Ugrin Csák, Archbishop of Kalocsa
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Ugrin from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli Ugrin; ''c''. 1190 – 11 April 1241) was a Hungarian prelate and military leader in the first half of the 13th century, who served as
Archbishop of Kalocsa In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
from 1219 until his death at the
Battle of Mohi The Battle of Mohi (11 April 1241), also known as Battle of the Sajó River''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East'', Vol. I, ed. Spencer C. Tucker, (ABC-CLIO, 2010), 279; "Although Mongol losses in t ...
(
Sajó River The Sajó ( , Hungarian) or Slaná ( Slovak) is a river in Slovakia and Hungary. Its length is 229 km, of which 110 km is in Slovakia. Its source is in the Stolica Mountains range of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It flows through the ...
) on 11 April 1241. He was also chancellor of the royal court from 1217 to 1219 and from 1230 to 1235.


Family

Ugrin (I) (also known as Ugolin or Hugolin) was born into the Újlak branch of the ''gens'' Csák as the son of ''
ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
'' Bás (I). His brothers were Bás (II) and Pós (or Pous), who served as
Master of the treasury The master of the treasury or treasurerSegeš 2002, p. 316.Rady 2000, p. 113. (german: Königlicher Ober-SchatzmeisterFallenbüchl 1988, p. 80. or , hu, tárnokmester,Zsoldos 2011, p. 61. la, magister tavarnicorum, or , sk, taverník hr, tave ...
and
Ban of Severin The Banate of Severin or Banate of Szörény ( hu, Szörényi bánság; ro, Banatul Severinului; la, Banatus Zewrinensis; bg, Северинско банство, ; sr, Северинска бановина, ) was a Hungarian political, mili ...
in 1235, and was considered an influential courtier of
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
Béla of Transylvania. The Csák clan was one of the most ancient and powerful kindreds in Hungary. According to the ''
Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum The ''Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum'Reader's encyclopedia of Eastern European literature'', 1993, Robert B. Pynsent, Sonia I. Kanikova, p. 529. (Latin: "Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians") is a medieval chronicle written mainly by Simon of Kéz ...
'' ("Deeds of the Huns and Hungarians"), the ancestor of the kindred was Szabolcs, son of chieftain
Előd Előd was – according to the chronicler Anonymus (or "Master P."), author of the ''Gesta Hungarorum'' – one of the seven chieftains of the Magyars (Hungarians), who led them to the Carpathian Basin in 895. There are three somewhat differing ...
, the leader of one of the seven
Magyar tribes The Magyar tribes ( , hu, magyar törzsek) or Hungarian clans were the fundamental political units within whose framework the Hungarians (Magyars) lived, before the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the subsequent established the Pr ...
, who participated in the
Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin The Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, also known as the Hungarian conquest or the Hungarian land-taking (), was a series of historical events ending with the settlement of the Hungarians in Central Europe in the late 9th and early 10t ...
in the late 9th century. Due to his influence through his ecclesiastical career, Ugrin was a prominent patron of his branch within the Csák kindred. His namesake nephew (possibly son of Bás II) studied at the
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
, where he spent twelve years and his theologian studies was financially funded by his uncle Ugrin. Later, this Ugrin (II) served as
Archbishop of Split The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Split-Makarska ( hr, Splitsko-makarska nadbiskupija; la, Archidioecesis Spalatensis-Macarscensis) is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Croatia and Montenegro.
from 1244 to 1248. Another namesake nephew was the son of Pós, who died by 1240. In that year, his minor sons (Ugrin III and other unidenfitied one and their cousin Csák (another son of Bás II) were involved in a lawsuit against the St. Michael church in Vas County. During the case, the children were represented by Demetrius Csák from the clan's Ugod branch and their uncle, Archbishop Ugrin. By the end of the 13th century, Ugrin (III) became one of the most powerful
oligarchs Oligarch may refer to: Authority * Oligarch, a member of an oligarchy, a power structure where control resides in a small number of people * Oligarch (Kingdom of Hungary), late 13th–14th centuries * Business oligarch, wealthy and influential bu ...
in the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
.


