Following the end of Roman dominance of the region, Budapest then fell into various hands over the next few hundred years, including those of Khan Krum of Bulgaria at the end of the 8th century, followed by Avars, a nomadic Eurasian people, and the Slavs. Soon afterwards, the city fell into the hands of the people considered today to be the forefathers of Hungarian culture, the Magyars from Central Asia. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Magyars founded the Kingdom of Hungary under St Stephen. Pest was made the de facto capital but fell into ruin at the hands of a disastrous Mongol invasion in the middle of the 13th century. As a result, Buda rose to prominence and was named the official capital of Hungary in 1361. When Hungary managed to regain independence from the Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 17th century, it was Pest which rebounded the fastest, becoming an important centre for commerce as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Between 1800 and 1900, Pest increased from just 30,000 people to 600,000 as it far out-stripped Buda and Obuda. At this time they were known together as Pest-Buda. Eventually, the three separate entities joined together in 1867 and became known as Budapest. By the beginning of the 20th century, the city’s population was approaching one million inhabitants as suburbs of the centre expanded outwards and industry flourished. The beginning of the war saw the city largely escape damage and casualties but 1944 proved to be a horrific year for the city as the Allies conducted air-raids and the Russians attacked. The defending Nazis caused the greatest destruction, however, eliminating a quarter of a million Budapest Jews by the end of the war. The next years remained difficult as the city rebuilt and came under increasing Soviet influence. In 1956, discontent with the Moscow-imposed system spilled into the streets as demonstrators voiced their anger, a move that saw a strong Russian response as tanks and troops were poured onto the streets of Budapest. The uprising was crushed after less than 3 weeks and the city’s residents never again challenged Soviet control until the Eastern bloc disintegrated in 1991. | 
