Grand Principality of Hungary Magyar Nagyfejedelemség (Hungarian) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| c. 895–1000 Árpád dynasty | |||||||||||||||||||
 Principality of Hungary (c. 1000) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Principality | ||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Esztergom andSzékesfehérvár (from the reigns of Taksony and Géza) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||||||||||
| Demonym | Hungarian | ||||||||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kende | |||||||||||||||||||
• 890s –c. 904 | Kurszán | ||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Prince | |||||||||||||||||||
| Árpád | |||||||||||||||||||
| Zoltán | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fajsz | |||||||||||||||||||
| Taksony | |||||||||||||||||||
| Géza | |||||||||||||||||||
• 997–1000 | Stephen | ||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||||||||||
• Established | c. 895 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 839–970 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4–6 July 907 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10–12 August 955 | |||||||||||||||||||
• Koppány's revolt | 997 | ||||||||||||||||||
• CoronationofStephen I | 25 December 1000 or 1 January 1001 | ||||||||||||||||||
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TheGrand Principality of Hungary[1][2] orDuchy of Hungary[3][4] (Hungarian:Magyar Nagyfejedelemség: "Hungarian Grand Principality",[5]Byzantine Greek:Τουρκία) was the earliest documentedHungarian state in theCarpathian Basin, established in 895 or 896,[6][7][8] following the 9th centuryMagyar invasion of the Carpathian Basin.
TheHungarians, a semi-nomadic people, formed atribal alliance[9][10][11] led byÁrpád (founder of theÁrpád dynasty) who arrived fromEtelköz, their earlier principality east of the Carpathians.[12]
During the period, the power of theHungarian Grand Prince seemed to be decreasing irrespective of the success of the Hungarianmilitary raids across Europe. Thetribal territories, ruled by Hungarian warlords (chieftains), became semi-independent polities (e.g., the domains ofGyula the Younger in Transylvania). These territories were united again only under the rule ofSt. Stephen. The semi-nomadic Hungarian population adopted settled life. The chiefdomsociety changed to a state society. From the second half of the 10th century,Christianity started to spread. The principality was succeeded by the ChristianKingdom of Hungary with the coronation ofSt Stephen I atEsztergom on Christmas Day 1000 (its alternative date is 1 January 1001).[13][14][15]
The period from 896 to 1000 is called "the age of principality" within Hungarian historiography.[7]
The ethnonym of the Hungarian tribal alliance is uncertain. According to one view, following the description in the 13th century chronicle,Gesta Hungarorum, the federation was called "Hetumoger / Seven Magyars" ("VII principales persone qui Hetumoger dicuntur", "seven princely persons who are called Seven Magyars"[16]), though the word "Magyar" possibly comes from the name of the most prominent Hungarian tribe, calledMegyer. The tribal name "Megyer" became "Magyar" referring to the Hungarian people as a whole.[17][18] Written sources called Magyars as "Hungarians" prior to theirinvasion of the Carpathian Basin when they still lived on thesteppes of Eastern Europe (in 837 "Ungri" mentioned byGeorgius Monachus, in 862 "Ungri" byAnnales Bertiniani, in 881 "Ungari" by theAnnales ex Annalibus Iuvavensibus).
