A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 32. Kunt Ernő emlékére. (1994)

TANULMÁNYOK - FODOR István: A magyar őstörténet vázlata (magyar és angol nyelven)

The above-mentioned biogeographic feature had most probably a great influence on the economy of Hungarians, too, though, no doubt, there was a difference because the ratio of sedentary way of life in the economy of Hungarians was much greater already during the period of Hungarian Conquest than in the economy of the above-mentioned Sarmatians or Avars. Besides, the social structure of Hungarians was also considerably different from that of Sarmatians and Avars. In the neighbourhood of the Khazar kaganate, following the Khazar example and influenced by it a princely power of Eastern half-momadic type (that is the so-called double princely power) had been already developed. Beyond doubt, after the Conquest sedentary agricultural way of life had an ever increasing role while the importance of nonadic economy had decreased within a few decades considerably. Therefore the political and military system of Eastern type and of nomadic character had gradually lost its economic bases. After the middle of the loth century military campaigns to get spoils of war conducted to the western and southern parts of Europe had already broken under the opposition of stronger neighbours. This also promoted the breaking up of old structures. It was of utmost significance that the reigning prince (Grand Duke Géza) and his entourage had recognized that the only chance for the country and people to survive would be an accommodation to the new environment establishing a social structure meeting European standards. Grand Duke Géza and his successor, King Stephen, the first Christian ruler, had had also the necessary power to take this decisive step. That is they recognized rightly the real position of Hungarian economy and society namely that this society had already exceeded nomadic way of life and that a political and military system of eastern type was already the greatest objection of an organic development of society. The achievement of these alterations (the spread of Christianity, the establishment of a feudal state of European type) produced the resistance of the followers of the old system, yet, they had already no such power reserves within Hungarian society which could have been able to break the process of decisive alterations. Therefore this inner trial of strength did not dissipate the economic and military energies of the country, thus the country and the people did not fall a pray to stronger and more powerful neighbours. Around 800 A.D. a process of just the opposite direction took place in the Avar Empire, when the inner struggles within the aristocracy consumed the inner power resources thus an external assault had overthrown the country of Avars sealing the destiny of the Avar people. That the history of Hungarians had not come to a deadlock at the end of the loth century was due first of all to their evolved economic and social organization to which some favourable personal endowments were added at the highest level of power. Grand Duke Géza and his son, King Stephen, reigned for more than 70 years and they were rulers who with an extraordinary perspicacy recognized the only way out from the perilous situation - the necessity of accommodating to new standards. REFERENCES Bartha, A. Hungarian Society in the 9th and 10th Centuries. Budapest 1975. Czeglédy, K. From East to West. The Age of Nomadic Migrations in Eurasia. In: Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi, vol. II. New York 1983, pp. 27-156. 123