Bela
the name of four Kings of Hungary belonging to the Arpad dynasty. BELA I., son of Ladislaf, competed for the crown with his brother Andrew, whom he defeated, killed, and succeeded in 1061. He died in 1063, after introducing many reforms. BELA II., the Blind, mounted the throne in 1131, and after ruling under the evil guidance of his Queen, Helena, died from the effects of his vices in 1141. BELA III., crowned 1174, corrected abuses, repelled the Bohemians, Poles, Austrians, and Venetians and died in 1196. BELA IV. succeeded his father, Andrew II., in 1235; was shortly after defeated by the Tartars and detained prisoner for some time in Austria, where he had sought refuge. In 1244 he regained his throne, with the aid of the Knights of Rhodes, and defeated the Austrians, but was in turn beaten by the Bohemians. He died in 1270