Bela IV, King of Hungary

BĒLA IV, king of UNGHERIA. — He reigned from 1235 to 1270. Having ascended the throne, he had just finished restoring political and economic order and royal authority, which had been greatly shaken during the reign of his father Andrea II, when in 1241 he had to face the Tartar invasion, which forced him to take refuge in Dalmatia. Tartar rule lasted barely a year but left terrible traces in Ungheria. With immense strength of spirit and firm faith in divine assistance, B. began the work of reconstruction, for which he found valuable support in the Holy See and the Hungarian Church. He supported the movement of the Mendicant Orders; he also viewed favorably and assisted in the formation of the Paulines. His daughters were the b. Cunegonda (Kinga), s. Margherita, and the b. Iolanda.