Princesses of the Árpád-Family and the Mongol Invasion (1241–1242). Reasons for the Marriages of Béla IV’s Daughters

Éva Teiszler

Princesses of the Árpád-Family and the Mongol Invasion (1241–1242). Reasons for the Marriages of Béla IV’s Daughters

In 1247, King Béla IV wrote to Pope Innocent IV, claiming that he had to marry off his three daughters to men of lower social status due to the Mongol threat. These assertions have become deeply ingrained in historical literature and have significantly influenced interpretations of Béla IV’s foreign policy during the Mongol invasion. This study aims to clarify whether the Hungarian king’s letter should be interpreted so categorically and determine whether Béla IV’s statements necessarily and fundamentally shaped Hungarian foreign policy in the 1230s and 1240s.

Béla IV, Mongol invasion, Saint Kinga, Blessed Constance, Anna of the House of Árpád, Bolesław V, Poland, Halych, Danilo Romanovich, Rostislav Mikhailovich