Stephen+I+of+Hungary

King Stephen I of Hungary  The Apostolic King

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King Stephen the First of Hungary was an ambitious, pious and politically astute man who led the [|Magyar]people of the [|Hungarian plains] to great success. King Stephen’s contributions were felt across Hungary and the Latin West many years after his death in 1038CE. Ultimately, Stephen’s lasting effects were felt in the reformation of his people, both socially and religiously and with the internal stability created during his time in power.

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 * __The Social Revolution __**

Stephen vastly changed the way his people interacted and thought about their lives. The Magyars (Hungarians) came from a [|Turkic]speaking and nomadic lifestyle, akin to the Huns and Stephen reshaped the entire culture to reflect the Western style of society.[1][2]

In particular, he adopted the Norman style of government. He divided the lands up and put each county under the administrative control of a loyal Count.[3] Stephen was also reputed (or accredited) to have created a legal code on the same level as the Anglo-Saxon kings.

Along with these laws, he fashioned political institutions (such as the counties discussed before) to guide his people and their lives.[4] Additionally, Stephen’s religious fervour led him to introduce many of aspects of the church into the state government, forming a Godly kingdom similar to Anglo-Saxon England.[5]

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg [|Source: 'Discovering our Saints - St. Stephen of Hungary' (2011) by CCTNtv] [15]



**__The Religious Revolution __**
The evangelisation of Hungary was widely acclaimed across Europe. However, one of Stephen’s first moves was not to found a church, but to slay his Uncle, [|Kopanńy]. Stephen usurped the Kingship from him, gaining his [|crown]from both the Holy Roman Emperor and from [|Pope Sylvester II].

From here on, Stephen continued the Christianisation of his people. By 1010CE, Hungary had established four Bishoprics and an Archbishops See at [|Esztergom]and reformed the church system to include Parishes and churches.[6]

Stephen was also known for endowing his sponsored churches with all manner of riches and the founding of pilgrim’s hostels. It was because of this hospitality that Hungary gained a reputation as a major access point to the [|Holy Lands]. Rather than travelling by sea, lords like Frederick Barbarossa could pass through the Catholic Kingdom and progress through now day Turkey.[7]



**__Foreign Relations __**
After the death of Kopanńy, Hungary was blessed with twenty years of good peace under the strong rule of Stephen[8] and the country flourished. However, the boarders of Hungary were constantly under threat from other tribes such as the [|Penchenegs], or the [|Poles]or an inquisitive [|Holy Roman Empire]. To remedy this, Stephen married [|Gisela], the daughter of the Duke of Bavaria and the sister of [|Emperor Henry II].[9]

For a time, this union protected the growing kingdom; however, near the end of his reign, the new Holy Roman Emperor, [|Conrad II] attacked Hungary.[10] Nonetheless, thanks to Stephen’s forward thinking, he had shored up his defences and beat back the Imperial invasion.[11]

**__Turmoil and Beyond __**
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Unfortunately for the people of Hungary, their luck was to run out. Stephen’s son, [|Imre], died in 1031CE in a hunting accident and Stephen was forced to appoint [|Peter Orseolo][12], his nephew and son of the [|Doge of Venice], as his heir. After Stephen’s death, Hungary fell into rebellion and Peter was ousted twice. However, after the rebellions, Hungary returned to the ways set by Stephen. [13][14]

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">King Stephen was born into a world of fire and from it he crafted a functioning, Catholic kingdom on the fringes of Christendom. He guided his people and contributed greatly not only to their lives but also those of the clergy and of pilgrims. Without Stephen’s social, religious and political changes, Hungary may never have formed.



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">References:

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[1] D. P. Hupchick and H. E. Cox, //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe // (United States of America, Macmillan, 1996): pp27-28 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[2] J. W. Sedlar, //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">East Central Europe in the Middle Ages // (United States of America, Univ. Of Washington Press, 1994): p18 [3] W. C. Jordan, //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Europe in the High Middle Ages // (England, Penguin Books, 2001): p76 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[4] //Ibid//: p76 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[5] //Ibid//: p75 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[6] //Ibid//: p75 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">[7] B. A. Lees, //The Central Period of the Middle Ages 918-1273// (London, Methuen & co., 1909): p138 [8] H. G. Koenigsberger, //Medieval Europe 400-1500// (Hong Kong, Longman, 1987): p159 [9] Jordan, //Europe in the High Middle Ages//: p75-76 [10] //Ibid//: p75 [11] Hupchick and Cox, //A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe//: p27-28 [12] <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;">Lees, //The Central Period of the Middle Ages 918-1273//: p138 [13] Jordan, //Europe in the High Middle Ages//: p78 [14] Hupchick and Cox, //A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe//: p27-28 [15] CCTNtv (2011) //Discovering our Saints - St. Stephen of Hungary// [Video] Retrieved September 12, 2011, from []

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Image References:

[Figure 1] Gonsalves, H. //St. Stephen//, from Catholicseeking, [] (accessed September 12, 2011)

[Figure 2] Phillips, Fr. C. G. //A man who knew how to be king...//, from AtonementOnline [] (accessed September 8, 2011

[Figure 3] A Celebration of Women (Admin). //Hungary Constitution Day//, from A Celebration of Women [] (accessed September 12, 2011)

[Figure 4] Oliveira, Prof. P. C. //St. Stephen, King of Hungary, September 2//, from Tradition in Action [] (accessed September 14, 2011)