47277628. King Bela IV of Hungary & 47277629. Maria Laskarina
1206, Bela born in Magyar [Hungary in English], d/o 47277590.
Andrew II of Hungary & 94555256. Gertrude of Meran.
9/24/1213, Bela’s mother, Queen Gertrude, murdered while King
Andrew was on a campaign in Galicia.
~1220, Maria Laskarina d/o §Emperor Theodore I Lascaris of
Nicaea.
1222, Bela’s father issued the Golden Bull, the basis for the
Hungarian constitution. [Similarities indicate the framers of the Bull had
knowledge of the Magna Carta of England. The Primate of Hungary visited Stephen
Langton, who drafted the Magna Carta, at Canterbury in 1220.] Bela did not
approve of this document.
1227, Genghis Khan died. He had arranged to divide his
kingdoms, the largest going to Ogedei Khan the “Great Khan”. His son Batu Khan
the “Firm” of the Blue Horde launched an invasion of Russia, Hungary and
Poland.
1227, Cumans were permitted to enter Hungary and Bela took the
title King of the Cumans.
1235, Two Dominican monks, Julian and Bernard, had been in
seach of “ancient Hungary”. Bernard died on the journey, but Julian returned
with news of an approaching peril, the Mongols [aka Tatars, with an army of
possibly 130,000.]
9/21/1235, Bela’s father died.
10/14/1235 in Esztergom, Bela crowned king of Hungary. Bela’s
initial concern was the consolidation of his nobles under his power,
imprisoning several who did not support his rule. [Mikhail, prince of Chenigov,
used this opportunity to occupy Galicia.] (S) Mikhail, Prince of Chernigov;
Dimnik, 1981, P97.
1236, Bela supported Daniil Romanovich in his attacks on Mikhail,
prince of Chenigov, in Galicia. [Daniil had fled to Hungary in 1235.]
11/1237, The Mongols besieged Ryazan [Russia] and destroyed the
city.
2/7/1238, The Russian capital of Vladimir-Suzdal was captured
and burnt by the Mongols. Batu Khan divided his armies and began ransacking
Russian cities.
1238, Bela granted privileges to the city of Trnava.
3/2/1239, Bela authorized more Kumans, fleeing from the Mongols,
to enter Hungary, led by a chief named Koten. Kotony asked to settle in
Hungary, where he would help defend against a common foe. Bela assented.
1239, Koten, chief of the Kuman, baptized.
Batu Khan sent more than 5 messengers to Bela who never
returned [demanding the return of the Cumans and threatening Bela.]
1240, Knowing that the Mongols were getting close, Bela
solicited aid from the Pope, the Germans, and other neighboring monarchs. Only
Frederick, duke of Austria, pledged support. Defensively, Bela blockaded the
Carpathian passes and sent forces to his eastern frontier. [To impress on his
people the danger, Bela ordered blood-stained swords to be carried by his
messengers.] The Mongols easily defeated Bela’s eastern forces, and also sent
an army into Poland, and up the Danube, to cut off support for Hungary from
western Europe.
12/6/1240, The Mongols captured Kiev, Russia.
Bela sent Maria and their son to the fortress of Hainburg [in
present day Bratislava.] Bela crossed the Danube and encamped near Pest.
1241, Koten, chief of the Kuman, assassinated after a captured
Mongol turned out to be a Cuman. [The Cumans were a very large people covering a
vast expanse in Russia.] Many Kumans then fled towards the lower Danube to
Bulgaria.
4/1241, Bela, with a force of 50-60 thousand, suprised Batu with
an attack. Bela’s mounted and armored knights were superior in small-engagement
tactics. Batu retreated to more advantageous ground. [Where he stopped, Batu
had the advantage of high ground for his encampment, with Bela encamped on an
open plain. They attacked at night, surrounding the forces of Bela.]
4/11/1241, Bela defeated by the Mongols at the battle of Mohi
in Austria. Bela and his family fled to Trau, Dalmatia, pursued by Mongols
under command of Khadan. [They had the help of Duke Frederick, who was ceded
the counties of Monson, Sopron and Vas. Bela’s younger brother Coloman died
from wounds sustained in the battle.]
