga
were canonized (in 1943 and 1999 respectively) and a third daughter of his, Jolenta
was beatified (in 1827). His fourth daughter, Constance
was also venerated in Lviv
.
When King Stephen V
(1270–1272) ascended the throne, many of his father's followers left for Bohemia
. They returned during the reign of his son, King Ladislaus IV the Cuman (1272–1290) whose reign was characterized by internal conflicts among the members of different aristocratic groups. King Ladislaus IV, whose mother was of Cuman origin, preferred the companion of the nomadic and semi-pagan Cumans; therefore, he was excommunicated several times, but he was murdered by Cuman assassins. The disintegration of the kingdom started during his reign when several aristocrats endeavoured to acquire possessions on the account of the royal domains.
When King Ladislaus IV died, most of his contemporaries thought that the dynasty of the Árpáds came to end, because the only patrilineal descendant of the family, Andrew was the son of Duke Stephen, the posthumous son of King Andrew II who had been disowned by his brothers. Nevertheless, Duke Andrew "the Venetian" was crowned with the Holy Crown of Hungary and most of the barons accepted his rule. During his reign, King Andrew III (1290–1301) had to struggle with the powerful barons (e.g., with members of the Csák
and Kőszegi families). The male line of the Árpáds ended with his death (January 14, 1301); one of his contemporaries mentioned him as "the last golden twig". His daughter, Elisabeth, the last member of the family, died on May 6, 1338; she is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church.
Following the death of King Andrew III, several claimants started to struggle for the throne; finally, King Charles I
(the cognatic great-grandson of King Stephen V) managed to strengthen his position around 1310. Henceforward, all the kings of Hungary (with the exception of King Matthias Corvinus) were cognate descendants of the Árpáds but not Árpáds themselves. Although the agnatic Árpáds have died out, their matrilineal and relational descendants live everywhere in the aristocratic
families of Europe.
?–c.895
│
(ii) Árpád
c.895–907
┌────────────┴──────────┐
Jutas (iii) Solt
│ 907–?
│ │
(iv) Fajsz
(v) Taksony
948, short time 948–972
│
┌───────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┐
(vi) Géza
972–997 Mihály
│ │
┌──────────────┴───────┬─────────────┐ │
St. Stephen I Maria Gizella ∞ Sámuel Aba Vazul
(vii) 997–1000 ∞ (3) 1041–1044 │
(1) 1000–1038 Ottone Orseolo │
│ │ ┌──────────────────────────┤
Prince St. Imre Péter Orseolo (5) Andrew I (6) Béla I
(2) 1038–1041 1046–1060 1060–1063
(4) 1044–1046 │ │
│ ┌────────┴──────┐
(7) Solomon
(8) Géza I (9) Ladislaus I
1063–1074 1074–1077 1077–1095
│
┌──────────────────────────┤
(10) Coloman
Prince Álmos
1095–1116 │
│ │
(11) Stephen II
(12) Béla II
1116–1131 1131–1141
│
┌─────────────────────┬────────────────────┤
(13) Géza II (15) Ladislaus II
(16) Stephen IV
1141–1162 1162–1163 1163–1164
│ rival king rival king
┌───────────┴──────────┐
(14) Stephen III
(17) Béla III
1162–1172 1172–1196
│
┌───────────┴──────────┐
(18) Emeric
(20) Andrew II
1196–1204 1205–1235
│ │
│ ┌─┴──────────────────────┐
(19) Ladislaus III
(21) Béla IV Pr. István
1204–1205 1235–1270 │
│ │
│ │
(22) Stephen V
(24) Andrew III
1270–1272 1290–1301
│
│
(23) Ladislaus IV
1272–1290
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
of the federation of the Hungarian (Magyar) tribes
Magyar tribes
The Magyar tribes were the fundamental political units whose framework the Hungarians lived within, until these clans from Asia, more accurately from the region of Ural Mountains, invaded the Carpathian Basin and established the Principality of Hungary.The locality in which the Hungarians, the...
(9th–10th centuries) and of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
(1000–1301). The dynasty was named after Grand Prince Árpád
Árpád
Árpád was the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians . Under his rule the Hungarian people settled in the Carpathian basin. The dynasty descending from him ruled the Hungarian tribes and later the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301...
who was the head of the tribal federation when the Magyars occupied the Carpathian Basin, circa 895. It is also referred to as Turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
dynasty.
Both the first Grand Prince of the Hungarians
Grand Prince of the Hungarians
Grand Prince was the title used by contemporary sources to name the leader of the federation of the Hungarian tribes in the tenth century.-The title:...