Chancellor

Ugrin is first mentioned by contemporary records in 1217, when he was appointed chancellor of the royal court of Andrew II. Under his tenure, the structure of royal diplomas has undergone a significant change. The charters had a full ''promulgatio'' and ''corroboratio'' thereafter, while the section ''arenga'' usually emphasized King Andrew's reform policy, the so-called "new institutions". This was the most significant chancellery reform since the reign of
Béla III of Hungary Béla III ( hu, III. Béla, hr, Bela III, sk, Belo III; 114823 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a ...
. His role as royal chancellor in the first time is also unique, as he had no known ecclesiastical position (''stallum'') simultaneously. As royal chancellor, Ugrin participated in the
Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by al-Adil, brother of Sala ...
, where accompanied Andrew II to the
Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
in the second half of 1217. During their journey to
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, the local bishop
Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
and the cathedral chapter requested Andrew to confirm their privileges. Upon the order of the king, Ugrin read out and transcribe the former letters of royal donation and the monarch confirmed those thereafter. The majority of the Hungarian contingent, including Ugrin, returned to home in early 1218. Ugrin held the office of chancellor until 1219, when he was elected Archbishop of Kalocsa. He was succeeded by
Cletus Bél Cletus from the kindred Bél ( hu, Bél nembeli Kilit; died December 1245) was a Hungarian prelate in the first half of the 13th century, who served as Bishop of Eger from 1224 to 1245. As royal chancellor, he drafted the Golden Bull of 1222 issue ...
, who continued his chancellery reform. More than a decade later, Ugrin was made chancellor for the second time in 1230. He held the office until the death of Andrew II in 1235. His activity resulted the return of forms of ''corroboratio'' in royal charters.