5/1241, Bela again appealed unsuccessfully to Pope Gregory IX
and Emperor Frederick II.
12/1241, The Mongols received news of the death of their Great
Khan Ogotaj.
2/1242, Crossing the Danube, the Mongols were unsuccessful in
their attacks on fortified cities in Germany. A month later Batu left Hungary, abandoning
his plans to invade Germany. [Batu settled on the Volga in Russia, died 1256.]
5/1242, Bela returned to Hungary; which had been devastated.
[Bela arranged for food from other countries, reconstruction of towns with
walls, and the building of castles – which the Mogols were unsuccessful in
capturing. Bela encourage immigration, and many were returning Kumans.]
6/7/1243, Bela granted privileges to the Spis Lancers.
1244, Bela attacked Bosnia.
1245, Bela’s son Stephen crowned as a Junior King, given
Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.
1246, Bela concluded a peace agreement with duke Danilo of
Galicia.
1246, Bela reclaimed the counties he had given up to the Duke
of Austria in 1241.
6/15/1246, Bela’s forces repelled those of attacking Frederick
of Babenberg [Duke of Austria] at the Leitha river, killing Frederick [and
ending his line of succession. Bela had a claim to the inheritance.]
1247, Bela gave the Knights of St. John the southeastern
borderlands in exchange for their supplying armored calvary and the building of
defensive fortresses.
9/2/1248, Bela granted a charter of privileges on Nitra.
1248, Bela issued a document stating “it is the power of the
king that demands that he increase, not minimize his grants.”
4/13/1249, Bela granted property and privileges to persons from
Sena.
1250, Bela elevated royal soldiers, free owners of small estates
willing to serve under the king’s command, to nobility.
1250, Bela attacked Styria, formerly controlled by Frederick of
Babenberg.
6/15/1251, Bela established the Premonstratensian monastery in
Klastor pod Znievom.
1253, Bela attacked Bosnia on succession of Ottocar II. Ottocar
agreed to let Bela control Styria. (S) Rise of the Medieval World, Schulman, 2002,
P331.
1254, Bela and Otakar Premysl, after 4 years of war, divided
the disputed provences; Bela receiving Styria. (S) A Short Hisory of
Austria-Hungary, Steed, 1914, P4.
1257, Bela ceded son Stephen the government of Transylvania
when Stephen threatened war.
6/12/1257, Bela restored priviliges on serfs of Liptov and
Turiec who had fled from excessive burdens.
1258, Bela appointed son Stephen as Duke of Styria.
7/1260, Ottokar, offered the throne of Styria by its subjects
that did not like the rule of Stephen, defeated the Hungarian forces.
1261, Son Stephen joined with Bela in unsuccessfully attacking
Bulgaria.
3/1261, Bela recognized Ottakar as duke of Styria.
1262 in Pozsony, By agreement with Bela, son Stephen took
control of the kingdom east of the Danube.
1264, At war with Stephen, Bela captured his wife and son; and
pushed Stephen into Transylvania.
3/1265, Stephen defeated Bela’s army at the battle of Isaszeg.
1265, Bela reconfirmed noble priviledges, returned noble’s
lands used as forts, and created county courts with enforcement powers. Each
count was obliged to send deputies to a royal legislative assembly.
3/23/1266, Stephen and Bela comfirmed the 1262 peace agreement
in the convent of the Blessed Virgin on Rabbit’s Island.
1267, Stephen and Bela held a assembly of nobles and prelates
of the Kingdom of Hungary at Esztergom.
5/3/1270, Bela died, son Stephan succeeding; buried at the
Franciscan friary of Esztergom.
(S) Slovak History, Bartl, 2002. (S) The Realm of St. Stephen,
Engel, 2005. (S) A History of Hungary in Biographical Sketches, Lukinich, 1937,
P59. (S) The Man of Many Devices, Sebok, 1999. (S) A History of Hungary, Sugar,
1994.
Child of Bela and Maria:
i. King Stephen V of Hungary (23638814), born 1238 in Hungary.
