Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/379

* HUNGARY. 325 HUNGARY. Altaic family), their nearest kin being the Finns. (See Hungarian Language.) They iigure in the old writers as Cgri, Wengri, Ungri, Ungari, Hungari. Hungary, soutli ami west of the Dan- ube, was included in the Roman Province of Pan- nonia. The southeastern portion formed part of the Roman Province of Dacia. At the time of the great migration of nations which overwhelmed the Roman Empire of the West and in the succeeding period, the middle basin of the Dan- ube was overrun bj- Germanic peoples (Ostro- goths, Gepid*. and Longobards ), by non-Aryan peoples ( Huns and Avars ) . and bj' the Slavs. The Avars, who had established a realm in Pan- nonia, were conquered by Charles the Great, King of the Franks, at the close of the eighth century. A ccntHry later the JIagyars (Hun- garians) left their abodes on the plains to the east of the Carpathians {whither they are sup- posed to have come from the original home of the Finno-Ugrian race in Western Siberia), and moving westward under the lead of Arpfid, who is sung as a great national leader by the Hun- garians, they descended about 8!I0 into the region which was to take its name from them. The invaders were a barbarous horde, who for more than half a century were the terror of the nations to the west and the south. They broke up the Moravian realm, made incursions into Germany and Italy, everywhere pillaging, burning, and slaughtering, and awakening superstitious terrors in the minds of the inhabitants, and carrying their devastations almost to the Straits of Dover. .t last the German kings succeeded in putting an end to their onslaughts. They were defeated in 033 by Henry the Fowler on the Unstiut. and Otho the Great vanquished them on the Lech in 9.55. Forced to accommodate themselves to a settled existence, and- in possession of a fruitful domain, the Himgarians showed themselves amen- able to the civilizing influences emanating from withntit. and among other things they developed a capacity for the adoption of political institu- tions based upon Western models. Shortly before the close of the tenth century their ruler, Gejza, embraced Christianity, which began to take root in the nation. His son Stephen, the first King of Hungary, known as the Saint, was crowned in the year 1000 (some years after he began his rule), with a crown sent him by Pope Sylvester III., who at the same time bestowed on him the title of 'Apostolic ilajesty.' With Saint Stephen, whose reign of over forty years termi- nated in 1038, a new era began for Hungary; Christianity took the place of heathen supersti- tion- : the royal authority was firmly established ; new laws were made, and the people advanced rapidly in civilization. .fter Stephen's death there was a reaction, and his immediate succes- sors had to contend against a pagan revival and a genera! tendency to disintegration. Ladislas I.. the Saint ( 1077-9.i). renowned for his wise legisla- tion and for great personal valor, proved a wor- thy successor of Stephen : and under his rule Hungary again became a strong kingdom, with its boundaries increased bv the acquisition of part of Croatia. Coloman" (K.-ilmSn) ( lOn.5-1114) . known as the 'learned,' was far in advance of his age, as many of his laws show. He gained pos- session of Dalmatia. Under King Gejza (1141- 61 ) . German colonists settled in Xorthern Hun- gary and in Transylvania, in consequence of which mining and several branches of industry made rapid progress. Andrew II. (I'205-35) is known in connection with the Crusades. The Golden Bull, the Hungarian Magna Charta, was extorted from him by his nobles in 1222. Bela I. (1235-70) showed great qualities in subduing the pride of the nobles and in liealing the wounds of his people after the terrible invasion of the Mongols in 1241. Andrew III. was the last male scion in the ArpSd line — dying without issue in 1301. The crown of Hungary now became elec- tive. The succeeding period of Hungarian history, terminating with the battle of Mohacs in 1526, witnessed the culmination and decline of the in- dependent monarchy. Louis 1., called the Great (1342-82), was the second King of the House of. jou, which obtained the throne in 1307, being by his great-grandmother connected with the .rpad dynastj. Louis extended the power of the Hungarian kings over iloldavia and Wallachia, Bosnia, Scr-ia, and parts of Bulgaria. In 1370 he was elected King of Poland. At home he reestablished the authority of law, which un- der his predecessors had been openly violated by the powerful nobles. He promoted science, in- dustry, and commerce. Sigismiind (1380-1437), the son-in-law of Louis, succeeded him as King, but he is better known as Holy Roman Kmiieror. In the person of Sigismund's son-in-law. .lbert V. of .ustria (1438-39), the Hapsburgs first came into possession of the Hungarian throne. After his death the country was for a few years under the rule of King Ladislas of Poland, who was overwhelmed and slain by the Turks at Varna in 1444. He was succeeded by Ladislas the Posthumous, the son of Albert of Hapsburg, under whom the government was administered by .John Hunyadi. an heroic figure in the wars between Christendom and the Turks. Hunyadi's son. Matthias I., ascended the throne in 1458. Matthias I. — better known as Matthias Cor- vinus — has been called not only the greatest King of Hungary, but also the greatest sovereign of his age. By his military successes, sagacity, and love of learning he raised his nation to a high pitch of splendor. From the death of ilatthias (1490) to the fatal day of Moh.lcs, Hungary exhibifed the fiercest strife of factions — a protracted agony, preceding the loss of na- tional independence, .^mong the many calami- ties during the reign of Ladislas of Bohemia (1490-1510), the peasant war occupies a promi- nent place. Dfizsa (q.v. ) and his insurgent bands, after having committed great havoc, were exterminated by the famous .John 55;1poIya, Voi- vode of Transylvania. Louis II. ( 1516-26), who was also King of Bohemia, was but ten years old at the death of his father, Ladislas. " The Turks, who had been making incursions into the Kingdom since the early part of the fif- teenth century, took advantage of the anarchy under the young Louis to attempt the conquest of Hungary. In 1521 they captured Belgrade, and on August 29, 1526, an army of 100,000 men un- der Solynian the Magnificent crushed the forces of the Hungarians at Mohics, where the King and more than 20,000 of his men perished. The na- tional party in Hungary chose .John Zapolya, Voivode of Transylvania, to be Louis's succes- sor, while a part of the nobles offered the royal crown to Ferdinand of Austria (brother of the F.mperor Charles V).K between whom and T^ouis a double marriasie connection had existed. After