(Álmos
High Prince Álmos
Álmos , the first Grand Prince of the Magyars . The Gesta Hungarorum records that his father was Ügyek, while the Chronicon Pictum mentions his father as Előd ; his mother was Emese.-Birth:The medieval chronicle recounts the story of his...
) and the first King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
(Saint Stephen) were members of the dynasty. Members of the family reigned occasionally in the Principality (later Kingdom) of Halych (1188–1189, 1208–1209, 1214–1219, 1227–1229, 1231–1234) and in the Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
(1254–1260).
Seven members of the dynasty were canonized or beatified by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
; therefore, the dynasty has been often referred as the "Kindred of the Holy Kings" from the 13th century. Two Árpáds were canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
Although the male line of the dynasty came to end in 1301, all of the subsequent kings of Hungary (with the exception of King Matthias I of Hungary) were cognate descendants of the Árpáds dynasty. The Croy
House of Croÿ
The House of Croÿ is an international family of European mediatized nobility which held a seat in the Imperial Diet from 1486, and was elevated to the rank of Imperial Princes in 1594...
family and the Drummond family of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
claim to descend from illegitimate sons of medieval Hungarian kings.
9th–10th centuries
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s, the Árpáds' forefather was Ügyek
Ügyek
Ügyek , also known as Ugek, was the legendary father of Álmos, the first High Prince of the Magyars...
whose name derrived from the ancient Hungarian word for "holy" (igy). The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum
Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum
The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum , written mainly by Simon of Kéza around 1282-1285, is one of the sources of early Hungarian history...
("The Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians") mentioned that the Árpáds descended from the gens (clan) Turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
. The Gesta Hungarorum
Gesta Hungarorum
Gesta Hungarorum is a record of early Hungarian history by an unknown author who describes himself as Anonymi Bele Regis Notarii , but is generally cited as Anonymus...
("The Deeds of the Hungarians") also recorded that the Árpáds' totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
istic ancestor was a turul (probably a falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
). The medieval chronicles also refer to a tradition according to which the Árpáds were the descendants of Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
; e.g., the Gesta Hungarorums anonymous author
Anonymus (chronicler)
Bele Regis Notarius , most often referred to as Anonymus was the notary and chronicler of a Hungarian King, probably Béla III. Little is known about him, but his latinized name began with P, as he referred to himself as "P...
has Árpád say
The first member of the dynasty mentioned by a nearly contemporary written source was Álmos
High Prince Álmos
Álmos , the first Grand Prince of the Magyars . The Gesta Hungarorum records that his father was Ügyek, while the Chronicon Pictum mentions his father as Előd ; his mother was Emese.-Birth:The medieval chronicle recounts the story of his...
. The Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Emperor Constantine VII
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
recorded in his work (De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio is the Latin title of a Greek work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is...
) that Álmos was the first Grand Prince of the federation of the seven Magyar tribes (megas Turkias arkhon). Álmos probably accepted the supremacy of the Khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
of the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
in the beginning of his rule, but by 862, the Magyar tribal federation seceded from the Khazar khaganate. Álmos was either the spiritual leader of the tribal federation (kende) or its military commander (gyula).
Around 895, the women and cattle of the Magyar warriors battling in the west were attacked by the Pechenegs forcing them to leave their territories east of the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
and they moved into the Carpathian Basin. Álmos' death was probably ritual sacrifice practiced attested for steppe peoples when the spiritual ruler lost his charisma, and he was followed by his son, Árpád
Árpád
Árpád was the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians . Under his rule the Hungarian people settled in the Carpathian basin. The dynasty descending from him ruled the Hungarian tribes and later the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301...
.
The Magyar tribes occupied the whole territory of Carpathian Basin gradually between 895 and 907. Between 899 and 970, the Magyars frequently conducted raids into the territories of present-day Italy
Italy in the Middle Ages
This is the history of Italy during the Middle Ages.- Transition from Late Antiquity :Italy was invaded by the Visigoths in the 5th century, and Rome was sacked by Alaric in 410. The last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, was deposed in 476 by an Eastern Germanic general, Odoacer...
, Germany, France and Spain
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
and to the lands of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. Such activities continued westwards until the Battle of Lechfeld
Battle of Lechfeld
The Battle of Lechfeld , often seen as the defining event for holding off the incursions of the Hungarians into Western Europe, was a decisive victory by Otto I the Great, King of the Germans, over the Hungarian leaders, the harka Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél and Súr...
(955), when Otto, King of the Germans
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
destroyed their troops; their raids against the Byzantine Empire only ended in 970.
