Hungarian people

Coordinates	51°28′47″N18°55′52″N
Group	HungariansMagyarok
Popplace	Hungary 9,416,045
Population	c. 14-15 million
Region1	Neighbours of Hungary
Pop1	c. 2.5 million
Region2
Pop2	1,434,377(2002)
Ref2
Region3
Pop3	520,528(2001)
Ref3
Region4
Pop4	293,299(2002)
Ref4
Region5
Pop5	156,600(2001)
Ref5
Region6
Pop6	40,583(2001)
Ref6
Region7
Pop7	16,595(2001)
Ref7
Region8
Pop8	6,243(2002)
Ref8
Region9	Rest of Europe
Pop9	c. 0.3-0.5 million
Region10
Pop10	120,000(2004)
Ref10
Region11
Pop11	80,135(2001)
Region12
Pop12	14,672(2001)
Ref12
Region13
Pop13	6,800(2001)
Ref13
Region14
Pop14	3,768(2002)
Ref14
Region15
Pop15	3,328(2006)
Ref15
Region16
Pop16	2,003(2002)
Ref16
Region17	North America
Pop17	c. 2 million
Region18
Pop18	1,563,081(2006)
Ref18
Region19
Pop19	315,510(2006)
Ref19
Region20	South America
Pop20	0.2 - 1 million
Ref20
Region21
Pop21	80,000
Ref21
Region22
Pop22	40,000-50,000
Ref22
Region23
Pop23	40,000
Region24	Oceania(AUS / NZL)
Pop24	70,000
Ref24
Region25
Pop25	67,616
Region26
Pop26	1,476
Region27	Asia
Pop27	c. 10,000
Region28
Pop28	3,029
Region29
Pop29	1,114
Region30	Africa
Pop30	10,000
Ref30
Languages	Hungarian
Related

Hungarians, also known as Magyars (pronounced mad-jar or mad-yar, from ), are a nation and an ethnic group native to and primarily associated with Hungary. There are around 14 million Hungarians, of whom 10 million live in today's Hungary (as of 2001). Some sources claim "Magyar" to be the proper name of the ethnic group, although "Hungarian" took root in the English language over the centuries

Several theories exist on the origin and meaning of the word "Magyar"; in comparison, the etymology of the words Hungary and Hungarian is less debated.

Ethnic affiliations and genetic origins

The origin of the Hungarian people is somewhat disputed. The most widely accepted theory of origin from the late 19th century is based primarily on linguistic and ethnographical arguments, i.e. that the modern-day Hungarian people are descendants of Uralic ethnic groups, due to their Uralic linguistic nature. Contesting these, the theory is criticized as relying too much on August Schleicher's Stammbaumtheorie of historical linguistics, and some cite that Uralic-speaking peoples have a wide range of cultural, ethnic and genetic variation. It should also be noted that though modern-day Hungarians have a predominantly European genetic makeup, Guglielimino and Beres (1996) states that about 13% of the population have retained the other Uralic language speakers' genes, while Tomary, et al. (2007) sees no genetic continuity in the current population, but does see a genetic connection in ancient DNA between the small proportion of the population comprising the ruling class that is linked to Uralic populations ca. 1000 AD (around the time of the formation of the first Hungarian state). The Hungarian population belongs linguistically to the Uralic family. The Tat C allele is an interesting marker in the Uralic context, distributed in all the Uralic-speaking populations, except for Hungarians. The new Hungarian genetic researches established that Hungarians had mostly European origin in the age of St. Stephen's Hungary. According to the conclusion of these new researches, Hungarians of 10-11th centuries had mostly European genetic origin and there are no relevant genetic difference between Hungarian 'leader' population and the 'common' people. Those have same percent European (about 85-90 %, main European Haplogroups occur there) and Asian haplogroups ratios (however the composition of markers are different: B and M Asian haplogroups have dissimilar ratios, 'leader' population has bigger Europid U, X and N1a haplogroup ratios, 'common' population has bigger Europid preV, I, H and T ratios, but both of them have those recited groups, except X, N1a because these were just among 'leader people' and preV, I were just among 'common' people). Moreover, the researchers detected EU19, R1a1 and Tat-C haplogroups in the samples. The anthropological researches support these results (16 percent of the population had Mongolid, Europo-Mongoloid origin in the 10-11th centuries). It might be determined, the conqueror Hungarians had mostly Europid anthropological composition. According to Lipták cca 40 % of the modern Hungarians are brown-eyed and ca 40% are blue/grey-eyed. The rest have mixed colours. There are also other theories proposing that the Hungarians are (partial) descendants of Scythians, Huns and/or Avars.

The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic family of languages. The most closely related languages are the Khanty language (or Ostyak) and the Mansi language (or Vogul), but this may be more of an areal than a genealogical connection.