In contemporaryByzantine sources, written inGreek, the country was known as "WesternTourkia"[19][20] in contrast toEastern (Khazar)Tourkia. The JewishHasdai ibn Shaprut around 960 called the polity "the land of the Hungrin" (the land of the Hungarians) in a letter toJoseph of the Khazars.[21]
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On the eve of the arrival of the Hungarians (Magyars), around 895,East Francia, theFirst Bulgarian Empire andGreat Moravia[22] ruled the territory of theCarpathian Basin. The Hungarians had much knowledge about this region because they were frequently hired as mercenaries by the surrounding polities and had led their own campaigns in this area for decades.[23] This area had been sparsely populated[24][25] since Charlemagne's destruction of theAvar state in 803, and the Magyars were able to move in peacefully and virtually unopposed during the 9th century.[26] The first mention of them living in the region dates back to 862.[27] Theconquest proper started from 894, when armed conflicts opened with theBulgarians andMoravians after the requests for help fromArnulf, Frankish king andLeo VI, Byzantine emperor.[28] During the occupation, the Hungarians found sparse population and met no well-established states or effective control of any empire in the plain. They were able to take over the basin quickly,[29][30] defeating theFirst Bulgarian Tsardom, disintegrating thePrincipality of Moravia, and firmly establishing their state[31] there by 900.[32] The invasion was not aimed at plundering the acquired lands as attacks were led bygyulaÁrpád andkendeKurszán, the two highest-ranking leaders,[33] who left no mass graves behind them showing that the transition back to anAvar-like system was peaceful for the locals.[34] Archaeological findings indicate that they settled in the lands near theSava andNyitra by this time.[29]
The principality as a warrior state,[1] with a new-found military might, conducted vigorous raids ranging widely from Constantinople to central Spain.Three major Frankish imperial armies were defeated decisively by the Hungarians between 907 and 910.[35]The Hungarians succeeded in extending thede jure Bavarian-Hungarian border to theRiver Enns (until 955),[36] and the principality was not attacked from this direction for 100 years after theBattle of Pressburg.[14] The intermittent Hungarian campaigns lasted until 970, but two military defeats in955 (Lechfeld) and970 (Arcadiopolis) marked a shift in the evolution of the Hungarian principality.[37]
The change from a ranked chiefdomsociety to a state society was one of the most important developments during this time.[38] Initially, the Magyars retained a semi-nomadic lifestyle, practisingtranshumance: they would migrate along a river between winter and summer pastures, finding water for their livestock.[39] According toGyörffy's theory[40] derived from placenames, Árpád's winter quarters -clearly after his occupation of Pannonia in 900- were possibly in 'Árpádváros' (Árpád's town), now a district ofPécs, and his summer quarters -as confirmed byAnonymus- were onCsepel Island.[39] Later, his new summer quarters were inCsallóköz[39] according to this theory, however the exact location of the early center of the state is disputed. According to Gyula Kristó the center was located between theDanube andTisza rivers,[40] but the archaeological findings imply a location in the region of the Upper Tisza.[40]
Constantine VII'sDe Administrando Imperio, written around 950 AD, tries to define precisely the whole land of the Hungarians, orTourkia.[41] Constantine described the previous inhabitants of Hungary (e.g., theMoravians), described early Hungarian settlements and neighbors, and located Hungarian rivers (Temes, Maros, Körös, Tisza, Tutisz).[41] Constantine had much more knowledge about the eastern parts of Hungary; therefore, according to one theory,Tourkia did not mean the land of the whole federation, but a tribal settlement and the source of the description of Hungary could have beenGyula whose tribe populated the five rivers around 950.[41] According to another hypothesis, mainly based on Constantine's description, the Hungarians started to really settle western Hungary (Transdanubia) only after 950, because the eastern part of the country was more suitable for a nomadic lifestyle.[41]
Due to changed economic circumstances, insufficient pasturage to support a nomadic society and the impossibility of moving on,[42] the semi-nomadic Hungarian lifestyle began to change and the Magyars adopted a settled life and turned to agriculture,[22] though the start of this change can be dated to the 8th century.[43] The society became more homogeneous: the local Slavic and other populations merged with the Hungarians.[42] The Hungarian tribal leaders and their clans established fortified centers in the country and later their castles became centers of the counties.[26] The whole system of Hungarian villages developed in the 10th century.[39]
Fajsz and Taksony, the Grand Princes of the Hungarians, began to reform the power structure.[44][45] They invited Christian missionaries for the first time and built forts.[44] Taksony abolished the old center of the Hungarian principality (possibly at UpperTisza) and sought new ones atSzékesfehérvár[45] andEsztergom.[46][verification needed] Taksony also reintroduced the old style military service, changed the weaponry of the army, and implemented large-scale organized resettlements of the Hungarian population.[45]
The consolidation of the Hungarian state began during the reign ofGéza.[47] After thebattle of Arcadiopolis, theByzantine Empire was the main enemy of the Hungarians.[48] The Byzantine expansion threatened the Hungarians, since the subjugated First Bulgarian Empire was allied with the Magyars at that time.[48] The situation became more difficult for the principality when the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire made an alliance in 972.[48] In 973, twelve illustrious Magyar envoys, whom Géza had probably appointed, participated in the Diet held byOtto I, Holy Roman Emperor. Géza established close ties with the Bavarian court, inviting missionaries and marrying his son to Gisela, daughter of Duke Henry II.[42] Géza of the Árpád dynasty, Grand Prince of the Hungarians, who ruled only part of the united territory, the nominal overlord of all sevenMagyar tribes, intended to integrate Hungary into Christian Western Europe, rebuilding the state according to the Western political and social model. Géza's eldest son St Stephen (István,Stephen I of Hungary) became the first King of Hungary after defeating his uncleKoppány, who also claimed the throne. The unification of Hungary, the foundation of the Christian state[49] and its transformation into a European feudal monarchy was accomplished by Stephen.
