Origins (prehistory)
In the 9th century, the nomadic Magyar society was composed mostly of freemen who were engaged in regular raids against the neighboring (mainly Slavic) peoples. Muslim geographers mentioned that the Magyars
exercise dominion over all of the Saqlab who are adjacent to them, and they put upon them heavy burdens, and they are in their hands in the position of captives. —Ahmad ibn RustahThe freemen were organized into seven (later, after the Kabars had joined their tribal federation, eight) tribes (Hungarian: törzs, Greek: phyle), and each tribe was made of clans (Hungarian: nemzetség, Greek: genea). Although, the Magyars lived in a stratified society, but the legal position of the freemen was still equal.
Around 896, the Magyars invaded the Carpathian Basin and occupied its whole territory by 902. The occupied territory had been inhabited by mainly Slavs, Avars and Germans who became subject to the dominion of the Magyars; on the other hand, the name of Slavic origin of certain leaders of the Magyar armies suggest that some notabilities of the local population may have integrated themselves into the nomadic society. In the 13th century, Simon of Kéza described in his chronicle that
It came about that when the Magyars took possession of Pannonia they took prisoners of war, both Christian and non-Christian. Some of these were put to death when they continued to offer resistance, according to the custom of nations; the more warlike of the remainder they took with them to fight on the battlefield, and gave them a portion of the spoils; others in turn became their property and were kept around their tents to perform various servile duties. —Gesta Hunnorum et HungarorumFollowing the conquest, the Magyars made several raids to the territories of present-day Italy, Germany, France and Spain and also to the lands of the Byzantine Empire. On one hand, the regular raids contributed to the differentiation of their society because the leaders of the military actions were entitled to reserve a higher share of the booty for themselves, but on the other hand, these actions could also ensure that their commoner participants kept their independent status. These military actions also contributed to the formation of the retinues of the heads of the tribes and the clans. The regular military actions continued westwards until the Battle of Lechfeld in 955; while the raids against the Byzantine Empire finished only in 970. After (or even before) the close of the period of the military raids, the Magyar society underwent a gradual transformation, and several freemen was obliged to give up their nomadic lifestyle and settle down, because the Carpathian Basin did not provide vast pastures that could have sustained a numerous nomadic population.
The christianization of the Magyars commenced during the reign of Géza, Grand Prince of the Magyars (before 972-997) who also invited western knights to settle down in his court and granted estates to them.
Read more about this topic: Nobility In The Kingdom Of Hungary
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