From 917
917
Year 917 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Great Yue Kingdom, later renamed Southern Han, is founded by Liu Yan in Guangdong and Guangxi.- Europe :...
, the Magyars made raids into several territories at the same time which may have led to the decay of the unity of their tribal federation. The sources prove the existence of at least three and possibly five groups of tribes within the tribal federation, and only one of them was lead directly by the Árpáds.
The list of the Grand Princes of the Magyars in the first half of the 9th century is incomplete which may also prove the lack of central government within their tribal federation. The medieval chronicles mention that Grand Prince Árpád was followed by his son, Zoltán
Zoltán of Hungary
Zoltán , also known as Zaltas and Solt, according to the mediaeval chronicles, was the third Grand Prince of the Magyars from 907 to 947.He was the youngest son of Árpád...
, but contemporary sources only refer to Grand Prince Fajsz
Fajsz
Fajsz , also known as Fali or Falicsi, Grand Prince of the Magyars .Fajsz was the son of Jutas, the third son of Árpád, and ruled over the Magyar tribes at the time of the Byzantine Emperor Kōnstantinos Porhyrogennētos....
(around 950). After the defeat at the Battle of Lechfeld
Battle of Lechfeld
The Battle of Lechfeld , often seen as the defining event for holding off the incursions of the Hungarians into Western Europe, was a decisive victory by Otto I the Great, King of the Germans, over the Hungarian leaders, the harka Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél and Súr...
, Grand Prince Taksony
Taksony of Hungary
Taksony , Grand Prince of the Hungarians .Taksony was the son of Zoltán , the fourth son of Árpád, the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians...
(in or after 955 – before 972) adopted the policy of isolation from the Western countries – in contrast to his son, Grand Prince Géza
Géza of Hungary
Géza , Grand Prince of the Hungarians .Géza was the son of Taksony of Hungary, Grand Prince of the Hungarians and his Pecheneg or Bulgar wife. Géza's marriage with Sarolt, the daughter of Gyula of Transylvania, was arranged by his father.After his father's death , Géza followed him as Grand Prince...
(before 972–997) who may have sent envoys to Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
in 973.
Géza was baptised in 972
972
Year 972 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Satu Mare, Romania is founded.* Otto II marries Theophanu, Byzantine princess....
, and although he never became a convinced Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, the new faith started to spread among the Hungarians during his reign. He managed to expand his rule over the territories west of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Garam
Hron
Hron is a 298 km long left tributary of the Danube and the second longest river in Slovakia. It flows from its source located in the Low Tatra mountains through central and southern Slovakia, pouring into the Danube near Štúrovo and Esztergom...
(today Hron in Slovakia), but significant parts of the Carpathian Basin still remained under the rule of local tribal leaders.
Géza was followed by his son, Stephen (originally called Vajk), who had been a convinced follower of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Stephen had to face the rebellion of his relative, Koppány
Koppány
Koppány was a Hungarian nobleman of the tenth century. Brother of the ruling prince of Hungary, Géza of the Árpád dynasty, Koppány ruled as Prince of Somogy in the region south of Lake Balaton...
who claimed Géza's inheritance based on the Magyar tradition of agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority
Agnatic seniority is a patrilineal principle of inheritance where the order of succession to the throne prefers the monarch's younger brother over the monarch's own sons. A monarch's children succeed only after the males of the elder generation have all been exhausted...
. He was able to defeat Koppány with the assistance of the German retinue of his wife, Giselle of Bavaria
Giselle of Bavaria
Blessed Gisela of Hungary was the first queen of Hungary.- Biography :Gisela was a daughter of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria and Gisela of Burgundy....
.
11th century
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
(1000–1038) and founder of the state. He unified the Carpathian Basin under his rule by 1030, subjugating the territories of the Black Magyars
Black Magyars
Black Magyars were a independent group of the Magyars before and after the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9th century...
and the domains that had been ruled by (semi-)independent local chieftains (e.g., by the Gyula Prokuj, Ajtony
Ahtum
Ahtum, also Achtum or Ajtony , was a local ruler in the region of Banat in the first decades of the 11th century. King Saint Stephen I of Hungary sent Csanád - one of Ahtum’s former retainers - to fight against him...
). He introduced the administrative system of the kingdom, based on counties
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
(comitatus), and founded an ecclesiastic organization with two archbishoprics and several bishoprics. Following the death of his son, Emeric
Saint Emeric of Hungary
Prince St. Imre, also Henricus, Emeric, Emerick, Emmerich, Emericus or Americus was the son of King St. Stephen I of Hungary and Giselle of Bavaria. He is assumed to be the second son of Stephen, he was named after his uncle, St...
