Title: Právne a spoločenské postavenie moslimov v stredovekom Uhorsku v 11.-13. storočí
Variant title:
- Anti-Muslim legislation in medieval Hungary in the 11th - 13th centuries
Source document: Religio. 2024, vol. 32, iss. 2, pp. 299-314
Extent
299-314
-
ISSN1210-3640 (print)2336-4475 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/Rel2024-39153
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.80716
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Rights access
open access
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
The text provides an overview of the state's attitude towards the Muslim community in medieval Hungary between the 11th and 13th centuries. Based on the reports of Arab historians, geographers, and travelers, as well as legislative texts from the Kingdom of Hungary, the article aims to delineate the individual phases of persecution, regulation, and tolerance of the state towards Muslims. From the beginning of the 11th century, coinciding with the Christianization of Hungary, we lack specific legislation targeting Muslims; however, their position was likely influenced by the general policy and attitudes of the kingdom toward non-Christian minorities. Legislation from the late 11th century penalized manifestations of Christianized Muslims (as well as Jews) reverting to their original religion. Early 12th-century laws criminalized Muslim customs and regulated the majority population's interactions with former Muslims. Throughout the 12th century, religious and ethnic diversity increased in Hungary, potentially leading to a more tolerant attitude toward the Muslim population later on. However, we do not have documents from this period that explicitly define their legal status and social position. From the mid-12th century, Arabic reports describe the dual status of Muslims in Hungary: there were secret (former) Muslims and those who practiced their faith openly. Thus, Islam was tolerated to a certain extent. By the early 13th century, Arabic accounts portray a prosperous rather than a persecuted community. This change in perception is confirmed by correspondence between the papal curia and the Hungarian royal court, and by Hungarian legislation from the first third of the 13th century, which directly addressed Muslims. This legislation attempted to regulate their involvement in the royal administration but largely overlooked their religious affiliation.
Note
Text vznikol v rámci grantu VEGA1/0731/22 Islam na Slovensku v predosmanskom období.