Archbishop of Kalocsa


Ecclesiastical affairs

Ugrin Csák was elected Archbishop of Kalocsa in early 1219, succeeding
Berthold Berthold or Berchtold is a Germanic given name and surname. It is derived from two elements, ''berht'' meaning "bright" and ''wald'' meaning "(to) rule". It may refer to: *Bertholdt Hoover, a fictional List_of_Attack_on_Titan_characters, character ...
, who was transferred to the
Patriarchate of Aquileia The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian seacoast. For many centuries it played an important part in histor ...
in the previous year. Thereafter, the joint cathedral chapters of
Kalocsa Kalocsa (; hr, Kaloča or ''Kalača''; sr, Kaloča or Калоча; german: Kollotschau) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the ...
and Bács (present-day Bač,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
) sent the provost of Hájszentlőrinc and the archdeacon of
Bodrog The Bodrog is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary. It is a tributary to the river Tisza. The Bodrog is formed by the confluence of the rivers Ondava and Latorica near Zemplín in eastern Slovakia. It crosses the Slovak–Hun ...
to the Roman Curia in order to request
Pope Honorius III Pope Honorius III (c. 1150 – 18 March 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 July 1216 to his death. A canon at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, he came to hold a number of importa ...
to confirm Ugrin's election. The pope, however, initially refused to do that, suggesting further consideration to the canons in his reply letter dated March 1219. The pope also expressed his wish to meet the archbishop-elect in person. Three months later, in June 1219, Honorius confirmed his election and permitted him to wear his ''
pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...
''. Theologians
Augustin Theiner Augustin Theiner, Cong.Orat., (11 April 1804, in Breslau – 8 August 1874, in Civitavecchia) was a German theologian and historian. He was the son of a shoemaker. As a boy, he was a pupil at the gymnasium of St. Mathias at Breslau, Silesia, the ...
and József Udvardy argued Ugrin himself and some of the canons visited the Holy See, where the archbishop-elect made a good impression on the pope, who then confirmed his election and personally consecrated him as bishop. He was the last Archbishop of Kalocsa, who impugned the supremacy of the
Archdiocese of Esztergom In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
. It is plausible, he raised objection against
John, Archbishop of Esztergom John ( hu, János; died November 1223) was a prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 12th and 13th centuries. He was Bishop of Csanád (now Cenad in Romania) between 1198 and 1201, Archbishop of Kalocsa from 1202 to 1205 and Archbishop of Eszter ...
in the Roman Curia simultaneously with his confirmation and consecration. Consequently, Pope Honorius rebuked John, because he unduly exercised jurisdiction over royal churches in the Archdiocese of Kalocsa, in violation of the privilege of the newly elected Ugrin Csák. Honorius emphasized in his rescript that "the equal rchbishopcan not have power over the equal rchbishop. He permitted Ugrin to supervise royal churches located in his archdiocese and collect
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
s from their revenues. Despite the pope's favorable decision, Ugrin and his successors could not enforce it; the Hungarian kings even prevented the popes from exerting influence over the operation and income of the royal churches. The strengthening of secular barons soon smoothed out the internal hierarchical conflicts of the Church in the following decades, and Ugrin no longer tried to increase the influence of his archdiocese to the detriment of Esztergom. It is possible that Ugrin was present in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 7 July 1220, when
Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
's remains were moved from his first tomb to a shrine, in the recently completed Trinity Chapel. The event was attended by King Henry III, the papal legate
Pandulf Verraccio Pandulf Verraccio (died 16 September 1226), whose first name may also be spelled Pandolph or Pandulph (''Pandolfo'' in Italian), was a Roman ecclesiastical politician, papal legate to England and bishop of Norwich. Early life Pandulf was born ...
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228. The dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III over his ...
and large numbers of dignitaries and magnates secular and ecclesiastical throughout from Europe. Alongside Langton and