(September 2, 1031), King Stephen I assigned his sister's son, the Venetian Peter Orseolo as his heir which resulted in a conspiracy led by his cousin, Vazul
Vazul
Vazul was a Hungarian noble of the Árpád family, Duke between March and Gran or Prince of Nitra, with realm between Morava and Esztergom ....
, who had been living imprisoned in Nyitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
(today Nitra in Slovakia). Vazul was blinded on King Stephen's order and his three sons (Levente
Levente
Levente , eldest son of Vazul, a ruler in Hungary's Árpád dynasty and the last member of this family never to become a Christian....
, Andrew and Béla) were exiled.
When King Stephen I died on August 15, 1038 Peter Orseolo ascended the throne, but he had to struggle with King Stephen's brother-in-law, Samuel Aba
Samuel Aba of Hungary
Samuel Aba , King of Hungary , Palatine of Hungary .-King of Hungary:Samuel was from Northern Hungary, Castle Gonce / Castle Abaújvár, County of Aba...
(1041–1044). King Peter's rule ended in 1046 when an extensive revolt of the pagan Hungarians broke out and he was captured by them.
With the assistance of the pagans, Duke Vazul's son, Andrew, who had been living in exile in the Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
and had been baptized there, seized power and was crowned; thus a member of a collateral branch of the dynasty seized the crown. King Andrew I (1046–1060) managed to pacify the pagan rebels and restore the position of Christianity in the kingdom. In 1048, King Andrew invited his younger brother, Béla to the kingdom and conceded one-third of the counties
Tercia pars regni
The Tercia pars regni or Ducatus is the denomination for territories occasionally governed separately by members of the Árpád dynasty within the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th-12th centuries...
of the kingdom (Tercia pars regni) in appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
to him. This dynastic division of the kingdom, mentioned as the first one in the Chronicon Pictum
Chronicon Pictum
The Chronicon Pictum Pictum, Chronica Picta or Chronica de Gestis Hungarorum) is a medieval illustrated chronicle from the Kingdom of Hungary from the fourteenth century...
(prima regni huius divisio), was followed by several similar divisions during the 11–13th centuries, when parts of the kingdom were governed by members of the Árpád dynasty. In the 11th century, the counties entrusted to the members of the ruling dynasty did not form a separate province within the kingdom, but they were organized around two or three centers. The dukes governing the Tercia pars regni accepted the supremacy of the kings of Hungary, but some of them (Béla, Géza
Géza I of Hungary
Géza I was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. During King Solomon's rule he governed, as Duke, one third of the Kingdom of Hungary. Afterwards, Géza rebelled against his cousin's reign and his followers proclaimed him king...
and Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
) rebelled against the king in order to acquire the crown and allied themselves with the rulers of the neighboring countries.
King Andrew I was the first king who had his son, Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
crowned during his life in order to ensure his son's succession (1057). However, the principle of agnatic primogeniture was not able to overcome the tradition of seniority, and following King Andrew I, his brother, King Béla I (1060–1063) acquired the throne despite the claims of the young Solomon. From 1063 until 1080 there were frequent conflicts between King Solomon (1057–1080) and his cousins, Géza
Géza I of Hungary
Géza I was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. During King Solomon's rule he governed, as Duke, one third of the Kingdom of Hungary. Afterwards, Géza rebelled against his cousin's reign and his followers proclaimed him king...
, Ladislaus and Lampert
Lampert of Hungary
Lampert was a member of the Árpád dynasty; Duke of one-third of the Kingdom of Hungary .Lampert was the third son of the future King Béla I of Hungary and his Polish wife...
who governed the Tercia pars regni. Duke Géza rebelled against his cousin in 1074 and was proclaimed king by his partisans in accordance with the principle of seniority. When King Géza I died (April 25, 1077) his partisans, disregarding his young sons, proclaimed his brother Ladislaus king.
King Ladislaus I (1077–1095) managed to persuade King Solomon, who had been ruling in some western counties, to abdicate the throne. During his reign, the Kingdom of Hungary strengthened and he could also expand his rule over neighboring Croatia (1091), which became a province of Hungary. He entrusted the government of the newly occupied province to his younger nephew, Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
.
On 20 August 1083, two members of the dynasty, King Stephen I and his son, Duke Emeric were canonized in Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
upon the initiative of King Ladislaus I. His daughter Eirene
Piroska of Hungary
Saint Irene of Hungary, born Piroska, was a daughter of Ladislaus I of Hungary and Adelaide of Swabia. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf of Rheinfeld and his second wife Adelheid of Savoy. Adelheid was a daughter of Otto of Savoy and Adelaide of Turin. She was the mother of the future emperor...
