Rulers of Hungary
| Ruler | Years | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 895 - 1301 | ||
| High Prince Almos | c. 858 - c. 895 | The first Hungarian leader, and father of Arpad. He strengthened the alliance between the other six Magyar tribal leaders. |
| Arpad | c. 895 - c. 907 | Led the Magyars into Central Europe around 896. According to the dual system of rulership (similar to the Khazars), he was the actual leader with Kurszan as religious head. |
| The rulers of the first half of the 10th century are often disputed, as the Hungarian nation consisted of several tribes led by various leaders. The most frequently proposed are: | ||
| Szabolcs | c. 907 | - |
| Tarhos | c. 907 - c. 922 | - |
| Zoltan | c. 907 - c.947 | Also known as Zaltas. The youngest (fifth) son of Arpad, and Third Grand Prince of the Hungarians(Magyars). |
| Fajsz | c. 947 - c. 955 | Also known as Fali or Falicsi. Son of Jutocsa (Jutas) the third son of Arpad. |
| Taksony | c. 955 - c. 972 | Son of Zoltan (Zaltas) |
| Geza | c. 972 - 997 | Son of Taksony |
| Stephen I (Szent Istvan) | 997 - 1000 | Son of Geza. Last Grand Prince. |
| Stephen I | 1000 - 15 August 1038 | Son of Geza. Proclaimed the first King of Hungary. |
| Dynastic struggle 1038-1046 | ||
| Peter Orseolo | 15 August 1038 - 1041 | Also known as Peter I the Venetian. Grandson of Geza. Dethroned. |
| Samuel Aba | 1041 - 5 July 1044 | Leader of the Kabar tribe. Married Geza's daughter Gizella. |
| Peter Orseolo | 1044 - 1046 | Reinstated, but dethroned again. |
| Vatha pagan rising 1046-1047 | ||
| Andrew I | 1047 - 1061 | Arpad dynasty restored |
| Bela I | 1061 - August 1063 | brother of Andrew I |
| Solomon | August 1063 - 28 October 1074 | son of Andrew I |
| Geza I | 28 October 1074 - 25 April 1077 | son of Bela I |
| St. Ladislaus | 25 April 1077 - 29 July 1095 | son of Bela I |
| Coloman | 29 July 1095 - 3 February 1116 | son of Geza I. |
| Stephen II | 3 February 1116 - 3 April 1131 | Son of Kalman |
| Bela II the Blind | 3 April 1131 - 13 February 1141 | grandson of Geza I, son of Almos, Kalman's younger brother |
| Geza II | 13 February 1141 - 31 May 1162 | son of Bela II |
| Stephen III | 31 May 1162 - 4 March 1172 | son of Geza II |
| Ladislaus II | 31 May 1162 - 14 January 1163 | rebel anti-king, younger brother of Geza II. |
| Stephen IV | 14 January 1163 - June 1163 | rebel anti-king, younger brother of Geza II. |
| Bela III | 4 March 1172 - 13 April 1196 | younger brother of Stephen III. |
| Emeric | 13 April 1196 - 30 November 1204 | son of Bela III. |
| Ladislaus III | 30 November 1204 - 7 May 1205 | son of Imre, crowned and died as a child |
| Andrew II | 7 May 1205 - 21 September 1235 | brother of Imre |
| Bela IV | 21 September 1235 - 3 May 1270 | son of Andrew II, the "second founder" after the First Mongol invasion (1241-42) |
| Stephen V | 3 May 1270 - 6 August 1272 | son of Bela IV. |
| Ladislaus IV the Cuman | 6 August 1272 - 10 July 1290 | son of Steven V.; unsuccessful Mongol invasion; lived with the nomad Cuman tribes |
| Andrew III | 4 August 1290 - 14 January 1301 | grandson of Andrew II, born in Venice; last of the Arpad dynasty |
| 1301 - 1541 | ||
| Wenceslaus of Bohemia | 1301-1305 | King of Bohemia, elected as King of Hungary but not universally recognized |
| Otto of Bavaria (Bela V) | 6 December 1305 - 1308 | Duke of Lower Bavaria as Otto III, was not universally recognized |
| Charles I (I. Karoly) | 20 August 1310 - 16 July 1342 | established the Angevin dynasty in Hungary. |
| Louis I the Great (Nagy Lajos) | 16 July 1342 - 11 September 1382 | also became King of Poland (1370) |
| Mary I (I. Maria) | 11 September 1382 - 17 May 1395 | married Sigismund of Luxemburg |
| Charles II the Small (Kis Karoly) | 31 December 1385 - 24 February 1386 | also King of Naples, in opposition to Mary |
