The Eighth Tribe, 1978 (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-03-01 / 3. szám
March, 1978 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 7 exile in an attempt to isolate him from his supporters in Transylvania — the mountainous region of central Romania and the setting for Bram Stoker’s spinechilling novel Count Dracula. At one point, Király’s German wife Helga switched off the lights in the kitchen of their sparsely furnished three-room cottage to prevent a curious neighbor from seeing the journalists gathered around the table. Soft-spoken and looking younger than his 47 years, Király described what happened after he attempted to raise minority grievances in a series of letters to Romanian leaders. He is of Hungarian origin himself. Király’s formidable cateloge of allegations included the closing of Hungarian universities and schools, the suppression of the Hungarian language and culture, and the appointment of Romanians to nearly all key posts in towns with a Hungarian majority. “For years the Romanian government has had a policy of the forced assimilation of all minorities — not just Hungarians, but also Germans, Serbs and others,” he said. The most serious repercussions began at the end of January following the publication of details of his appeals in Western newspapers. Király said: “Suddenly emergency police measures were taken throughout Transylvania. Around a thousand security men were drafted into my hometown of Tirgu Mures alone. There were armed patrols and special civilian brigades in the streets. Tens of thousands of people were watched and many homes were searched for copies of my letter. This action is still continuing, although on a reduced scale.” THE MAGYARS IN HISTORY by S. B. Vardy, Ph.D. Professor of History — continued — CHAPTER XV THE AGE OF PAGAN REBELLIONS, DYNASTIC STRIFES AND ATTEMPTS AT GERMAN VASSALAGE (Struggle for Royal Centralization, Christianity and National Independence) As is almost always the case after the passing of a great reformer and empire builder, the age of St. Stephen was followed by a period of turmoil (1038-77). During this period Hungary saw the rule of six kings and seven reigns. Moreover, the Magyars had also to be witnesses to three royal murders, two dethronements, two pagan uprisings, a renewed struggle between the principles of “seniority” and “primogeniture” (first born) in the succession to the throne, a re-emerging “dualism” in the country’s leadership, as well as a protracted effort on the part of the holy roman emperors to make Hungary into their fief — as was the case with Bohemia, and to a lesser degree with Poland. That Hungary survived all of these crises is the most telling testament to St. Stephen’s greatness as a ruler and as a reformer. The political and social system that he had built proved to be sound enough to survive even these four decades of unceasing crises. (Sinor: History, 4147; Homan: Magy. tört., 241-79.) The first series of these major crises was connected with the reigns of the Venetian Peter Orseolo (103841, 44-46) and of the non-Árpádian Aba Sámuel (1041-44) — the former representing foreign rule and vassalage to Emperor Henry III, and the latter standing for tribal reaction and paganism. Many of the dispossessed clan chiefs and free tribesmen were unable to appreciate the significance of St. Stephen’s reforms, and they were especially incensed at the growing dominance of foreign elements under Peter’s rule. Thus, they joined Aba in his effort to cleanse Hungary from these foreign influences; and refusing to stop there, they went ahead to dismantle much of St. Stephen’s life’s work. The most violent advocate of this dismantlement was a certain Vata, a dispossessed clan chief of the “Black Magyars” of Eastern Hungary beyond the Tisza River. Because of their geographical remoteness from the centers of power, these Black Magyars of the Trans-Tisza region 90