Guillaume de Joinville William of Joinville (French ''Guillaume de Joinville''; died 1226) was a French ecclesiastic. A younger son of Geoffrey IV of Joinville and Helvide of Dampierre, he joined the chapter of Châlons Cathedral, become archdeacon by 1191. He then became ...
,
Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese ...
, an unidentified Hungarian archbishop among the guests is referred by
Walter of Coventry Walter of Coventry ( fl. 1290), English monk and chronicler, who was apparently connected with a religious house in the province of York, is known to us only through the historical compilation which bears his name, the ''Memoriale fratris Walteri ...
in his work ''Memoriale'', when described the events. László Solymosi argued this archbishop may have been John, at whose seat in Esztergom there was a provostry erected in the honour of Thomas Becket. Due to John's advanced age, historian Gábor Thoroczkay considers Walter's narration refers to Ugrin Csák of Kalocsa, who was much younger than John. Around 1220 or 1221, Ugrin, alongside other lords and prelates, for instance
Nicholas Szák Nicholas from the kindred Szák ( hu, Szák nembeli Miklós; died March 1241) was a powerful Hungarian baron in the first decades of the 13th century. As a confidant of King Andrew II, he served as Palatine of Hungary from 1219 to 1222 and for a ...
and Bishop Robert of Veszprém, pledged to return to the Holy Land and fight against the
Ayyubid Sultanate The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladin ...
. Pope Honorius supported their effort, but in the end no new Hungarian contingent was launched to take part in the Fifth Crusade. Honorius instructed Ugrin to protect the family and wealth of Nicholas Szák, who had returned to the Holy Land, on behalf of the Holy See in December 1223. After
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (German language, German: ''Friedrich''; Italian language, Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Em ...
and Pope Honorius concluded a peace, where the emperor promised to depart on the crusade by 15 August 1227, the pope sent a letter to Ugrin in January 1226, in which he instructed him to proclaim the crusade and begin recruiting in his province. Ugrin was also involved in some ecclesiastical affairs in the early years of his archiepiscopal tenure. In 1222, he contested the election of
Raynald of Belleville Raynald of Belleville (french: Renaud de Belleville, hu, Belleville-i Rajnáld; died 11 April 1241) was a Norman-born Hungarian prelate and diplomat in the 13th century, who served as the Bishop of Transylvania from 1222 until his death. Early c ...
as
Bishop of Transylvania :''There is also a Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Alba Iulia and a Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.'' The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia ( hu, Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Érsekség) is a Latin Church Cath ...
due to Raynald's half-blindness, but Honorius refused his complaint. Ugrin judged over various ecclesiastical lawsuits, including the trial between
Pannonhalma Abbey The Benedictine Pannonhalma Archabbey or Territorial Abbey of Pannonhalma (lat. ''Archiabbatia'' or ''Abbatia Territorialis Sancti Martini in Monte Pannoniae'') is a medieval building in Pannonhalma Pannonhalma (german: Martinsberg; sk, Rábsk ...
and Robert of Veszprém. He also acted an arbiter in the lawsuit between
Stephen II, Bishop of Zagreb Stephen II ( hr, Stjepan, hu, István; 1190/95 – 10 July 1247) was a Croatian– Hungarian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Zagreb from 1225 until his death in 1247. Theories of origin Stephen II was born between 11 ...
and the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
over the land Rassecha in 1230. With the leadership of Ugrin, the Hungarian prelates summoned in the first half of 1223 and persuade Andrew II to forgive his son Duke Béla, and withdraw the order which compelled his son to separate from his wife
Maria Laskarina Maria Laskarina (c. 1206 – 16 July or 24 June 1270) was a Greek Queen consort of Hungary by marriage to Béla IV of Hungary. She was the daughter of Theodore I Laskaris and Anna Komnena Angelina. Life She was a younger sister of Irene Lascarina ...
in the previous year. Ugrin also sent a letter to the pope, to inform him truthfully of the complicated matter. Béla fled Hungary, but after the pope's mediation, he was able to return together with his wife in the spring of 1224. The pope authorized Ugrin and his suffragans to supervise the "harmful" royal land grants made by King Andrew II in his ecclesiastical province in August 1225 (he had called him for this before, as early as 1220). When the majority of the cathedral chapter of Várad (present-day
