Béla was a blind king who ruled Hungary and Croatia from 1131-1141. Upon hearing about him, I sought out and purchased this coin. I like to think that the face image on the front was an effort to allow the blind king to feel his own face on the coin, but I have no evidence supporting this conjecture. Below is a brief history of king Béla. Béla was born in Tolna, Hungary, sometime between 1108 and 1110. His father, Álmos, was the younger son of King Géza I and not directly in line to the throne. Despite later earning the nickname of “Béla the Blind,” he was born without any disabilities. So how is it that he not only became blind, but also the king of Hungary and Croatia? We will have to wind backwards a bit to explain the situation. Béla II from the Illuminated Chronicle (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Béla_II_(Chronicon_Pictum_114).jpg). King Géza of Hungary ruled just three years before dying in 1077. When he died, his sons Coloman and Álmos were 8 and 7 respectively. Seeing opportunity, Géza’s brother, Ladislaus I, took the throne. In the spring of 1095, Álmos and Coloman joined Ladislaus on a campaign against Bohemia, when Ladislaus "was overcome by a grave infirmity." As he was dying, he appointed Álmos as his heir. This was a break from tradition, as Coloman was traditionally first in line. There are rumors and theories about how things played out, but Coloman was not ready to just give up his birthright. It is unclear what transpired, but the two brothers eventually settled the matter, with Álmos stepping aside and giving the crown to Coloman. It is claimed he did this out of honor, but not more than one year later in 1097, Álmos gathered an army to overthrow his brother. Conveniently, King Coloman, was away leading an invasion into Croatia. Learning of the rebellion, the king quickly returned, and the two armies met on opposite sides of the Tisza River in 1098. Somehow, the two brothers negotiated a peace, which included giving Álmos a third of the kingdom, and Coloman remaining king. (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...m_P105_Kálmán_és_Álmos_kibékülése_Dömösön.JPG) In 1105, Coloman crowned his four-year-old child, Stephen II, as king. This removed any remaining claim Álmos had to the throne. Almost immediately, Álmos began an open rebellion, even seeking support from his friend, Emperor Henry IV, of the Holy Roman Empire. Unfortunately, the Emperor could not help as was busy quelling rebellion in his own lands. Álmos fled to Poland where his brother-in-law, Bolesław III Wrymouth, was duke. With the help of the Polish Army, Álmos took the fortress of Abaújvár in Hungary. In response, Coloman met with Boleslaw III and the two kings "vowed perpetual friendship and brotherhood.” With his options running out, Álmos was forced to submit to Coloman’s rule. Around 1107, Álmos went on a pilgrimage to Israel. While he was gone, Coloman seized his duchy, leaving Álmos only with his private property. Álmos returned and set up a monastery in Dömös. During its consecration, Coloman attended and accused Álmos of an assassination attempt. Álmos was arrested, but notable bishops intervened and restored peace between the brothers. In 1108, Álmos again conspired to regain the throne and convinced Henry V of Germany and Duke Svatopluk of Bohemia to invade Hungary. In response, Boleslaw III invaded Bohemia, while the Hungarians defeated the German invasion. Upon learning that Álmos was once again attempting a coup, he had both Álmos and his son Béla blinded as punishment. The king ordered further punishment of both, but in an effort to keep this story PG, I'll share this image which shows the soldiers choosing to carry the extra punishment out on a dog and convince the king it was done to the boy. (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Álmos_herceg.jpg) The now blind Álmos stayed in his monastery until 1125, when he fled to the Byzantine Empire. Coloman died in 1116 and his son, Stephen, spent most of his reign fighting with neighboring countries. Stephen tried unsuccessfully to have Âlmos expelled from the Byzantine Empire and returned to Hungary. Despite his best efforts, Âlmos died in exile in 1127. Between 1128 and 1131, Stephen started getting desperate with all the wars. Stephen had no heirs, so he rejoiced in 1129 when he learned his cousin was still alive. Stephen welcomed Béla back, gave him the city of Tolna (his birthplace), and arranged his marriage to Helena, daughter to the grand prince of Serbia. Stephen died of dysentery in 1131, allowing Béla to ascend to the throne. Throughout his reign, Béla relied heavily on Helena and her brother, Beloš. During his reign, Béla not only consolidated his rule, but even expanded Hungary's borders. This is a testament to how keen his wife and brother-in-law were. It was actually Helena who ordered the execution of all nobles who were implicated in Béla’s blinding. (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...ronicon_Pictum_P113_Az_aradi_véres_gyűlés.JPG) In his final years of rule, Béla was known for heavy drinking. His courtiers were said to take advantage of his drunken stupors by asking favors of him that he later could not recant. Béla was also known to order the execution of innocent men. After his death, Béla's son Géza II became king.
It seems not much has changed since the Middle Ages. This confirms my theory… ok they were not that bad back then Truly amazing story… wait, did you post a coin somewhere?
