BELA, the name of four Hungarian kings of the family of Arpad.—B. I. (1081-63) energetically suppressed the last attempt to restore heathenism, and by the introduction of a fixed standard of measures, weights and coinage. virtually founded the commerce of Hungary. He was also the first to introduce the representative system into the diet, by appointing. in lieu of the collective. nobility, two nobles only from each of the differ ent counties.—B. II., surnamed "the Blind," 1131-41, was entirely under the guidance of his bloodthirsty spouse, Helena, and after her decease, drank himself to death.—B. III., 1174-96. Educated in Constantinople, he introduced Byzantine customs and cultural into his own country, which was certainly favorable to its social development. though, on the other hand, his evideat devotion to the Greek emperor Emmanuel threatened its political independenee.—B. IV., 1235-70, son of that Andreas from whom the nobles extorted the "Golden Bull," Hungary's magna charta, His chief aim was to humble the nobility, and restore the royal power to its former proportions; and he thus roused a spirit of universal discontent, which led to a party among the nobles calling in the Austrian duke, Frederick II., to their aid; but, in the year 1236, he was conquered by
II., and forced to pay tribute. Before long, however, the king had to seek a refuge with his discomfited foe; for the Mongols, who invaded in 1241, defeated him on the Sajo, and put hint to flight. It was only after robbing him of all the treasure had managed to save, and extorting from him three of his counties, that Frederick II. granted the royal fugitive a shelter in Austria, where be remained till the Mongols, having heard of the death of their khan, left the country they had devastated. B. now made it his especial care, by rebuilding the destroyed villages, and inviting new settlers thither. to do away with the tokens of that terrible invasion; and he so far succeeded as to be able, in 1246, to repay Frederick's inhospitality by defeating hint at Vienna, and to repulse a second attempt at Mongolian invasion. He died in 1270, his last years hav ing been embittered by an attempt at rebellion on the part of his son Stephen.