Background
The Hungarians conquered the Carpathian Basin at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. Here they found a dominantly Slavic-speaking population. From their new homeland, they launched several plundering expeditions against many regions of Europe. Their raids against Western Europe were halted by the future Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I who defeated them in the battle of Lechfeld in 955.
Living in patrilineal families, the Hungarians were organized into clans which formed tribes. The tribal confederation was headed by the grand prince, always a member of the family descending from Árpád, the Hungarians' leader around their "land-taking". Contemporary authors described the Hungarians as nomads, but Ibn Rusta, and others added that they also cultivated arable lands. All the same, the great number of borrowings from Slavic languages prove that the Hungarians' way of life underwent fundamental changes in Central Europe. The cohabitation of Hungarians and local ethnic groups is also reflected in the assemblages of the "Bijelo Brdo culture", which emerged in the middle of the 10th century.
Although themselves pagans, the Hungarians demonstrated a tolerate attitude towards Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The Byzantine Church was the first to successfully proselytize among their leaders: in 948 the horka, and around 952 the gyula were baptized in Constantinople. In contrast with them, the grand prince, Géza (c. 970–997) received baptism according to the Latin rite. He erected fortresses and invited foreign warriors to develop a new army based on heavy cavalry. Géza also arranged the marriage of his son, Stephen with Giselle of Bavaria, a member of the family of the Holy Roman Emperors.
When Géza died in 997, his son had to fight for his succession with Koppány, the eldest member of the House of Árpád. Assisted by German heavy cavalry, Stephen emerged the victor in the decisive battle in 998. He applied for a royal crown to Pope Sylvester II who granted his request with the consent of Emperor Otto III.
Read more about this topic: Kingdom Of Hungary In The Middle Ages
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