The Golden Bull

A major crisis was brewing within the Hungarian Kingdom in the early 13th century.The power of the aristocracy was wasted in constant wars of succession,and the royal lands were being given away, significantly weakending the power of the ruler.At the same time,a previously unknown stratum of society ,the gentry,achieved an increasing degree of financial potency,posessing a greater share of the wealth ,but without any royal prerogatives or privileges.In 1222,the discontented gentry forced King Andrew II to establish a new code of law.The charter was named the Golden Bull,taking its name from a large-sized symbol,authenticating its origin.Originally ,seven copis were made of the charter,which were kept in official locations and church archives,but all of these have now been lost.The Golden Bull has become the most inportant document in medival Hungary.