, the wife of the Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs , he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina...
, is venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
When King Ladislaus I died, his elder nephew Coloman was proclaimed king (1095–1116), but he had to concede the Tercia pars regni in appanage to his brother Álmos. King Coloman defeated an uprising led by Petar Svačić
Petar Svacic
Petar Svačić was the last king of Croatia. It is assumed that he began as a ban serving under king Demetrius Zvonimir of Croatia and was then elected king by the Croatian feudal lords in 1093. Petar's seat of power was based in Knin. His rule was marked by a struggle for control of the country...
in 1097.
12th century
King Coloman deprived his brother, Álmos of his duchy (the Tercia pars regni) in 1107. He caught his second wife, Eufemia of KievEufemia of Kiev
Euphemia of Kiev was Queen Consort of Hungary. Euphemia was the daughter of Grand Prince Vladimir II of Kiev and his second wife whose name and ancestry are unknown. She was married to King Coloman of Hungary around 1112. However, her husband, who had been suffering from a serious disease, caught...
in adultery; she was divorced and sent back to Kiev around 1114. Eufemia bore a son, named Boris
Boris Kalamanos
Boris Kalamanos was a pretender who claimed the Hungarian throne. He desperately tried to assert his claims with the assistance of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, but he failed and died in exile.-His descent:...
in Kiev, but King Coloman refused to accept him as his son. Around 1115, the king had Duke Álmos and his son, King Béla
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
blinded in order to ensure the succession of his own son, King Stephen II
Stephen II of Hungary
Stephen II , King of Hungary and Croatia, ruled from 1116 until 1131. He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime who wanted to ensure Stephen's succession against his brother, Duke Álmos. Stephen's reign was characterized by frequent struggles with neighbouring countries...
(1116–1131).
King Stephen II did not father any sons and his sister's son Saul was proclaimed heir to his throne instead of the blind Duke Béla. When King Stephen II died on March 1, 1131 his blind cousin managed nevertheless to acquire the throne. King Béla II (1131–1141) strengthened his rule by defeating King Coloman's alleged son, Boris, who endeavoured to deprive him of the throne with foreign military assistance. King Béla II occupied some territories in Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and he conceded the new territory in appanage to his younger son, Ladislaus
Ladislaus II of Hungary
Ladislaus II , King of Hungary. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire against his nephew, King Stephen III after his brother's death...
. Henceforward, members of the Árpád dynasty governed southern or eastern provinces (i.e., Slavonia, Croatia and Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
) of the kingdom instead of the Tercia pars regni.
Géza II of Hungary
Géza II , , King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama . He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle...
(1141–1162), the Bishop Otto of Freising
Otto of Freising
Otto von Freising was a German bishop and chronicler.-Life:He was the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria, by his wife Agnes, daughter of the emperor Henry IV...
recorded that all the Hungarians "are so obedient to the monarch that not only irritating him by open opposition but even offending him by concealed whispers would be considered for felony by them". His son, King Stephen III
Stephen III of Hungary
Stephen III , King of Hungary King of Croatia and Dalmatia . He ascended the throne as a child and he had to stand up against his uncles who usurped the crown supported by the Byzantine Empire...
(1162–1172) had to struggle for his throne against his uncles, Kings Ladislaus II
Ladislaus II of Hungary
Ladislaus II , King of Hungary. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire against his nephew, King Stephen III after his brother's death...
(1162–1163) and Stephen IV
Stephen IV of Hungary
Stephen IV , King of Hungary . In his youth, he rebelled against his brother, King Géza II of Hungary and had to flee to the Court of the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos...
(1163–1165), who rebelled against him with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. During his reign, the Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
occupied the southern provinces of the kingdom on the pretext that the king's brother, Béla
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
(the Despotes Alexius) lived in his court. As the fiancé of the Emperor's only daughter, "Despotes Alexius" was the heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the Emperor for a short period (1165–1169).
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was educated in the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I who was planning to ensure his succession in the Byzantine Empire till the birth of his own son...
(1173–1196) ascended the throne but he had imprisoned his brother, Géza in order to secure his rule. King Béla III, who had been educated in the Byzantine Empire, was the first king who used the "double cross"
Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...
as the symbol of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1188, Béla occupied Halych
Halych
Halych is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The town gave its name to the historic province and kingdom of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, of which it was the capital until the early 14th century, when the seat of the local princes was moved to Lviv...
, whose prince had been dethroned by his boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s, and granted the principality to his second son Andrew
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
, but his rule became unpopular and the Hungarian troops were expelled from Halych in 1189.
