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Böszörmény From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Böszörmény, also Izmaelita (Hysmaelita /  Ishmaelites ) or Szerecsen (Saracenus), is a name for

the Muslims who lived in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 10-13th centuries. Some of

the böszörmény  probably joined the federation of the seven Magyar tribes during the 9th century, and later

smaller groups of Muslims arrived in the Carpathian Basin. They were engaged in trading but some of them

were employed as mercenaries by the kings of Hungary. Their rights were gradually restricted from the 11th

century on, and they were persuaded to accept baptism, following the establishment of

the Christian Kingdom of Hungary. They disappeared (probably became Christian) by the end of the 13th

century.

Contents

[hide] 

  1 Their origins 

  2 Muslim territories in the Kingdom of Hungary 

  3 The Muslims' life in the kingdom 

  4 Muslims in the 13th century 

  5 See also 

  6 References 

  7 Sources 

  8 External links 

Their origins[edit] 

Modern authors claim that several groups of Muslims migrated to the Carpathian Basin in the course of the

10th-12th centuries; therefore, the Muslims living in the Kingdom of Hungary were composed of various

ethnic groups. Most of them must have arrived from Volga Bulgaria, but toponyms suggest that

Muslim ( káliz : khalyzians ) people arrived also from Khwarezm; these latter (or part of them) may have

formed one of the three tribes of the Kabars who joined the federation of the Magyar tribes in the 9thcentury.

The Arab historian and geographer, al-Mas'ūdī  recorded in the 10th century that the heads of the tribal

confederation had welcomed Muslim merchants and the merchants could even convert some of the

Magyars into Islam.[1]

  Al-Bakrī  also mentioned that the Magyars ransomed the Muslims who had been

captured in the neighboring countries.[1]

 In the 10th century, Ibrahim ibn Yaqub described the Muslim

merchants who arrived in Prague from the territories of the Magyars and traded

with slaves and tin.[1]

 The Gesta Hungarorumr ecorded that lots of Muslims arrived in the Carpathian Basin

from Volga Bulgaria during the reign of  Taksony, Grand Prince of the Magyars (c. 955 - before 972) and

they settled down there.[1]

 

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The work of the Muslim traveler,  Abu Hamid al-Garnati, who spent three years in the kingdom (1150-1153),

proves that the Muslims living in the Kingdom of Hungary were composed of two groups:

the Khwarezmians and the Maghrebians (Böszörmény).[1]

 He was entrusted by King Géza II of Hungary to

recruit soldiers among the Maghrebians (Böszörmény) living east of the Carpathian Basin.[1]

 The Byzantine

historian, John Kinnamos mentioned that káliz  warriors were captured during the war between the kingdom

and the Byzantine Empire in 1165 and the Emperor  Manuel I Komnenos removed some of them to

Byzantine territories.[1]

 

Muslim territories in the Kingdom of Hungary[edit] 

Ethnic situation of Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th century according to István Kniezsa and Lajos Glaser. Smaller Turkic

groups also lived in the country. Böszörménys arrived mostly from Turkic lands (Khwarezm and Volga Bulgaria) 

The Muslims settled down in several groups in the Carpathian Basin. Their largest communities lived in the

southern parts of the Kingdom of Hungary in Syrmia and in region where the Drava  joines the Danube. 

Other significant groups of Muslims lived in and around Pest, in the Nyírség (around Hajdúböszörmény) and

around Nyitra (today Nitra in Slovakia).[1]

 

The Arab geographer, Yaqut al-Hamawi mentioned that Muslims from the Kingdom of Hungary were

studying in  Aleppo in the beginning of the 13th century. The students arrived in Aleppo from a frontier

region of the kingdom where the Moslims lived in 30 settlements.[1]

 

The Muslims' life in the kingdom[edit] 

Most of the Muslims in the Kingdom of Hungary were engaged in trading and they were rich enough to

lease royal properties in the 13th century. Other Muslims were employed in the king's army and took part in

the wars against the Byzantine Empire. Yaqut al-Hamawi's work proves that the Muslim population spoke

the Hungarian language by the beginning of the 13th century.[1]

 

Royal decrees issued in the second half of the 11th century by the kings of Hungary persecuted the

Muslims, requiring their conversion into Christianity. King Ladislaus I of Hungary commanded that converted

Muslims who continued to follow their former customs were to be removed from their original settlements.