Oradea Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...
,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
) elected
Benedict Osl Benedict from the kindred Osl ( hu, Osl nembeli Benedek; died June/October 1244) was a Hungarian prelate in the 13th century, who served as Bishop of Várad from 1231 to 1243, then briefly Bishop of Győr from 1243 until his death. He was also ca ...
as
Bishop of Várad The Diocese of Oradea ( la, Dioecesis Magnovaradinensis Latinorum, hu, Nagyváradi Római Katolikus Egyházmegye, ro, Dieceza Romano-Catolică de Oradea Mare) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Romania, named after its episcopal s ...
in May 1231, his superior Ugrin Csák confirmed his election and consecrated him shortly thereafter. However,
Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...
contested Benedict's election and supported the candidacy of his
subdeacon Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...
Primogenitus. The conflict continued in the coming years. In 1232, Ugrin established a
Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
abbey in Gotó (or "''Honesta Vallis''") in
Požega County Požega County ( hr, Požeška županija; hu, Pozsega vármegye) was a historic administrative subdivision (''županija'') of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Sain ...
, dedicated to
Mary the Virgin Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
. The first monks arrived from
Zirc Abbey Zirc Abbey, formerly also Zircz Abbey, also known as ''Zircensis'' or ''Boccon'', is a Cistercian abbey, situated in Zirc in the Diocese of Veszprém, Hungary. History First period The early history of the monastery is obscure as regards to bot ...
. In May 1234, Ugrin instructed two ''conversi'' (monks originally laity) to administer the hospital and
almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
near Bács, founded by the archbishop himself too. In December 1233, Ugrin merged the revenues of the Hájszentlőrinc Chapter, founded by Queen Anna of Châtillon, into the Archdeacony of Bodrog, whereas the former's sources of income had dwindled by then, so he had integrated the provostry into the organizational structure of the archdiocese. Pope Gregory IX confirmed Ugrin's decision in May 1234. During his long lasting archiepiscopal reign, Ugrin initiated and conducted the reconstruction of the Kalocsa Cathedral into Romanesque style (the so-called "second cathedral"), on the model of the Notre Dame d'Avesnières in
Laval, Mayenne Laval () is a town in western France, about west-southwest of Paris, and the capital of the Mayenne department. Its inhabitants are called ''Lavallois''. The commune of Laval proper, without the metropolitan area, is the 7th most populous in ...
, according to art historian Imre Henszlmann (in contrast, architect
Ernő Foerk Ernő Foerk (3 February 1868, Temesvár – 26 January 1934, Budapest) was a Hungarian architect. Life Foerk originally began as a sculptor, but subsequently finished as a master builder. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts The A ...
put the date of the rebuilding to the 1150s). A significant number of
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
communities lived in the territory of the Archidocese of Kalocsa. In 1225, Pope Honorius blamed Ugrin of tolerating the violation of the prohibition of the employment of
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and Muslims in the royal administration in his archdiocese. According to the pope's complaint, Ugrin ignored the fact that many Muslims possessed Christian slaves and maintained family and business relations from the Muslim world. During the conclusion of the
Oath of Bereg The oath of Bereg ( hu, beregi eskü), also labelled as agreement at Bereg ( hu, beregi egyezmény), was a treaty signed between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Holy See in the forests of Bereg on 20 August 1233. In the document, King Andrew II of H ...
(August 1233), papal legate
James of Pecorara James of Pecorara or Giacomo da Pecorara (1170s – June 1244) was an Italian monk, Catholic cardinal, cardinal and diplomat. James was a cleric in the Archdiocese of Ravenna, church of Ravenna before he joined the Cistercians in 1215, becoming a ...
instructed Ugrin and four other Hungarian prelates, whose dioceses were inhabited by a significant number of Muslim or Jewish communities, to separate those people from Christian settlements and ensure the permanence of segregation during their annual cruises. Upon Andrew's request, Pope Gregory IX allowed the investigation of the separation of non-Christians to take place once every two years after 1235.


