Rosta Szabolcs szerk.: Kun-kép - A magyarországi kunok hagyatéka (Kiskunfélegyháza, 2009)
Pálóczi Horváth András: Településtörténeti kutatások a középkori kun szállásterületen
PÁLÓCZI HORVÁTH ANDRÁS: TELEPÜLÉSTÖRTÉNETI KUTATÁSOK. A KÖZÉPKORI KUN SZÁLLÁSTERÜLETEN András Pálóczi Horváth Investigations into settlement history in the area of medieval Cumanian quarters: the case of Nagykunság (Great Cumania) Since the 1920ies there have been significant investigations into the settlement history of the lowland quarters of the Cumans, who had migrated into Hungary during the middle of the 13 l h century from the steppe situated in the region of the Black sea: reconstructions of medieval hydrographical conditions, mapping of deserted medieval villages and archeological excavations in these settlements. The present study summarizes the findings of our investigations into the settlements of Nagykunság (Great Cumania), one of the Cumanian quarters situated around the upper course of the river Tisza and in the region of Körös rivers. We completed the total archaeological, topographical data-collection of medieval settlements in the area of three towns (Kisújszállás, Túrkeve and Karcag) between 1963 and 1991. We also compiled the historical database of medieval and Turkish era (ll"'-17 l h centuries) settlements, which contains the data of written and cartographic sources and the place-names referring to old settlements with the data of 78 settlement units. Since there are very few written sources available about Arpadian age (1 l t h-13 t h centuries) settlements, our database contains information mostly about settlement-structure after Cumanian immigration (14 l h17' h centuries). 69,2% of settlement names and geographical names referring to settlements designate the quarters and properties of people of Cumanian origin. These can be of different status: original Cumanian quarters, noblemen's estates of distinguished layers and also Hungarian villages which became legally Cumanian places as a result of later Cuman expansion. Only 30,8% of the settlements in the region are owned or inhabited by people of non-Cumanian origin. Several Cumanian noblemen bought property in the region and started running their own successful farm on the newly-acquired land in the 14 t h and 15 t h centuries. This economic and demographical expansion is reflected by the fact that Cumanian landowners appeared also outside genealogically Cumanian quarters. The names of Cumanian settlements is also characteristic, the most common type originates in personal names in accordance with the tradition pursued by Turkish people, e.g., Abchykzalas (1395), Alonnype (1389), Besemihalzalasa (1395), Karczaghwyzallasa (1506), Kolbazzalasa (1395), Thurgonypeterzallasa ( 1521 ). In these cases Cumanian personal names are compounded with the expressions -szállása meaning 'quarters' or 'land', and -népe meaning 'folk' or 'people'. Another group of settlements were named after the title of their church. In these cases we can generally talk about earlier deserted parochial villages, the Cumans settled down in the vicinity of one of these churches: Szentmártonszállása, Csonkaszentmiklós, Szenttamás, Orgondaszentmiklós, Móric (the church of Saint Maurice). In a couple of cases the earlier Hungarian name of the settlement or property was preserved even after the arrival of the Cumans (e.g.. Bábocka, Öcsöd, Madaras). The settlement network of Great Cumania was gradually destroyed in Turkish times. In 1558 25 villages still belonged to the autonomous administrative area of the Cumans called the Kolbáz-szék. In 1618 22 villages, in 1629 20 villages while 1647 there were only 15 villages in the same administrative unit. During the wars of liberation against the Turks almost all settlements were deserted. The census in the year of 1699 found permanent residents only in Karcagújszállás within the Great Cumanian district while at the same time a couple of smallholders were returning home from Tartar captivity. Settlers were also arriving from other regions of the lowland. 231
