Béla III (the Great) was king of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. His father was King Géza II, his mother was Queen Euphrosina.

After Béla came to the throne, order was restored and the country came into close contact with Byzantium. He succeeded in flourishing the economy and culture, he managed to make writing universal. He also played an outstanding role in supporting and strengthening the Hungarian Church. During his reign, significant constructions took place in church institutions and conversion to Christianity was demanded from minority groups. He supported the good relationship with the Pope and actively participated in the European politics of the time. During his reign, Hungary became one of the leading powers in Central Europe. In many ways, his reign marked the culmination of the Árpád era.

He died in 1196. He was succeeded by his son, Prince Imre.

III. The inner peace created by Béla provided an opportunity to strengthen his kingdom with reforms. Béla confronted the constant monetary deterioration typical of the 12th century, which involved the circulation of smaller coins with lower precious metal content, and the weight and precious metal content of minted coins increased. In addition, Béla also introduced Byzantine-style copper coins, which can still be found in large quantities. During Béla's time, pseudo-Arab coins also appeared, on which imitations of Arabic inscriptions can be seen, which also indicates the ruler's broad vision.