Bosnian Crusade

Ugrin's archiepiscopal activity extended considerably to the case of Christians declared heretics in the
Banate of Bosnia The Banate of Bosnia ( sh, Banovina Bosna / Бановина Босна), or Bosnian Banate (''Bosanska banovina'' / Босанска бановина), was a medieval state based in what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although Hungarian kings ...
. Already in the early 13th century, the Hungarians turned to Rome, complaining to
Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
that the
Bosnian Church The Bosnian Church ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Crkva bosanska, Црква Босанска) was a Christian church in medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina that was independent of and considered heretical by both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox ...
was a centre of
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
, based on the refuge that some
Cathars Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Fol ...
(also known as
Bogomils Bogomilism ( Bulgarian and Macedonian: ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", bogumilstvo, богумилство) was a Christian neo-Gnostic or dualist sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar P ...
or Patarenes) had found there. A papal legate Acontius of Viterbo was to deal with pirates from
Omiš Omiš (, Latin and it, Almissa) is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is wh ...
who attacked crusaders and pilgrimages on their way to the Holy Land. Residing in
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, he informed the growing influence of heretics over Bosnia in 1221. In response, Pope Honorius launched a
crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
against the Bosnian Church in December 1221. Instead of King Andrew, Ugrin Csák was appointed as leader of the crusade. The Hungarian king placed the provinces of Bosnia,
Ozora Ozora is a village in Tolna, Hungary. It has been notable since the Middle Ages, when Pipo of Ozora built a castle at this site by permission of Sigismund of Hungary in 1416. Artúr Görgei won an important victory in this area at the Battle o ...
(Usora) and (Soli) under the suzerainty of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa in order to support Ugrin's efforts against the heretics. According to two papal letters from May 1225, Ugrin achieved significant success in the fight against heretics. The pope confirmed Andrew's donations in those documents. According to historians
Dominik Mandić Dominik Mandić (2 December 1889 – 23 August 1973) was a Herzegovinian Croat Franciscan and historian. Biography Mandić was born in Lise near Široki Brijeg in Herzegovina. He completed his primary education in Široki Brijeg, where he atte ...
and Ivan Majnarić, Acontius and Ugrin summoned a large crusader army and attacked Bosnia, whose defense rushed unprepared for war and suffered heavy losses in the period between 1221 and 1222. The crusaders have succeeded in conquering much of the country and thousands of infidels have been deported to southern Hungary. However there is no source of a large-scale war actually happened between 1221 and 1225, and Acontius' role in Bosnia is hypothetical too. As a preparation of war against the heretics, Ugrin handed over a wage of 200
marks Marks may refer to: Business * Mark's, a Canadian retail chain * Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain * Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members * Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel '' ...
of silver to John Angelos, a nephew of Andrew II, in order to invade Bosnia on behalf of the Hungarian monarch. Although John took the money but never acted against the Bogomils, despite being reminded of his obligation by Pope Honorius III in 1227. Ugrin intended to establish a permanent military camp along the southern border to launch raids in Bosnia. As a result, he bought the royal fortress of Požega from Andrew II and Duke Béla in exchange for his inherited lordship of Érdsomlyó in Krassó County (present-day Vršac, Serbia) sometime before 1227. Upon the request of Ugrin and the cathedral chapter, Pope Honorius confirmed the attachment of the castle to the Archdiocese of Kalocsa in January 1227. From Požega, Ugrin often launched attacks against the heretics, establishing small forts and outposts along the river
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
. Whether a large-scale crusade took place after 1225 with the leadership of Ugrin, is highly uncertain. Prior to 1229, Ugrin Csák asked for permission to establish a Roman Catholic diocese in
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
in order to facilitate the conversation of Bosnian heretics. It is possible that this effort was inspired by the successes of his rival Archbishop Robert regarding the conversion of
Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...
along the eastern border of Hungary. After a report compiled by Raynald of Belleville and Desiderius, Bishop of Csanád, Pope Gregory IX approved establishment of the Diocese of Syrmia in January 1229. The pope entrusted his chaplain Aegidius (or Giles) to consecrate the new bishopric and drew the previously established Greek-rite churches in the territory under its suzerainty. Ugrin selected the abandoned Kő monastery (also known as Bánmonostor, present-day
Banoštor Banoštor () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Beočin municipality, in the Vojvodina province. Although the village is geographically located in Syrmia, it is part of the South Bačka District. The village has a Serb ethnic majority ...
, Serbia) – founded by
Beloš Beloš ( sr-cyr, Белош; hu, Belos or ''Belus''; el, Βελούσης fl. 1141–1163), was a Serbian prince and Hungarian palatine who served as the regent of Hungary from 1141 until 1146, alongside his sister Helena, mother of the infan ...
in the 12th century, where then no order of monks could survive for a long time – as episcopal seat of the newly founded diocese. The estate provided annual income of 300 marks to the bishopric, while Ugrin also intended to hand over 30 marks from his revenues. Ugrin sought to expand the territory of the diocese beyond the river Sava, in
Lower Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
(later known as
Mačva Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; hu, Macsó) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is name ...
or Macsó).
Innocent Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience. In relation ...
, the earliest Bishop of Syrmia first appears in contemporary records in 1232. In that year, Pope Gregory commissioned Ugrin to resolve the conflict of jurisdiction between Innocent and the local archdeacon of Syrmia (a member of the cathedral chapter of Bács).