| Sigismund I (Zsigmond) | 31 March 1387 - 9 December 1437 | later also Roman-German King (since 1410), King of Bohemia (since 1419), Holy Roman Emperor (since 1433) |
| Albert I | 1 January 1438 - 27 October 1439 | son-in-law of Sigismund, also Roman-German King, King of Bohemia, Duke of Austria |
| Vladislaus I | 15 May 1440 - 10 November 1444 | also King of Poland |
| Ladislaus V the Posthumus | 15 May 1440 - 23 November 1457 | born in 1440 after his father's death, spent most of his life in captivity. |
| John Hunyadi (Hunyadi Janos) | 1446 - 1453 | ruled as regent. Fought with great success against the Ottomans |
| Matthias I Corvinus (Corvin Matyas or Hunyadi Matyas) | 24 January 1458 - 6 April 1490 | son of John Hunyadi, also King of Bohemia |
| Vladislaus II | 15 July 1490 - 13 May 1516 | also King of Bohemia |
| Louis II | 13 May 1516 - 29 August 1526 | also King of Bohemia; killed in the Battle of Mohacs |
| Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (Ferdinand) | 16 December 1526 - 25 July 1564 | claimed the throne according the agreement between the House of Jagiellon and the House of Habsburg |
| 1541 - 1780 | ||
| John I (Szapolyai Janos) | 10 November 1526 - 22 July 1540 | Also claimed the throne, with support of Hungarian nobles and later Suleiman the Magnificent. |
| John II (Szapolyai Janos Zsigmond) | 22 July 1540 - 16 August 1570 | son of John Zapolya; renounced his claim in 1570 in favour of Emperor Maximilian II. |
| Hungary was effectively split into three parts: Royal Hungary in the north and west, Ottoman Hungary in the south, and the Principality of Transylvania in the east. The following, until 1699, gives the rulers of "Royal Hungary". | ||
| Maximilian (I. Miksa) | 8 September 1563 - 12 October 1576 | - |
| Rudolf I | 25 September 1572 - 26 June 1608 | - |
| Matthias II (II. Matyas) | 26 June 1608 - 20 March 1619 | - |
| Ferdinand II | 1 July 1618 - 15 February 1637 | - |
| Ferdinand III | 8 December 1625 - 2 April 1657 | - |
| Ferdinand IV | 16 June 1647 - 9 July 1654 | He died in 1654, predeceasing his father. |
| Leopold I (I. Lipot) | 27 June 1655 - 5 May 1705 | Habsburgs began colonization of Serbs (1690) and Germans (1682-1699) in Southern Hungary. |
| Hungary reunited under Habsburg rule after the Great Turkish War in 1699. | ||
| Joseph I (I. Jozsef) | 9 December 1687 - 17 April 1711 | - |
| Charles III (III. Karoly) | 11 April 1711 - 20 October 1740 | Large scale German settlements in Hungary begin (1720-1800). |
| Maria II Theresa (II. Maria Terezia) | 20 October 1740 29 - November 1780 | Enjoyed broad support of Hungarian nobles; |
| 1780-1944 | ||
| Joseph II (II. Jozsef) | 29 November 1780 - 20 February 1790 | - |
| Leopold II (II. Lipot) | 20 February 1790 - 1 March 1792 | - |
| Francis (I. Ferenc) | 1 March 1792 - 2 March 1835 | - |
| Ferdinand V (V. Ferdinand) | 28 September 1830 - 2 December 1848 | Being epileptic and mentally ill, abdicated in favour of his nephew, Franz Joseph (son of his younger brother Franz Karl). Died in 1875. |
| Francis Joseph (I. Ferenc Jozsef) | 2 December 1848 - 21 November 1916 | later regained the rule with Russian help in 1849. Crowned in 1867. |
| Charles IV (IV. Karoly) | 21 November 1916 - 16 November 1918 | Reigned until 1918, when he "renounced participation" in state affairs, but did not abdicate. He spent the remaining years of his life attempting to restore the monarchy until his death in 1922. |
| Miklos Horthy | 1 March 1920 - 3 November 1944 | Navy admiral Horthy officially 'represented' the defunct Hungarian monarchy despite Charles I of Austria's attempts to retake the throne of Hungary. The state was effectively a "kingdom without a king". Dethronization of Habsburgs enacted by Hungarian Parliament in 1921. |
Map of Hungary
