WE KNOW ABOUT several interactions with ecclesiastical and secular lords which cast light on Coloman's rule. In turn we will discuss his conflict with the Knights Templar, his relationship with Bishop Stephen of Zagreb, major constructions of castles and religious buildings, and then the ambitious union of the bishopric of Zagreb with the archdiocese of Split.

Litigation with the Knights Templar of Slavonia

The Templars of Slavonia approached the court of the Apostolic See to litigate against Coloman. The papal procedure was initiated due to a complaint from the order who claimed that the duke had taken hold of certain possessions and had restricted their privileges. The Templars instigated proceedings in July 1231, and in a letter to the duke the pope admonished Coloman to respect the order's privileges and to restore their estates.

This letter was, however, not the first step in the procedure. The duke's actions had already led to papal authorization of the bishops of Pécs and Zagreb, and the archbishop of Kalocsa who were delegated to engage in ecclesiastical censure of Coloman and his advisers, if necessary. It is remarkable that the Templars would work with the bishop of Zagreb, with whom they had previously been in litigation over a particular estate; the procedure started at the Slavonian duke's court, whereas later the agreement was made with the help of Archbishop Ugrin of Kalocsa. The pope had to authorize new delegates because of the duke's refusal to cooperate, so the bishop and the provost of Pécs, and the Benedictine abbot of Pécsvárad were mandated instead in July 1231. They were, however, not empowered to excommunicate Coloman, even though the duke finally accepted the terms of Gregory IX and granted immunity to the Slavonian, Croatian, and Dalmatian provinces of the Templars and freed their estates from all taxes (marturina, collecta, pondus, and so forth) and from tolls. Nevertheless, a later papal letter makes it clear that the duke did not comply with his own promises. Gregory IX admonished Coloman's actions again in January 1236, as he took hold of several estates from the order.