On June 27, 1192, the third member of the dynasty, King Ladislaus I was canonized in Várad
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
(today Oradea in Romania).
King Béla III bequeathed his kingdom intact to his elder son King Emeric
Emeric of Hungary
Emeric I , , King of Hungary and Croatia . He was crowned during his father's lifetime, but after his father's death he had to fight against his brother, Andrew, who forced Emeric to assign the government of Croatia and Dalmatia to him...
(1196–1204), but the new king had to concede Croatia and Dalmatia in appanage to his brother Andrew
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
who had rebelled against him.
13th century
King Emeric married Constance of AragonConstance of Aragon
Constance of Aragon was an Aragonese infanta who was by marriage firstly Queen consort of Hungary, and secondly Queen consort of Germany and Sicily and Holy Roman Empress...
, from the house of Barcelona, and he may have followed Barcelonese (Catalan) patterns when he chose his coat-of-arms that would become the Árpáds' familiar badget (an escutcheon barry of eight Gules
Gules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
and Argent
Argent
In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
). His son and successor, King Ladislaus III
Ladislaus III of Hungary
Ladislaus III was King of Hungary. and Croatia .He was the only son of King Emeric, King of Hungary and his queen, Infanta Constance of Aragon....
(1204–1205) died in childhood and was followed by his uncle, King Andrew II
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
(1205–1235).
His reign was characterized by permanent internal conflicts: a group of conspirators murdered his queen, Gertrude of Merania
Gertrude of Merania
Gertrude of Merania was the first wife of King Andrew II of Hungary and thereby Queen consort of Hungary from 1205 until her assassination.-Family:...
(1213); discontent noblemen obliged him to issue the Golden Bull of 1222
Golden Bull of 1222
The Golden Bull of 1222 was a golden bull, or edict, issued by King Andrew II of Hungary. The law established the rights of the Hungarian nobility, including the right to disobey the King when he acted contrary to law . The nobles and the church were freed from all taxes and could not be forced to...
establishing their rights (including the right to disobey the king); and he quarrelled with his eldest son, Béla
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
who endeavoured to take back the royal domains his father had granted to his followers. King Andrew II, who had been Prince of Halych (1188–1189), intervened regularly in the internal struggles of the principality and made several efforts to ensure the rule of his younger sons (Coloman
Coloman of Lodomeria
Coloman of Galicia-Lodomeria was a member of the Árpád dynasty. He was Prince of Halych and he became the first anointed and crowned King of Galicia-Lodomeria , followed by prince Andrew of Hungary...
or Andrew) in the neighboring country. One of his daughters, Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary, T.O.S.F., was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary, Countess of Thuringia, Germany and a greatly-venerated Catholic saint. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. She then became one of the first members of the newly-founded Third Order of St. Francis,...
was canonized during his lifetime (July 1, 1235) and thus became the fourth saint of the Árpáds. King Andrew's elders sons disowned his posthumous son, Stephen who would be educated in Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
.
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
(1235–1270) restored the royal power, but his kingdom became devastated during the Mongol invasion
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
(1241–1242). Following the withdrawal of the Mongol troops, several fortresses were built or enstrengthened on his order. He also granted town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
to several settlements in his kingdom, e.g., Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
, Nagyszombat
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
(today Trnava in Slovakia), Selmecbánya
Banská Štiavnica
Banská Štiavnica is a town in central Slovakia, in the middle of an immense caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. For its size, the caldera is known as Štiavnica Mountains. Banská Štiavnica has a population of more than 10,000. It is a completely preserved medieval town...
(now Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia) and Pest received their privileges from him. King Béla IV managed to occupy the Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
for a short period (1254–1260), but later he had to abandon it in favour of King Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
. During his last years, he was struggling with his son, Stephen
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
who was crowned during his lifetime and obliged his father to concede the eastern parts of the kingdom to him. Two of his daughters, Margaret
Saint Margaret of Hungary
Saint Margaret was a nun and the daughter of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina. She was the niece of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and the younger sister of Saint Kinga and Blessed Yolanda.-Early life:...
and Kinga
Kinga of Poland
Saint Kinga of Poland is a saint in the Catholic Church and patroness of Poland and Lithuania....
were canonized (in 1943 and 1999 respectively) and a third daughter of his, Jolenta
Jolenta of Poland
Jolenta of Poland was the daughter of Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. She was the sister of Saint Margaret of Hungary and Saint Kinga...
was beatified (in 1827). His fourth daughter, Constance
Constance of Hungary
Constance of Hungary was the second Queen consort of Ottokar I of Bohemia.-Family:Constance was a daughter of Béla III of Hungary and his first wife Agnes of Antioch. Her older siblings included Emeric, King of Hungary, Margaret of Hungary and Andrew II of Hungary...
was also venerated in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
.