According to a genetic study published in 2000 in the American academic journal Science, the ancestors of Hungarians appeared in Europe around 40,000 years ago and genetically, the most closely related ethnic groups are Poles, Croats and Ukrainians. However, linguist András Róna-Tas notes that no historic conclusions may be drawn yet based on genetic research. not so long ago, historical research concluded the term "magyar" derived from the name of (prince) Muageris (also known as Mugel), by arguing that "Muageris" had to be a personal name taken from the descriptive designation of a people. It presented the hypothesis that the Huns in the Crimea were the Onogurs, and the names of the two princes mentioned by Malalas (Grodas and Muageris – Hunnic rulers) as living in the region of Maeotian Lake (Sea of Azov) and of the Kuban stream during the earlier half of the 6th century, referred to people under the rule of the Magyar (Muageris) tribe.

Pre-fourth century AD

During the fourth millennium BC, the Uralic-speaking peoples who were living in the central and southern regions of the Urals split up. Some dispersed towards the west and northwest and came into contact with Iranian speakers who were spreading northwards. From at least 2000 BC onwards, the Ugrian speakers became distinguished from the rest of the Uralic community. Judging by evidence from burial mounds and settlement sites, they interacted with the Andronovo Culture, furthermore, type of Hungarians of the Conquest period shows related features to that of Andronovo people.

Fourth century to c.830 AD

In the fourth and 5th centuries AD, the Magyars moved to the west of the Ural Mountains to the area between the southern Ural Mountains and the Volga River known as Bashkiria (Bashkortostan) and Perm Krai.

In the early 8th century, some of the Magyars moved to the Don River to an area between the Volga, Don and the Seversky Donets rivers. of the Khazars joined the Magyars and they moved to what the Magyars call the Etelköz, i.e. the territory between the Carpathians and the Dnieper River (today's Ukraine). Around 854, the Magyars faced a first attack by the Pechenegs. (According to other sources, the reason for the departure of the Magyars to Etelköz was the attack of the Pechenegs.) Both the Kabars and earlier the Bulgars may have taught the Magyars their Turkic languages. The new neighbours of the Magyars were the Vikings and the eastern Slavs. From 862 onwards, the Magyars (already referred to as the Ungri) along with their allies, the Kabars, started a series of looting raids from the Etelköz to the Carpathian Basin–mostly against the Eastern Frankish Empire (Germany) and Great Moravia, but also against the Balaton principality and Bulgaria.

Entering the Carpathian Basin (after 895)

crossing the Carpathians. A detail from the Arrival of the Hungarians, Árpád Feszty's and his assistants' vast cyclorama (over 1800 m²), painted to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the Magyar conquest of Hungary, now displayed at the Ópusztaszer National Memorial Site in Hungary.]] , 1360.]] : Hungary lost 72% of its land and 3.3 million people of Hungarian ethnicity.]] In 895/896, under the leadership of Árpád, some Hungarians crossed the Carpathians and entered the Carpathian Basin. The tribe called Megyer was the leading tribe of the Hungarian alliance that conquered the centre of the basin. At the same time (c.895), due to their involvement in the 894–896 Bulgaro-Byzantine war, Magyars in Etelköz were attacked by Bulgaria and then by their old enemies the Pechenegs. It is uncertain whether or not those conflicts were the cause of the Hungarian departure from Etelköz.

From the upper Tisza region of the Carpathian Basin, the Hungarians intensified their looting raids across continental Europe. In 900, they moved from the upper Tisza river to Transdanubia (Pannonia), which later became the core of the arising Hungarian state. At the time of the Hungarian migration, the land was inhabited only by a sparse population of Slavs, numbering about 200,000, The Székely people's origin, and in particular the time of their settlement in Transylvania, is a matter of historical controversy.

History after 900

Medieval Hungary controlled more territory than medieval France, and the population of medieval Hungary was the third largest of any country in Europe. The Hungarian leader Árpád is believed to have led the Hungarians into the Carpathian Basin in 896. In 907, the Hungarians destroyed a Bavarian army in the Battle of Pressburg and laid the territories of present-day Germany, France and Italy open to Hungarian raids. These raids were fast and devastating. The Hungarians defeated Louis the Child's Imperial Army near Augsburg in 910. From 917 to 925, Hungarians raided through Basle, Alsace, Burgundy, Saxony, and Provence. Magyar expansion was checked at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955. Although the battle at Lechfeld stopped the Hungarian raids against Western Europe, the raids on the Balkan Peninsula continued until 970. Hungarian settlement in the area was approved by the Pope when their leaders accepted Christianity, and Stephen I the Saint (Szent István) was crowned King of Hungary in 1001. The century between the Magyars' arrival from the eastern European plains and the consolidation of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1001 was dominated by pillaging campaigns across Europe, from Dania (Denmark) to the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal). After the country's acceptance into Christian Europe under Stephen I, Hungary served as a bulwark against further invasions from the east and south, especially against the Turks.

