H. Kolba Judit szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum Guide 2 - From the Foundation of the State until the Expulsion of the Ottomans - The history of Hungary in the 11th to 17th centuries (Budapest, 2005)
ROOM 1 - The Age of the House of Árpád Kings (11th—13th centuries) (Júlia Kovalovszki)
7. Bronze-gilt double seal of the Esztergom "Latins' 13th century ternational market. Initially, the silver denarii had to be exchanged every two years, and later on every year, for new coins of smaller value. The profit went to the royal treasury. As a result of the depreciation in the 12th century, unminted silver and foreign denarii were used in everyday transactions. An exceptional memento from the financial past is the moneychanger's balance authenticated by a die (Óbuda, first half of the 12th century). The change in the value of money is demonstrated by a series of coins issued by the House of Árpád kings. THE MONGOL INVASION AND THE CUMANS The tableau between the glass-cases shows the routes taken by the Mongol invaders who devastated the country in 1241. In 1235-36, a Dominican monk, Friar Julianus, discovered the Hungarians who had stayed behind in the earlier homeland along the Volga. He was the first to bring Europe news of unknown regions and peoples in the East, and also news of an imminent danger: the approaching Mongol-Tatar armies. In 1241, the armies of Batu Khan inflicted a crushing defeat on the Hungarian army near Muhi. King Béla IV himself was barely able to get away. The Mongols poured into the country and decimated the population, which at this time amounted to two millions: the people were either slaughtered or carried off. Hundreds of villages were burnt down. The country reached the brink of almost total destruction. In the decades after the withdrawal of the Mongols, large-scale reconstruction started, including the foundation of towns (for example, Buda), the building of stone castles and fortresses, and the settling of uninhabited woodlands with foreigners. Before 1241, Béla IV had given refuge to the nomadic Cumans, who were fleeing from the Tatars. The Cuman army of light mounted archers constituted the bulk of the reorganized army. In the glass-case valuable items of equipment used by the Cuman warriors are displayed, such as a helmet, coat of mail, armoured belt, arrows, maces, stirrups, and bits, together with accessories for their Oriental attire. A piece of outstanding beauty is the gold belt buckle from Kígyóspuszta with niello decoration (Fig. 8), on whose plate a battle scene fought between knights is to be seen (second half of the 13th century). It could have been an ornament on a very valuable belt belonging to
