Miklós Kásler - Zoltán Szentirmay (szerk.): Identifying the Árpád Dynasty Skeletons Interred in the Matthias Church. Applying data from historical, archaeological, anthropological, radiological, morphological, radiocarbon dating and genetic research (Budapest, 2021)
CHAPTER TWO – Historical background
In 1091, László took advantage of the internal struggles in Croatia to take over the country and crown his younger nephew, Prince Álmos, as king. Lászlós direct successor, Hungarian King Kálmán the Learned (1095-1116), had himself crowned King of Croatia at Tengerfehérvár (today: Biograd na more, Croatia), thus creating the Hungarian-Croatian personal union which lasted until 1918. The list of titles was extended in 1137, after a change in the Dynasty’s lineage, under the reign of Béla II, with the conquest of “ Ráma” (Bosnia). During the time of the blind King’s firstborn son, Géza II, Hungary became one of the most active actors in Europe. The fact that the Kingdom of Hungary had the strength to wage war on two fronts, against the Kievan Rus’ between 1148 and 1152, and the Byzantine Empire between 1149 and 1155 shows that Hungary had taken on the role of a great power. On Russian soil, it supported an allied principality, while in the North Balkans, it vied for supremacy with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I (1143-1180), supporting his rival, Andronikos Komnenos. Warlike and active, much like his rival, Géza II, the Emperor took advantage of the rival claimants László and Prince István, and pitted them against István III, inheritor of his father’s throne. The two pretenders however, did not prove effective, so Manuel devised a new method to incorporate Hungary to his sphere of influence. Manuel I and István III made peace in 1163, by betrothing István’s younger brother, Béla, to the Emperor’s daughter, Maria. With Béla in his court, Manuel now controlled Croatia, Dalmatia and Syrmia, as they were Bêlas paternal inheritance. As we know, Manuel was Saint Lászlós maternal grandson, while Bêlas great great grandfather was King Saint Lászlós older brother, King Géza 51