At this time, the Hungarian nation numbered between 25,000 and 1,000,000 people.

The name "Hungarian" has also a wider meaning, as it once referred to all inhabitants of the Kingdom of Hungary irrespective of their ethnicity.

The first accurate measurements of the population of the Kingdom of Hungary including ethnic composition were carried out in 1850–51. There is a debate among Hungarian and non-Hungarian (especially Slovak and Romanian) historians about the possible changes in the ethnic structure throughout history.

Some historians support the theory that the Magyars' proportion in the Carpathian Basin was at an almost constant 80% during the Middle Ages -non Magyars numbered hardly more than 20% to 25% of the total population- Droves of Romanians entered Transylvania during the same period. As a consequence of the Turkish occupation and the Habsburg colonization policies, the country underwent a great change in ethnic composition.

The years 1918 to 1920 were a turning point in the Magyars' history. By the Treaty of Trianon, the Kingdom had been cut into several parts, leaving only a quarter of its original size. One third of the Magyars became minorities in the neighbouring countries. During the remainder of the 20th century, the Magyar population of Hungary grew from 7.1 million (1920) to around 10.4 million (1980), despite losses during the Second World War and the wave of emigration after the attempted revolution in 1956. The number of Hungarians in the neighbouring countries tended to remain the same or slightly decreased, mostly due to assimilation (sometimes forced; see Slovakization and Romanianization) and emigration to Hungary (in the 1990s, especially from Transylvania and Vojvodina).

After the "baby boom" of the 1950s (Ratkó era), a serious demographic crisis began to develop in Hungary and its neighbours.

Today, the Magyars represent around 35% of the population of the Carpathian Basin. Their number is around 12–13 million. While other ethnic groups increased their numbers two, three or even more times during the 20th century, the Magyar population stagnated. Between 1950 and 1980, the increase in Hungary's population was the fourth-slowest in the world, after East Germany, Bulgaria and St. Kitts and Nevis: 16.4% (from 9,204,799 to 10,709,463).

For historical reasons (see Treaty of Trianon), significant Hungarian minority populations can be found in the surrounding countries, most of them in Romania (in Transylvania), Slovakia, Serbia (in Vojvodina). Sizable minorities live also in Ukraine (in Transcarpathia), Croatia (primarily Slavonia) and Austria (in Burgenland). Slovenia is also host to a number of ethnic Hungarians, and Hungarian language has an official status in parts of the Prekmurje region. Today, more than two million ethnic Hungarians live in nearby countries.

There was a referendum in Hungary in December 2004 on whether to grant Hungarian citizenship to Magyars living outside Hungary's borders (i.e. without requiring a permanent residence in Hungary). The referendum failed due to insufficient voter turnout. Hungarian citizenship was given to Magyars living outside the borders in 2010 by the new government after the elections held in spring.

Later influences

Besides the various peoples mentioned above, the Magyars assimilated or were influenced by subsequent peoples arriving in the Carpathian Basin. Among these are the Cumans, Pechenegs, Jazones, Germans and other Western European settlers in the Middle Ages. Vlachs (Romanians) and Slavs have lived together and blended with Magyars since early medieval times. Ottomans, who occupied the central part of Hungary from c.1526 until c.1699, inevitably exerted an influence, as did the various nations (Germans, Slovaks, Serbs, Croats and others) that resettled depopulated territories after their departure. Similar to other European countries, Jewish, Armenians, and Roma (Gypsy) minorities have been living in Hungary since the Middle Ages.

Maps

See also

Notes

They were 67,616 Hungarian Australians in Australia according to Australian National Census of 2006.

References

2. Korai Magyar Torleniti Lexicon (9-14 szazad) (Encyclopedia of the Early Hungarian History -9-14th Centuries) Budapest, Akademiai Klado; 753. ISBN 963 05 6722 9.

External links

Origins of the Hungarians from the Enciklopédia Humana (with many maps and pictures)

Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin

Hungary and the Council of Europe

Facts about Hungary

Hungarians outside Hungary - Map

Genetic studies

MtDNA and Y chromosome polymorphisms in Hungary: inferences from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Uralic influences on the modern Hungarian gene pool

Probable ancestors of Hungarian ethnic groups: an admixture analysis

Human Chromosomal Polymorphism in a Hungarian Sample

Hungarian genetics researches 2008-2009 (in Hungarian)

Category:Ethnic groups in Europe Category:Ethnic groups in Hungary Category:Ethnic groups in Serbia Category:Ethnic groups in Russia Category:Ethnic groups in Slovenia Category:Ethnic groups in Ukraine Category:Ethnic groups in Vojvodina Category:Eurasian nomads Category:Ugric peoples