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Great Moravian Empire 

Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks.

Great Moravia was founded when, in 833, Mojmir I unified two neighboring states by force, referred to in modern historiography as the “Principality of Nitra” and the “Principality of Moravia”.Cultural development resulted from the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who came during the reign of Prince Rastislav in 863. The empire reached its greatest territorial extent under Svatopluk I (871–894), although the borders of his dominions are still under debate.

Great Moravia was ultimately overrun by the Hungarians, who invaded the Carpathian Basin around 896.

Great Moravia left behind a lasting legacy in Central and Eastern Europe. The Glagolitic script and its successor Cyrillic were disseminated to other Slavic countries, charting a new path in their cultural development. The administrative system of Great Moravia influenced the development of the administration of medieval Hungary. Great Moravia also became a favorite issue in the Czech and Slovak romantic nationalism of the 19th century.

Pictured: Kopcany Church in Slovakia, the only remaining Great Moravian building.

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