Editing Ajtony (section)

==Background==
[[Image:SanctiGerardi.jpg|thumb |right |alt=The first page of a book depicting a coat-of-arms that is held by two naked angels |1597 edition of the ''[[Long Life of Saint Gerard]]'']]

The [[Magyars]] (or [[Hungarians]]), who had lived on the [[Pontic–Caspian steppe|Pontic steppe]] for decades, invaded the [[Carpathian Basin]] after their defeat by a coalition of [[Bulgarians]] and [[Pechenegs]] about 895 AD.{{sfn|Stephenson|2000|p=39}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|pp=76–77}} [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Constantine Porphyrogenitus]] wrote that the seven [[Magyar tribes]] formed a confederation with the Kabars.{{sfn|Stephenson|2000|pp=39–40}} Although the Kabars had originally lived in the [[Khazar Khaganate]], they rebelled against the [[Khazars]] and joined the Magyars on the Pontic steppe.{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=72}}

According to churchman [[Regino of Prüm]], Constantine Porphyrogenitus and other contemporary sources, the Magyars fought the [[Duchy of Bavaria|Bavarians]], Bulgarians, [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthians]], [[Eastern Francia|Franks]] and [[Great Moravia|Moravians]] in the Carpathian Basin.{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|pp=76–77}}{{sfn|Deletant|1992|pp=73–74}} Among the Magyars' opponents the same sources noted many local rulers, including [[Svatopluk I of Moravia]], [[Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria|Luitpold of Bavaria]] and [[Braslav, Duke of Lower Pannonia]].{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=11}}{{sfn|Györffy|1988|p=39}} The ''Gesta Hungarorum''{{mdash}}the earliest extant Hungarian chronicle, written after 1150{{sfn|Madgearu|2005|pp=15–20}}{{sfn|Pop|1996|p=97}}{{mdash}}instead mentioned [[Glad (duke)|Glad]], lord of the lands between the [[Danube]] and the [[Mureș River|Mureș]] (now known as the Banat in [[Romania]] and [[Serbia]]) and other local rulers absent from the earlier sources.{{sfn|Deletant|1992|pp=73–74}}{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=11}}{{sfn|Györffy|1988|p=39}} Therefore, the credibility of the ''Gesta'' reports is a subject of scholarly debate.{{sfn|Deletant|1992|p=85}} Although [[Vlad Georgescu]], Ioan Aurel Pop and other historians describe Glad as one of the local Romanian rulers who attempted to resist the invading Hungarians,{{sfn|Deletant|1992|p=85}}{{sfn|Georgescu|1991|pp=14–15}}{{sfn|Pop|1996|pp=96–97, 102–103}} other scholars{{mdash}}including Pál Engel and [[György Györffy]]{{mdash}}call him one of the dozen "imaginary figures" invented by [[Anonymus (notary of Béla III)|Anonymus]] (author of the ''Gesta'') as foes in the [[Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin]].{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=11}}{{sfn|Györffy|1988|pp=84–86}}

Constantine Porphyrogenitus identified "the whole settlement of Turkey" ([[Principality of Hungary|Hungary]]) with the basins of five rivers—the [[Criș River|Criș]], Mureș, [[Timiș River|Timiș]], Tisza and the unidentified "Toutis"<ref>''Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio'' (ch. 40), pp. 177–179.</ref>—around 950, indicating that the land east of the Tisza was ruled by the Hungarians at that time.{{sfn|Tóth|1999|pp=28–29}}{{sfn|Stephenson|2000|p=41}} The emperor apparently received information about the [[Pannonian Basin|Carpathian Basin]] situation from [[Termatzus]], [[Bulcsú (chieftain)|Bulcsú]] and [[Gyula II|Gylas]], three Hungarian chieftains who visited [[Constantinople]] during the mid-10th century.{{sfn|Tóth|1999|p=30}}{{sfn|Curta|2006|pp=189–190}} According to Byzantine historian [[John Skylitzes]], Bulcsú and Gylas were baptised during their visit.{{sfn|Curta|2006|pp=189–190}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|pp=129–130}} Bulcsú, Skylitzes wrote, still "violated his contract with God and often invaded" the Byzantine Empire; Gylas, however, "remained faithful to Christianity"<ref name="Skylitzes_9.5_231">''John Skylitzes: A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811–1057'' (ch. 9.5), p. 231.</ref> and made no further inroads against the empire.{{sfn|Curta|2006|pp=189–190}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|pp=129–130}} Skylitzes also mentioned a Greek monk, Hierotheos, who was ordained bishop for the Hungarians.{{sfn|Sălăgean|2005|p=147}} Hierotheos accompanied Gylas back to Hungary and "converted many from the barbaric fallacy to Christianity".<ref name="Skylitzes_9.5_231"/>{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=24}} Most 10th-century Byzantine coins and [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] have been unearthed around the confluence of the Tisza and the Mureș, particularly in the Banat.{{sfn|Curta|2006|p=196}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=130}} Tudor Sălăgean, [[Florin Curta]] and other historians posit that Gylas's lands must have been in these territories, but their theory is not universally accepted.{{sfn|Sălăgean|2005|p=147}}{{sfn|Curta|2006|p=196}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=130}}

Unlike Gylas, who chose the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians]], opted for [[Western Christianity]]{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=131}} and a cleric from the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (according to most scholars, Bruno from the [[Abbey of Saint Gall]]) baptised him during the 970s.{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=137}}{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=26}} [[Thietmar of Merseburg]] and other 11th-century authors emphasized that Géza was a cruel ruler, suggesting that the unification of the Hungarian chieftains' lands began under him.{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=26}}{{sfn|Berend|Urbańczyk|Wiszewski|2013|p=132}} Géza was succeeded by his son, [[Stephen I of Hungary|Stephen]], who was crowned the first [[king of Hungary]] in 1000 or 1001.{{sfn|Engel|2001|p=26}}