Traveling People Known As The Magyars example essay topic

The Magyars The Medieval Period in European History saw several waves of "barbarians " which helped shape the face of European society. The nomadic tribes of people that lived a migratory life, while other groups were founding civilizations with permanent living centers, are today referred to as barbarians. Two great empires, the Chinese and the Roman, ruled on the extreme edges of the enormous Eurasian continent and were separated by vast distances. 1 The people that existed between the two empires and roamed the large wasteland were called "barbarians". 2 They did not have a permanent living center and therefore raided settled towns and cities for food and riches. Because of there roaming ways and raiding tactics, barbarians were feared and hated in the Medieval World.

The word "barbarian" is presently associated with being backwards, uneducated, or indecent; in one word, uncivilized. These wandering people lived in family orientated groups called clans, which combined together to form a tribe. Tribes depended on one another for protection. Among these barbarian groups where a traveling people known as the Magyars. The Magyars had a major impact on the Carpathian Basin in Central Eastern Europe, and directly affected the picture of the European landscape that we have today. The magyars are a mysterious peoples whose origins and connections are highly debated among scholars and historians.

The first place to begin when searching for origins, is the language. The Magyar language is a branch of the Finno-Ugrian family of languages, most nearly related to Finnish, although supplemented by numerous Turkic words. 3 The language is very unique and their is no other like it in the world. Popular 2 belief places the origin of the people themselves somewhere in the Orient. The Old Magyar Fatherland was probably situated in the ancient Orient, which we call the Near-East, and played an important role in Mesopotamian lands. 4 Linguistic evidence places the Magyars among the ancient Egyptians.

Contemporary records speak of aMa kari Queen 5 from the XX th dynasty; between 1080-940 BC 6 Egyptian Kings of theXIXth dynasty forced the Magyars out of Africa for good. From their the people dispersed, moved around the European landmass, including Hungary, and mixed with other peoples. 7 Much of the Finno-Ugrian peoples mainly dispersed in the widespread region on the west side of the Ural Mountains. 8 It was in this region that the Magyars were exposed to the Turks. Their language was enriched with Turkic elements while maintaining its basic Finno-Ugric characteristics. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the Magyars during this period because of their nomadic ways.

By the end of the 5th century the Magyars had begun their southward migration from the Urals and settled east of the Sea of Azov. 9 Here they were again under the influence of Turkic neighbors. During this period the Magyars patterned themselves after the Turkic model, becoming a well-disciplined, conquering race. During the second half of the 9th century, the warring Turkic Pechenegs put forth pressure on the Magyars feeding grounds, forcing them to begin their historic westward migration.

Following a 3 Peche neg attack, the Magyar tribes united under one leader, 'Arp " ad, who led his people out of their exposed position in Et elk " oz and into the Carpathian Basin. 10 The seven Magyar tribal chieftains elected a leader from among them. After 'Arp " ad was elected, he had to lead them in a swearing with ritual drinking of mixed blood to unify them and make their claim as head of the nation valid. In 894, Sviatopluk sent envoys to the Magyars for help against the Frankish-Bulghur confederation, while the Bulgars wanted an alliance with thePechenegs.

The Magyars joined forces with Sviatopluk and attacked the Franks in Pannonia. During this period the weaknesses of the lands were made out by the Magyars, and that same year they were back, raiding Pannonia for themselves. 11 In late 895 or early 896 the Magyars crossed the Carpathian mountains for good through the Vere cke pass and launched a military campaign that would come to be known as the 'Conquest'12. ThePechenegs crossed over the river Don and took the Magyars by surprise, causing them to flee to the Transylvanian mountains for protection. Most of the Magyar forces were off fighting the Bulgars. Upon their return, with reinforcements, they ousted the Pechenegsfrom the Great Plain and Transylvania.

They fought and gained possession of the Alf " old. During this time Moravian rule governed the area. The Germans and Moravians united against the Magyars, but by 900 AD Frankish rule in Pannonia had vanished. 13 In 907 a Bavarian army was annihilated at Enns burg and the Magyars' rule extended into where the Enns runs into the Danube.

The Magyars had now quickly gained possession of their newlands, the plains. This was done more quickly than any of their predecessors. 14 The 4 Magyars had begun to establish a nation. Magyars began to settle in the Dun " at " ul, Buda, Transylvania, the Great Plains, along the Tisza, and 'Arp " ads headquarters Sz'er " ar. The conquerors did not eradicate the indigenous people, but rather absorbed them into their own civilization. The Carpathian Basin had never seen a lasting national empire.

Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Bulgars and Avars all successively occupied the lands. 15 The Danube River Basin has changed hands between the Europeans and Asians throughout history, while at times it was inhabited strictly by barbarians. The territory of Transylvania was inhabited by Rumanians who traced the land back to their ancestors, the Romanized Dacian's. The Magyars took the land and evidence shows that the Dacianscompletely evacuated the lands, leaving not trace to their existence in the area. 16 The mountain lands were inhabited by the Sz " eke ls, who linguistically shared the same language but in a different dialect. 17 The Sz " eke ls joined forces with the Magyars and they we reused as permanent guardians, or watchmen of the river basin's natural fortifications, the mountains and marshes, which were known as 'G yep"u'.

The Magyars governed their lands with a tribal confederation known asH " et magyar, 'Seven Magyars'. 18 The Magyar tribal chiefs funded their military forces from foreign money and war booty. The society was based on blood kinship and the clan. 19 Each clan was under leadership by another clan.

Five to six clans comprised a tribe, whose leader was known as a Gyula. The Magyars had Paganism believes in which the soul leaves the body after death and is reincarnated, and also in a 'life-soul' which 5 ceased to exist after death. 20 This was at a time when Christianity was spreading through Europe and the Holy Roman Empire was forming. For the next half-century the Magyars were feared and hated, they were the scourge of Europe. Historians have counted thirty-three expeditions by the Magyars between 898 and 955, some of them as far as Bremen, Cambrai, Orl " ears, N^i mes, Otranto and Constantinople. The Magyars, like most nomadic people were excellent fighters.

21 The Italian and German princes often used Magyar soldiers as mercenaries for their own campaigns. The Magyars practiced special cavalry tactics and lightning warfare. First, the horse mounted soldiers would quickly charge enemy lines with unthinkable speed and then quickly retreating, causing confusion among the enemy. Then, Magyar archers would launch a barrage of arrows upon the foes. Finally, in hand-to-hand combat the horse mounted soldiers would crush their weakened opponents. The mag jar campaigns had yet to be defeated, then they met with the German King, Henry the Fowler, and his strengthened and reorganized German cavalry defeated the Magyars for the first time at Merseburg in 933.22 The magyars stubbornly refused to give up their raiding and pillaging way of life.

They continued to attack the West and in 955 suffered a grave defeat at the hands of the German King, Otto I. Most of the Magyar army was annihilated and the Gyula Bulcs'u and Prince L'el were hung. 23 This defeat and the one suffered in 933 to Henry I, caused the Magyar pride to weaken. The Magyars saw that their way of life, and very existence was threatened, unless they gave up their nomadic, warring ways for settlement and Christianity. 24 6 Prince G'ez a, 'Arp " ad's great grandson, claimed leadership of the Magyars and reestablished his family's authority. Prince G'ez a's move to tie his people with Christianity proved to be a turning-point in Magyar history. He saw that the European balance of power was shifting to the Christian Church.

25 G'ez a was baptized, and asked for missionaries to be sent to his lands to help convert his people. However, he did not feel powerful enough to challenge the Gyula's of Transylvania, the center of his opposition, and he sought a compromise with them for the time being. Baptized as Is tv " an, or Stephen, G'ez a's son Va jk took over from his father in 997. He grew up as a devout Christian follower. Stephen established the institutional framework for a Christian-Magyar state. 26 He confiscated the hill-forts belonging to the clan chiefs, two-thirds of their territories and the people on the lands.

From this he created the counties and declared the people on the lands as keepers and workers on the lands, or serfs. They were responsible for the military and economy of the castles. Hungarian Fiefdom was born. Along with a change in ideology, came social and political changes.

Stephen declared that every ten villages must build a church and support its priest. He was helping his people convert to Christianity. 27 In the country were ten bishoprics, two of which were made archbishops. Stephen encountered powerful internal opposition. 28 In bloody battles he defeated Kopp " any of Som ogy and the Gyula of Transylvania. Ongoing opposition could not change the fact that a feudal Magyar state was in existence, and it was recognized when the Pope sent gifts of a crown and an Apostolic cross to its creator.

On Christmas Day in 1000 AD, Stephen was crowned as King of Hungary. 29 7

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