When King Stephen V
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
(1270–1272) ascended the throne, many of his father's followers left for Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. They returned during the reign of his son, King Ladislaus IV the Cuman (1272–1290) whose reign was characterized by internal conflicts among the members of different aristocratic groups. King Ladislaus IV, whose mother was of Cuman origin, preferred the companion of the nomadic and semi-pagan Cumans; therefore, he was excommunicated several times, but he was murdered by Cuman assassins. The disintegration of the kingdom started during his reign when several aristocrats endeavoured to acquire possessions on the account of the royal domains.
When King Ladislaus IV died, most of his contemporaries thought that the dynasty of the Árpáds came to end, because the only patrilineal descendant of the family, Andrew was the son of Duke Stephen, the posthumous son of King Andrew II who had been disowned by his brothers. Nevertheless, Duke Andrew "the Venetian" was crowned with the Holy Crown of Hungary and most of the barons accepted his rule. During his reign, King Andrew III (1290–1301) had to struggle with the powerful barons (e.g., with members of the Csák
Csák (family)
Csák was the name of a gens in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum records that the ancestor of the family was Szabolcs, son of chieftain Előd, the leader of one of the seven Magyar tribes. The family was probably connected to the Árpád dynasty...
and Kőszegi families). The male line of the Árpáds ended with his death (January 14, 1301); one of his contemporaries mentioned him as "the last golden twig". His daughter, Elisabeth, the last member of the family, died on May 6, 1338; she is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church.
Following the death of King Andrew III, several claimants started to struggle for the throne; finally, King Charles I
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
(the cognatic great-grandson of King Stephen V) managed to strengthen his position around 1310. Henceforward, all the kings of Hungary (with the exception of King Matthias Corvinus) were cognate descendants of the Árpáds but not Árpáds themselves. Although the agnatic Árpáds have died out, their matrilineal and relational descendants live everywhere in the aristocratic
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
families of Europe.
Dynasty Tree
(i) ÁlmosHigh Prince Álmos
Álmos , the first Grand Prince of the Magyars . The Gesta Hungarorum records that his father was Ügyek, while the Chronicon Pictum mentions his father as Előd ; his mother was Emese.-Birth:The medieval chronicle recounts the story of his...
?–c.895
│
(ii) Árpád
Árpád
Árpád was the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians . Under his rule the Hungarian people settled in the Carpathian basin. The dynasty descending from him ruled the Hungarian tribes and later the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301...
c.895–907
┌────────────┴──────────┐
Jutas (iii) Solt
Zoltán of Hungary
Zoltán , also known as Zaltas and Solt, according to the mediaeval chronicles, was the third Grand Prince of the Magyars from 907 to 947.He was the youngest son of Árpád...
│ 907–?
│ │
(iv) Fajsz
Fajsz
Fajsz , also known as Fali or Falicsi, Grand Prince of the Magyars .Fajsz was the son of Jutas, the third son of Árpád, and ruled over the Magyar tribes at the time of the Byzantine Emperor Kōnstantinos Porhyrogennētos....
(v) Taksony
Taksony of Hungary
Taksony , Grand Prince of the Hungarians .Taksony was the son of Zoltán , the fourth son of Árpád, the second Grand Prince of the Hungarians...
948, short time 948–972
│
┌───────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┐
(vi) Géza
Géza of Hungary
Géza , Grand Prince of the Hungarians .Géza was the son of Taksony of Hungary, Grand Prince of the Hungarians and his Pecheneg or Bulgar wife. Géza's marriage with Sarolt, the daughter of Gyula of Transylvania, was arranged by his father.After his father's death , Géza followed him as Grand Prince...
972–997 Mihály
│ │
┌──────────────┴───────┬─────────────┐ │
St. Stephen I Maria Gizella ∞ Sámuel Aba Vazul
Vazul
Vazul was a Hungarian noble of the Árpád family, Duke between March and Gran or Prince of Nitra, with realm between Morava and Esztergom ....
(vii) 997–1000 ∞ (3) 1041–1044 │
(1) 1000–1038 Ottone Orseolo │
│ │ ┌──────────────────────────┤
Prince St. Imre Péter Orseolo (5) Andrew I (6) Béla I
(2) 1038–1041 1046–1060 1060–1063
(4) 1044–1046 │ │
│ ┌────────┴──────┐
(7) Solomon
Solomon of Hungary
Solomon , King of Hungary . He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime in order to ensure his succession, but his uncle Béla managed to dethrone his father and ascend to the throne...