Last years

Béla IV ascended the Hungarian throne in 1235. Soon, Ugrin Csák was replaced as chancellor by
Matthias Rátót Matthias from the kindred Rátót ( hu, Rátót nembeli Mátyás; died April 11, 1241) was a Hungarian prelate in the first half of the 13th century, who served as Bishop of Vác from 1238 to 1240, then Archbishop of Esztergom from 1239 until his ...
. After the
Emperor of Bulgaria The monarchs of Bulgaria ruled the country during three periods of Bulgaria's history as an independent country: from the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 to the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria in 1018; from the Uprising of Ase ...
,
Ivan Asen II Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II ( bg, Иван Асен II, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Empi ...
and the
Emperor of Nicaea This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
,
John III Vatatzes John III Doukas Vatatzes, Latinized as Ducas Vatatzes ( el, Ιωάννης Δούκας Βατάτζης, ''Iōannēs Doukas Vatatzēs'', c. 1192 – 3 November 1254), was Emperor of Nicaea from 1221 to 1254. He was succeeded by his son, known ...
, concluded an alliance against the
Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzanti ...
and the rank of
patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
was granted to the head of the
Bulgarian Church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgarsk ...
in token of its
autocephaly Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
, Pope Gregory IX sent a letter to Hungarian archbishops Robert and Ugrin Csák in May 1236 to urge them to warn Ivan Asen to refrain himself from the
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
John Vatatzes and the "persecution of Latins .e. Roman Catholics. After Béla's ascension, several partisans of the late Andrew II were convicted of "high treason". The monarch complained in his letter sent to Pope Gregory that some of them (including the aforementioned Nicholas Szák) usurped much of the crown revenues and deposited it with local churches. In August 1236, the pope instructed Ugrin to recover these assets in the territory of his archdiocese by warning or threatening the superiors of those churches. When
Baldwin II, Latin Emperor Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Courtenay (french: Baudouin de Courtenay; late 1217 – October 1273), was the last Latin Emperor ruling from Constantinople. Biography Baldwin II was born in Constantinople (the only Latin emperor to be bo ...
traveled to
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
in 1236, trying to raise money and soldiers to recover the lost territory of his realm, Pope Gregory instructed Ugrin to cooperate with his envoy Salvio Salvi,
Bishop of Perugia A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
to organize the collection of financial aid in Hungary. By the early 1230s, the case of the heretics in Bosnia was taken over by Duke Coloman, King Béla's younger brother. The duke launched a crusade upon the request of the pope in 1235, but the crusaders succeeded in conquering only peripheral parts of Bosnia. In December 1238, Pope Gregory entrusted Ugrin and other Hungarian prelates to support Ponsa – the local pro-Hungarian Catholic bishop – and his activity in Bosnia. When Duke Coloman intended to unify the
Archdiocese of Split The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Split-Makarska ( hr, Splitsko-makarska nadbiskupija; la, Archidioecesis Spalatensis-Macarscensis) is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Croatia and Montenegro.
with the Diocese of Zagreb, which would have extracted the latter bishopric from the administration of the Hungarian ecclesiastical organization, Pope Gregory reminded him in June 1240, that the two dioceses could not be united without the consent of Ugrin Csák, the archbishop of Kalocsa – superior of the bishop of Zagreb – and the chapters of their sees. Ugrin was commissioned to deliver the ''pallium'' to Matthias Rátót, the newly elected Archbishop of Esztergom in March 1240. Pope Gregory summoned a council at Rome to give point to his anathema in his renewing conflict with Emperor Frederick II in early 1241. The Hungarian prelates were also invited to the council. Ugrin already arranged for the trip to the
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
for himself and his suffragans, when King Béla IV called them back because ominous news began to arrive from the eastern border of the country.


