Koppány
Koppány [1] (pronounced approximately "koppahn") was a Hungarian nobleman of the tenth century. Brother of the ruling prince of Hungary, Géza of the Árpád dynasty, Koppány ruled as Prince of Somogy in the region south of Lake Balaton. Following the death of Géza he claimed the right of succession: inheritance of the crown was determined by the principle of seniority, and Koppány was the oldest surviving member of the House of Árpád. However, his claim to power was challenged by Géza's son Vajk, Koppány's nephew, who had by then been baptized a Christian and given the name of István.
István claimed a divine right to succession and wanted to make Hungary into a Christian kingdom; Koppány in contrast stood for the old tribal values and pagan religion of the ancient Magyars. In 998 A.D. the supporters of István and followers of Koppány fought near Veszprém. István's army, bolstered by the support of a regiment of Bavarian knights, won a decisive victory over Koppány and had him executed.
The victory of the Christian István over the pagan Koppány in the battle for succession was of the utmost importance in determining the future course of Hungarian history. As István became King, Hungary became a European Christian kingdom, and began a period of territorial expansion as well as consolidation of the Magyar tribes into one unified nation.
Notes
- ^ According to the alternative theory of Arminius Vambery (the pioneer Hungarian-Jewish Turcologist), his name in Latin, Cupa / Cupan, was derived from the Turkish word kupan, the rebel (upriser).
He stated that Koppány's original name had actually been forgotten and that the name remaining in written sources was derived from his rebel status.
References
- Lendvai, Paul: The Hungarians: A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat, Princeton University Press, 2003. pp 29-31