(8) Géza I (9) Ladislaus I
1063–1074 1074–1077 1077–1095
│
┌──────────────────────────┤
(10) Coloman
Coloman
Coloman, , , ; )* Coloman I. the Book-lover* Coloman of Galicia-Lodomeria * Saint Coloman of Stockerau * Colomán Trabado Pérez...
Prince Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
1095–1116 │
│ │
(11) Stephen II
Stephen II of Hungary
Stephen II , King of Hungary and Croatia, ruled from 1116 until 1131. He was crowned as a child during his father's lifetime who wanted to ensure Stephen's succession against his brother, Duke Álmos. Stephen's reign was characterized by frequent struggles with neighbouring countries...
(12) Béla II
1116–1131 1131–1141
│
┌─────────────────────┬────────────────────┤
(13) Géza II (15) Ladislaus II
Ladislaus II of Hungary
Ladislaus II , King of Hungary. As a younger son, he was able to ascend to the throne only with the assistance of the Byzantine Empire against his nephew, King Stephen III after his brother's death...
(16) Stephen IV
Stephen IV of Hungary
Stephen IV , King of Hungary . In his youth, he rebelled against his brother, King Géza II of Hungary and had to flee to the Court of the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos...
1141–1162 1162–1163 1163–1164
│ rival king rival king
┌───────────┴──────────┐
(14) Stephen III
Stephen III of Hungary
Stephen III , King of Hungary King of Croatia and Dalmatia . He ascended the throne as a child and he had to stand up against his uncles who usurped the crown supported by the Byzantine Empire...
(17) Béla III
1162–1172 1172–1196
│
┌───────────┴──────────┐
(18) Emeric
Emeric of Hungary
Emeric I , , King of Hungary and Croatia . He was crowned during his father's lifetime, but after his father's death he had to fight against his brother, Andrew, who forced Emeric to assign the government of Croatia and Dalmatia to him...
(20) Andrew II
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
1196–1204 1205–1235
│ │
│ ┌─┴──────────────────────┐
(19) Ladislaus III
Ladislaus III of Hungary
Ladislaus III was King of Hungary. and Croatia .He was the only son of King Emeric, King of Hungary and his queen, Infanta Constance of Aragon....
(21) Béla IV Pr. István
1204–1205 1235–1270 │
│ │
│ │
(22) Stephen V
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
(24) Andrew III
1270–1272 1290–1301
│
│
(23) Ladislaus IV
1272–1290
Saints
The following members of the dynasty were canonized:- Saint Stephen, canonized in 1083 (also by the Eastern Orthodox Church, in 2000)
- Saint Emeric, canonized in 1083
- Saint Ladislaus, canonized in 1192
- Saint Elizabeth, canonized in 1235
- Saint MargaretSaint Margaret of HungarySaint Margaret was a nun and the daughter of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina. She was the niece of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and the younger sister of Saint Kinga and Blessed Yolanda.-Early life:...
, canonized in 1943 - Saint KingaKinga of PolandSaint Kinga of Poland is a saint in the Catholic Church and patroness of Poland and Lithuania....
, canonized in 1999 - Saint EirénePiroska of HungarySaint Irene of Hungary, born Piroska, was a daughter of Ladislaus I of Hungary and Adelaide of Swabia. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf of Rheinfeld and his second wife Adelheid of Savoy. Adelheid was a daughter of Otto of Savoy and Adelaide of Turin. She was the mother of the future emperor...
, canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church - Blessed YolandaJolenta of PolandJolenta of Poland was the daughter of Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. She was the sister of Saint Margaret of Hungary and Saint Kinga...
, canonized in 1631.
See also
- List of Hungarian rulers
- List of Hungarian consorts
- List of rulers of Slovakia
- History of HungaryHistory of HungaryHungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...
- History of CroatiaHistory of CroatiaCroatia first appeared as a duchy in the 7th century and then as a kingdom in the 10th century. From the 12th century it remained a distinct state with its ruler and parliament, but it obeyed the kings and emperors of various neighboring powers, primarily Hungary and Austria. The period from the...
- History of Romania
- History of SlovakiaHistory of SlovakiaThis article discusses the history of the territory of Slovakia.- Palaeolithic :Radiocarbon dating puts the oldest surviving archaeological artifacts from Slovakia - found near Nové Mesto nad Váhom - at 270,000 BCE, in the Early Paleolithic era...
- Árpád stripes (coat of arms and flag of the Árpádians)