Page 42 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

40  INTRODUCING HUNGAR Y THE HIST OR Y OF HUNGAR Y  41

István was crowned on Christmas Day 1000. and the Mongols routed Béla’s army at Muhi one of his foreign excursions the Turks
István now held absolute power. He ordered on 11 April 1241. Béla fled to Austria. The made their first inroads into the Balkans.
that every tenth village build a church and Mongols utterly destroyed Hungary, killing After Louis’s death in 1382, Sigis mund
donated land to bishoprics and monasteries. half the population. After the mysterious of Lux em burg bankrupted the country,
He required all persons, Christian or pagan – death of their leader in 1242, however, amid the expansion of the Otto man
but not the clergy – to marry. Foreign the superstitious Mongols withdrew. empire. Sigismund led a crusade
monks worked as teachers and introduced against the Turks in 1396, but was
Western agricultural methods. Renaissance routed at Nicopolis. He died in 1437,
On his return to power, Béla and his successors, Albrecht V of
István’s Successors transformed royal castles into Austria (1437–9) and Władysław III
István died in 1038 and was canonized towns, encouraging Germans, of Poland (1439–44), known in
in 1083. Hungary continued to grow Italians and Jews to populate them. Hungary as Ulászló I, both died
Altarpiece with Saints István, Imre and Gellért stronger, having conquered Transylvania Mining restarted, farming methods during campaigns against the Turks.
in 997–1006. In 1090, László I (1077–95) improved, and crafts and commerce Hungary’s noblemen now chose the
The Birth of the Hungarian Kingdom occupied Slavonia and Kálmán I flourished. Béla died in 1270, and the infant king László V and appointed a
Europe in the 10th century was weak and (1095–1116) became King of Croatia in Árpád line expired in 1301, when regent, János Hunyadi, to run the
Magyar bands roamed the land and looted 1103. Under Béla III (1173–96) Hungary András III died with out a male heir. Árpád, sculpture in country. Hunyadi was a gifted
the towns for decades. They were routed dominated in south eastern Europe. Confronted by succession Mátyás Church, warrior, defeating the Ottomans in
Budapest
in the west in 955 by King Otto I, and in The good times came to an end with disputes, Hun gary’s nobles chose Transylvania in 1442 and in the
the east in 970 by the Byzantines. Chieftain King András II (1205–35). A big spender foreign kings. These, Charles I (1309–42) Battle of Belgrade in 1456, but he died of
Géza (972–97), Árpád’s great-grandson, on foreign military adventures and and his son and successor Louis I (1342– the plague soon after, and after two years
was baptized into the Christian Church, domestic luxuries, he gave huge land 82), both from the House of Anjou, ruled of struggle for the succession his son
and missionaries began the process of grants to friendly foreign nobles. They during a time of peace. Louis I confirmed Mátyás was proclaimed king.
converting the Magyars. Géza established soon made up a class of magnates whose the Golden Bull again in 1351, and in
a strong central authority. wealth was far greater than that of the 1367 founded Hungary’s first university, at King Mátyás
Magyar lesser nobles. When he tried to Pécs. However, he also fought costly wars, Mátyás enlisted 30,000 foreign mercenaries
István I raise taxes, the people rebelled. In 1222 becoming king of Poland in 1370. During and built fortresses along the southern
Géza’s son, István (Stephen, ruled 997–1038), he was forced to sign the Golden Bull, frontier, but instead of a direct anti-Turkish
was educated in Prague, baptized at some limiting his power and leading to the policy, he launched attacks on Bohe mia,
point in his early life, and in 996 he married creation of Parliament. Poland and Austria, hoping to forge a
Gisela, a Bavarian princess and sister Béla IV (1235–70), András’s son, unified front against the Turks. Mátyás was
of Emperor Henry II. István became tried with little success to regain a modernizer, reforming the legal system
chieftain when Géza died. lost crown lands in order to and promoting development. A Renais-
He ousted rival clan chiefs, re-establish royal pre-eminence, sance man, he made his court a centre
confiscating their lands. István but instead this created a rift of human ism; under his rule Hungary
then asked Pope Sylvester II to between king and nobles just as began printing and established a second
recognize him as king of Hungary. the Mongols were sweeping university. However, he failed in his quest
The pope agreed, and – with a Holy Crown of Hungary, or towards Europe. He ordered his for a Western alliance and, with it, the
crown sent by the pope himself – Crown of St István armies to mobilize, but few did, The Renaissance main altar in Mátyás Church, Budapest Holy Roman crown.

14th-century ciborium
972–97 Chieftain 1309 Charles Robert becomes 1456 Hunyadi defeats the Turks 1458
Géza becomes king. 1090 László I (1077– 1103 Kálmán I (1095– 1222 Nobles force King Charles I. Marriages link in the Battle of Belgrade. Hunyadi Hunyadi’s son,
King Géza I, He is baptized as a 95) occupies 1116) takes the title of András II (1205–35) Hungary to Naples and Poland. dies of plague. Mátyás
father of Christian in 975. Slavonia. King of Croatia. to sign Golden Bull (1458–90),
King István limiting crown’s power. 1367 Hungary’s first university crowned king.
is founded at Pécs.
1150
900 950 1000 1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300 1350 1400 1450
1200
1077–95 Latin alphabet adapted 1351 Louis I (1342–82)
997 István I (997–1038) succeeds his for Hungarian. Magyars 1173– 96 Under Béla III, 1241 Mongols Mongols 1242 The recon firms Golden Bull. 1490 Mátyás
1241
father Géza; Pope Sylvester II occupy Transylvania. Hungary becomes a r rout the out the Mongols 1442 Hunyadi dies while
recognizes him as King of Hungary. leading power in Hungar withdraw from 1301 Death of András III, last of defeats the Turks visiting Vienna.
Hungarian army ian army
10th-century southeastern Europe. at Muhi.uhi. Hungary. the Árpád kings. in Transylvania.
at M
Magyar belt buckle
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