The Magyar tribes (Hungarian: magyar törzsek) were the fundamental political units whose framework the Hungarians (Magyars) lived within, until these clans from Asia, more accurately from the region of Ural Mountains,[1] invaded the Carpathian Basin and established the Principality of Hungary.[2][unreliable source?][3][verification needed]
The locality in which the Hungarians, the Manicha-Er group, emerged was between the Volga river and the Ural Mountains.[1] Between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, the Magyars embarked upon their independent existence and the early period of the proto Magyar language began.[1]
Around 830,[4][5] the seven related tribes (Jeno, Kér, Keszi, Kürt-Gyarmat, Megyer, Nyék and Tarján)[6] formed a confederation[4] in Etelköz,[5] called "Hétmagyar" (ie, "The Seven Magyars"). Their leaders, the Seven chieftains of the Magyars, besides Álmos included Elod, Ond, Kond, Tas, Huba and Töhötöm, took a blood oath, swearing eternal loyalty to Álmos.[7] Presumably, the Magyar tribes consisted of 108 clans.[8]
The confederation of the tribes was probably led by two high princes: the kende (their spiritual ruler) and the gyula (their military leader). The high princes were either elected by the leaders of the tribes or appointed by the Khagan of the Khazars who had been exerting influence over the Magyars. Around 862 the seven tribes separated from the Khazars.
Before 881 three Turkic tribes rebelled against the rule of the Khagan of the Khazars, but they were suppressed. After their defeat they left the Khazar Empire and joined voluntarily to the confederation Hétmagyar. The three tribes was organised into one tribe, called Kabar, and later they played the role of vanguard and rear guard during the joint military actions of the confederation. With the joining of the three tribes to the previous seven ones, they became ten, which made them On-ogur (Ten Arrows),[6] one of the possible origins for the name Hungarian
The Seven chieftains of the Magyars (or Hungarians) were the leaders of the seven tribes of the Hungarians at the time of their arrival to the Carpathian Basin in 895 AD. Constantine VII, emperor of the Byzantine Empire names the seven tribes in his De Administrando Imperio, a list that can be verified with names of Hungarian settlements. The names of the chieftains, however, is not precisely known, as the chronicles include contradictory lists, some of which had been found to be false.
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Chieftains
Constantine VII does not give the names of the chieftains of the Hungarian tribes, but describes some aspects of the leadership.
According to Anonymus
A Hungarian chronicler known as Anonymus, author of Gesta Hungarorum, names the seven chieftains as:
Álmos, father of Árpád
Elod, father of Szabolcs
Kend (Kond, Kund), father of Korcán (Kurszán)
Ond, father of Ete
Tas, father of Lél (Lehel)
Huba
Tétény (Töhötöm), father of Horka[disambiguation needed]
Most probably all persons on this list were real and significant personalities, but the list, as that of the seven chieftains who started the conquest of the Carpathian Basin, is certainly false. [1]. Constantine VII names Tas as a grandson of Árpád. The relations of the early Hungarian leaders are subject of debate between historians.
According to Simon of Kéza
Hungarian chronicler Simon of Kéza names seven captains who led seven tribes:
Árpád, son of Álmos, who was the son of Elod, who was the son of Ügyek
Szabolcs
Gyula
Örs
Künd, father of Kusid and Kupian
Lél
Vérbulcsú ("Blood-Bulcsú"), whose name's origin is that "his father was killed by Germans in the battle of Krimhild", and for revenge, "he drank the blood of some, like wine".
This list, having more legendary elements, is even less credible than that of Anonymus, only Árpád and Szabolcs match the time of the conquest.
Kind(er):