Kurszán

Kurszán or Kusál, was a Hungarian (Magyar) chieftain at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries, who had a crucial role in the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. He was kende of the Magyars in the dual leadership with Árpád serving as a gyula - according to a mainstream theory. While kende probably corresponded roughly to the Khazar title khagan, Kurszán's role equated to the Khazar military title bek. In Latin sources he was referred to as rex and some scholars say he had a political status as a sacred king until he was massacred in a political plot of Western rulers and was temporarily succeeded by Árpád. There is also arguments that Kurszán, who appears as an active actor in Western and Byzantine sources, rather held the dignity of gyula, while Álmos then Árpád served as kende, the "sacred king".