Battle of Rozgony The Battle of Rozgony or Battle of Rozhanovce was fought between King Charles I of Hungary and the family of Palatine Amade Aba on June 15 , 1312 , on the Rozgony ( today Rozhanovce ) field . " Chronicon Pictum " described it as the " most cruel battle since the Mongol invasion of Europe " . Despite many casualties on the King ' s side , his decisive victory brought an end to the Aba family ' s rule over eastern Kingdom of Hungary , weakened King ' s major domestic opponent Máté Csák , and ultimately secured power for Charles I of Hungary . Background . After the senior line of the Árpád dynasty died out in 1301 , the succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Hungary became contested by several foreign monarchs and other runners . One of them was Charles Robert of Anjou , the Pope ' s champion . Over several years Charles drove his foreign opponents out of the country and installed on the Hungarian tron . At that time Hungary was a confederation of small kingdoms , principalities and dukedoms . However , his rule remained nominal in many parts of the Kingdom because several powerful magnates , local kings , dukes and prices still did not recognize him as the supreme king . Initially , Charles ' s chief adversary was Máté Csák , who controlled several counties in western and north parts of the Hungary . However , eventually he allied himself with the Aba family , who ruled eastern Hungarian Kingdom . In 1312 , Charles besieged Sáros Castle , ( now part of Slovakia - Šariš Castle ) controlled by the Abas . After the Abas received additional reinforcement from Máté Csák ( according to " Chronicon Pictum " almost Máté ' s entire force as well as 1 , 700 mercenary spear men ) , Charles Robert of Anjou was forced to retreat to the loyal Szepes county ( Spiš ) , whose Saxon inhabitants subsequently reinforced his own troops . The Abas ' benefited from the his retreat . They decided to use the gathered opposition forces to attack the town of Kassa ( today Košice ) because of its strategic importance , and partially due to the fact that just few months before Charles had Amadeus Aba assassinated by the Kassa ' s German colonists . Charles march on Kassa and engage his adversaries . The battle . The opposition forces abandoned the siege of Kassa and positioned their troops on a hill near the Tarca ( Torysa river ) . Charles I of Hungary was forced to dispose his troops in flat agricultural land under that hill . Although the numbers are uncertain , the king ' s army consisted of his own men , an Italian unit of Knights Hospitaller , and a 1 , 000 - men strong infantry unit of Zipser Saxons . Because of contradicting versions in contemporary chronicles , it is not clear to what extent the Aba family was helped by Máté Csák ' s forces . The battle commenced when the rebels made a surprise attack during or just after the Mass in the king ' s camp . A bloody mêlée followed , causing heavy casualties among knights on both sides . At one point , even the king ' s battle standard was lost and Charles himself had to fight under the standard of the Knights Hospitaller . In the crucial moment of the battle , a reinforcement from Kassa came and saved the king ' s cause . The rebel army , after it lost its commanders in the battle , was routed . Aftermath . Some of the key leaders of the Aba ( family ) perished in the battle and part of their domain was divided between the King and his loyal followers . The loss of the key ally was also an important blow to Máté Csák . Although he managed to control much of his territories until his death in 1321 , his power started to decline just after the battle and he could never again launch any major offensive against the king . The immediate consequence was that Charles I of Hungary gained control over the northeastern part of the country . But the long - term consequences of the victory were even more important . The battle drastically reduced magnates ' opposition against him . The King extended his power base and prestige . The position of Charles as King of Hungary was now secured militarily and resistance against his rule came to its end . However , the Angevin rule over Hungary lasted only 74 years and the Abas continue to played an important role in Hungary even during the Angevin administration . External links . Official Websites :