Mongol invasion and death

The Mongols gathered in the lands bordering Hungary and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
under the command of
Batu Khan Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. ...
in December 1240. They demanded King Béla's submission to their
Great Khan Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...
Ögödei, but Béla refused to yield and had the mountain passes fortified. The royal army, including the troops of Ugrin Csák, began to gather at Pest. The Mongols, with the assistance of the subjugated
Ruthenians Ruthenian and Ruthene are exonyms of Latin origin, formerly used in Eastern and Central Europe as common ethnonyms for East Slavs, particularly during the late medieval and early modern periods. The Latin term Rutheni was used in medieval sourc ...
, broke through the barricades erected in the
Verecke Pass Veretskyi Pass or Verecke Pass ( uk, Вере́цький перевал, translit=Veretskyi pereval, more formally: uk, перевал Середньоверецький, translit=pereval Serednoveretskyi, label=none, also known as: uk, В ...
(Veretsky Pass, Ukraine) on 12 March 1241, defeating the army of
Palatine A palatine or palatinus (in Latin; plural ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
Denis Tomaj Denis from the kindred Tomaj ( hu, Tomaj nembeli Dénes; died 11 April 1241) was a Hungarian influential baron in the first half of the 13th century, who served as the Palatine of Hungary under King Béla IV from year 1235 to 1241, until his dea ...
. Ugrin became one of the chief organizers of the home defence thereafter. A Mongol unit under the leadership of
Shiban Shiban (Sheiban) or Shayban ( mn, Шибан, ''Shiban'', also spelled ''Siban''; uz, Shaybon / Шайбон) was a prince of the early Golden Horde. He was a grandson of Genghis Khan, the fifth son of Jochi and a younger brother of Batu Khan w ...
, Batu's younger brother, arrived the area of Pest by 15 March 1241. They began to plunder the surrounding area (including the sack of
Vác Vác (; german: Waitzen; sk, Vacov; yi, ווייצען) is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spelling of the name is ''Vácz''. Location Vác is located north of Budapest on the eastern bank o ...
), but the king forbade his soldiers to pursue the marauders. Despite that Ugrin defied the royal command, possibly feeling himself "quite experienced and respectable", and gathered his knights to launch a counterattack against the Mongol troops raiding the area. On 17 March 1241, the archbishop's army got stuck in the surrounding swamps during the chase; the light cavalry Mongols surrounded the heavy armored Christian units and they slaughtered them with a shower of arrows. Ugrin narrowly managed to flee the swampland with just a few people. The Hungarian army reached the flooded river
Sajó The Sajó ( , Hungarian) or Slaná ( Slovak) is a river in Slovakia and Hungary. Its length is 229 km, of which 110 km is in Slovakia. Its source is in the Stolica Mountains range of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It flows through the ...
in the following days. The cautious king ordered the building of a heavily fortified camp of wagons, a battle-tested countermeasure against nomadic armies.
Roger of Torre Maggiore Roger of Torre Maggiore or Master Roger ( hu, Rogerius mester; 1205 in Torre Maggiore – April 14, 1266 in Split) was an Italian prelate active in the Kingdom of Hungary in the middle of the 13th century. He was archbishop of Split in ...
emphasized in his narration '' Carmen miserabile'' that Ugrin urged the monarch to march out against the Mongols in force, because they "were day and night burning down villages all around".''Master Roger's Epistle'' (ch. 25), p. 175. According to
Thomas the Archdeacon Thomas the Archdeacon ( la, Thomas Archidiaconus; it, Tommaso Arcidiacono; hr, Toma Arhiđakon; c. 1200 – 8 May 1268), also known as Thomas of Spalato ( la, Thomas Spalatensis, hu, Spalatói Tamás), was a Roman Catholic cleric, historian and ...
, a Ruthenian slave of the Mongols escaped to the Hungarians on 10 April and warned them that the Mongols intended a night attack over the bridge over the Sajó. Duke Coloman, Ugrin Csák and Rembald de Voczon, the master of the Knights Templar in Hungary and Slavonia, gathered their armies and marched to the bridge, arriving there by midnight. They attacked a vanguard of the Mongol army, who began to cross the bridge by then. The rapid onslaught was a resounding success, as most of the enemy were killed or drowned in the river. Coloman and Ugrin returned to the royal camp, leaving behind approximately 1,000 watchmen at the bridge, unaware that the main Mongol army was nearby. Arriving at the camp, they celebrated their victory. However, both Coloman and Ugrin spent the night fully armed, preparing for a possible attack. According to historian János B. Szabó, the chronicler Thomas the Archdeacon arbitrarily emphasizes the courage of Duke Coloman and Ugrin, overemphasizing their role in the battle, while everyone except them turns out to be a coward and want to avoid a clash with the Mongols. The unexpected Hungarian victory forced Batu and the Mongol generals to modify their plans. Shiban was sent north to a ford with a smaller force to cross the river and attack the rear of the bridge-guard. When the fleeing Hungarians arrived at the camp they woke the others. Coloman, Ugrin and Rembald, as Thomas the Archdeacon narrates, then left the camp again to deal with the attackers. Others remained there, believing this was also a minor attack and that Coloman would again be victorious. But as Coloman and Ugrin witnessed the horde of Mongols swell, they realized that this was not a minor raid but an attack by the main Mongol force. After some heavy fighting, they returned to the camp hoping to mobilise the full army. They were badly disappointed, as Béla IV had not even issued orders to prepare for battle. Archbishop Ugrin reproached the King for his faults in public. The main Mongol army crossed the bridge in the morning and an open battle took place. The Hungarian army was virtually annihilated in the Battle of Mohi on the Sajó River on 11 April 1241. A great number of Hungarian lords, prelates and noblemen were killed, including the two archbishops, Ugrin Csák and Matthias Rátót.


References


Sources


Primary sources

*''Archdeacon Thomas of Split: History of the Bishops of Salona and Split'' (Latin text by Olga Perić, edited, translated and annotated by Damir Karbić, Mirjana Matijević Sokol and James Ross Sweeney) (2006). CEU Press. . * ''Master Roger's Epistle to the Sorrowful Lament upon the Destruction of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Tatars'' (Translated and Annotated by János M. Bak and Martyn Rady) (2010). In: Rady, Martyn; Veszprémy, László; Bak, János M. (2010); ''Anonymus and Master Roger''; CEU Press; .


Secondary sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Csak, Ugrin 1241 deaths Ugrin 13th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Hungary Hungarian military personnel killed in the Mongol invasion of Europe Year of birth unknown 12th-century Hungarian people 13th-century Hungarian people Christians of the Fifth Crusade Founders of Christian monasteries Medieval Hungarian military leaders Year of birth uncertain