King Coloman of Hungary ordered that each Muslim settlement had to build a church, and he prohibited

marriage between Muslims. Probably in the next century, the kings also prohibited the building of walls

around Muslim settlements.

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By the period of King Géza II (1141-1162), the káliz  people could practise their faith only in secrecy. The

"Maghrebian" soldiers followed Islam openly, but it was Abu Hamid al-Garnati who taught them several

Islamic traditions. Upon his request, the king even permitted to the "Magrhrebians" to have concubines .[1]

 

Muslims in the 13th century[edit] 

The Golden Bull of King  Andrew II prohibited the employment of Muslims as minters and tax

collectors.[2]

 The king, however, continued to employ them in his administration. On 3 March 1231,  Pope

Gregory IX requested the prelates of the kingdom to protest against this practise and also authorized them

to use ecclesiastical penalties for this reason.[2]

 In the same year, King Andrew had to confirm the

provisions of the Golden Bull but he still employed Muslims. Therefore, on 25 February 1232,

 Archbishop Robert of Esztergomplaced the Kingdom of Hungary under an interdict and excommunicated

some high dignitaries of the king.[2]

 Pope Gregory IX sent a legate to the kingdom who reached an

agreement with King Andrew on 20 August 1233 in Bereg.[2] 

Under the agreement, the Muslims and the Jews could not hold royal offices and they were obliged to wear

distinctive cloths. However, the king did not fulfil all the provisions of the agreement and therefore he was

excommunicated but he was absolved soon. On 10 December 1239, Pope Gregory IX even authorized

King Béla IV of Hungary to lease his revenues to non-Christians.[2]

 

Nevertheless, following the Mongol invasion of the kingdom (1241-1242) references to the Muslims in the

kingdom became scarce. In 1290, King Ladislaus IV of Hungary appointed a former Muslim, Mizse to the

office of the Palatine. 

The böszörmény  denomination is preserved as a family name and in toponyms, such

as Hajdúböszörmény.[3]

 

See also[edit] 

  Besermyan 

  Islam in Hungary 

  Ishmael 

References[edit] 

1. ^ Jump up to:a  b  c  d  e  f   g  h  i   j  k  Kristó, Gyula (2003). Nem magyar népek a középkori

Magyarországon (Non-Hungarian Peoples in the Medieval Hungary). Budapest: Lucidus Kiadó.

p. 42.ISBN 963-9465-15-1. 

2. ^ Jump up to:a  b  c  d  e  Benda, Kálmán (editor) (1981). Magyarország történeti kronológiája ("The

Historical Chronology of Hungary"). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. p. 136. ISBN 963-05-2661-1. 

3. Jump up^ "History of Hungary" (Hungarian) 

Sources[edit] 

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  Benda, Kálmán (editor): Magyarország történeti kronológiája (The Historical Chronology of Hungary);

 Akadémiai Kiadó, 1981, Budapest; ISBN 963-05-2661-1. 

  Kristó, Gyula: Nem magyar népek a középkori Magyarországon (Non-Hungarian Peoples in the

Medieval Hungary); Lucidus Kiadó, 2003, Budapest; ISBN 963-9465-15-1. 

  Kristó, Gyula (editor): Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon - 9-14. század (Encyclopedia of the Early

Hungarian History - 9-14th centuries); Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, Budapest; ISBN 963-05-6722-9. 

External links[edit] 

  http://www.magyariszlam.hu/eng/history.html 

  http://www.hajduporta.hu/english/index.php?id=page1300