The new Hungarian state was located on the border withChristendom.[42] Since the second half of the 10th century AD,Christianity was flourished inHungary as theGermanCatholicmissionaries arrived fromEast Francia. Between 945 and 963, the main office-holders of the Principality (thegyula and thehorka) agreed to convert to Christianity.[50][51]In 973 Géza I and all his household were baptised, and a formal peace concluded with theHoly Roman EmperorOtto I; however he remained essentially pagan even after his baptism:[12] Géza had been educated by his father Taksony as apagan prince.[52] The first Hungarian Benedictine monastery was founded in 996 by Prince Géza. During Géza's reign, the nation conclusively renounced its nomadic way of life and within a few decades of theBattle of Lechfeld became a Christian kingdom.[12]
Until 907 (or 904), the Hungarian state was under joint rule (perhaps adopted from theKhazars). The kingship had been divided between thesacral king (some sources report the titles "prince"[53] or "khan"[54]), orKende, and the military leader, orgyula. It is not known which of the two roles were assigned to Árpád and which toKurszán.[citation needed] Possibly, after the Kende Kurszán's death, this division ceased andÁrpád became the sole ruler of the principality. The ByzantineConstantine Porphyrogennetos called Árpád "ho megas Tourkiasarchon" (the great prince of Tourkia),[55] and all of the 10th-century princes who ruled the country held this title.[56] According to theAgnatic seniority the oldest members of the ruling clan inherited the principality. The Grand Princes of Hungary probably did not hold superior power, because during the military campaigns to the west and to the south the initially strong[57] princely power had decreased.[55] Moreover, the records do not refer to Grand Princes in the first half of the 10th century, except in one case, where they mentionTaksony as 'duke of Hungary' (Taxis-dux, dux Tocsun) in 947.[55] The role of military leaders (Bulcsú,Lél) grew more significant.[55] The princes of theÁrpád dynasty boreTurkic names as did the majority of the Hungarian tribes.[7]
There are various estimates of the size of the country's population in the 10th century, ranging from 250,000 to 1.5 million in 900 AD. There is no archaeological evidence that the Hungarian nobles lived in castles in the 10th century.[59] Archaeology revealed only one fortified building dated to the late 9th century (the castle ofMosapurc).[60] Only excavations of 11th century buildings give certain evidence of castle building.[60] However, the result of the excavations inBorsod may imply that the prelates and nobles lived in stone houses as early as the 10th century.[61] Muslim geographers mentioned that Hungarians lived in tents.[62] Beside tents, the common people lived in pit-dwellings, though there is archaeological proof of the appearance of multi-roomed[63] and wood-and-stone house types.[64]
Some historians believe that Prince Árpád's people were Turkic speakers and the Magyars had been in the Basin since 680s. Their main argument is that the newcomers' cemeteries are too small, indicating that the population was not big enough to make Magyar the dominant language in the Basin. However, it seems that Árpád led the Megyer tribe, and it would be tricky if the Megyer tribe would have spoken Bulgar Turkic.[clarification needed] Of course, in principle anything may happen in a symbiosis.[65]
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