Monographical data
Until the appearance of the writing skills and of the written proof, people have used material proof given by the archeologists, in order to learn about the history of mankind.
On the territory of Ciuhoi there hasn't been made any archeological excavations or any other kind of researches by now, which would present the material and spiritual life of the population in ancient history.
According to the material clues that have been excavated by the archeologists in Bihar County and in other territories that are close to Ciuhoi, it can be affirmed that also this area was populated in the ancient history. In the 2 nd and 3 rd centuries A.C. – while Dacia had been populated by the Romans – Bihar County was inhabited by the free Dacians. This population existed here even in the 4 th and 5 th centuries but under the powerful influence of the Daco-Romans, thus in the latest centuries of the 1 st millennial the process of the formation of the Romanian people and language has come to an end.
In the same period appeared the feudal relationships and the feudal political organizations. Thus in the 10 th century, among the political formations in Transylvania appeared the so called “Crişul Country” led by the “duke” Menumorut; it contained several village communities by the rivers and basins of this area.
The monarchy led by Menumorut had the center in the Castle of Bihar , the residence of the monarchy.
The village Ciuhoi is situated in Bihar County at about 16 kilometers from Biharia, thus the territory of this village was also a part of the monarchy led by Menumorut.
The history of the village Ciuhoi is bounded to the history of the monarchy as having been conquered by the Hungarian feudalists.
According to the documents the villages of the parish were mentioned also in the 12 th century but they existed as populated places only after a hundred years, before the Hungarian conquest.
Thus in the year 1169 the village Sâniob was mentioned in association with the death of King Geyzi and his son Pauli. And in 1213 it was mentioned in association with an arrangement of some litigation between Butha from Sâniob and Cochi from the village called Degust.
Butha from Sâniob requested 10 Marks from Cochi from the village Degust, Tecu, the abbot of Sâniob as being the judge and Tarca as being the scrivener. The two parts has agreed this way: Cochi gave 5 Marks to the petitioner and he also paid the scrivener; Butha paid the judge (the year 1213).
The importance of this settlement consists in the fact that here exists a castle and a monastery, the owner of which was the Abbot of the St. Benedict Order.
The first monastery was built by St. Ladislau and later on it was fortified with a cathedral built by prince Álmos from the royal family. The right hand of St. Stephen was brought here for a period, and it appears to be the source of the village-name „Saint Righthand”. The castle defended the county on the northern-western side and the monastery got the right of acknowledgement of several documents.
All the settlements of the parish Ciuhoi are mentioned in the papal records of taps and also by other occasions.
„Pavel, the abbot of Sâniob (Sancto Jag) paid 4 copper Marks as a tap in the second year, 1334.”
In 1332 Ciuhoi was mentioned in the records of the Archdeacon of Bihar, stating that Ioan, the priest of Ciuhoi paid 11 coppers as the tap of that year. In the same year is mentioned that Stephen, the priest of the village Sfărnaş paid 8 coppers as a tap for the first year.
In 1333 was stated that „Ioan, the priest of the village Ciuhoi paid 11 coppers as a tap for the second year.”
The papal tap-records from 1334 mentioned that „Ioan, the priest of Ciuhoi paid 10 and a half copper as a tap for the third year.”
In 1335 „Matei, the priest of the village Ciuhoi paid 9 coppers as a tap for the fourth year.” In 1336 the villages called Ciuhoi and Sfărnaş are mentioned in the papal tap-records as having paid the tap for the fifth year: „Matei, the priest of Ciuhoi paid 15 coppers as the tap for the fifth year” and Edigiu, the priest of Sfărnaş paid 8 coppers as the tap for the fifth year.
The villages called Ciuhoi, Sfărnaş and Cenaloş are mentioned in the documents from 1342 in association with a process between Toma, the duke of Transylvania and the sons of the ex palatine called Doja. The population of Sfărnaş and Ciuhoi were the witnesses of these two parts in the process of clearing out the misunderstandings regarding the properties called Ochalanus and Chelanus ( as the name for Cenaloşu) wether they are two sepparate properties and who the owner is.
In 1445 some serfs from Cenaloş (Chanalus, Csenalos) are mentioned in Bihar County who had stolen 12 cows from the property of the Abbot of Sâniob.
From 1501 the territory of Sâniob together with the monastery and its villages became the property of the Pauline Order; in 1600 the Protestants of the Telegdy family occupied the monastery and they killed all the monks.
In 1520 the Chyre family became the owner of Cenaloş. In these years the village served as a customs frontier, later on it became the property of the Abbot of Sâniob. In 1660 when the Turks conquered Oradea, they also contolled the settlements on the north part of this town and thus the villages of the parish Ciuhoi together with the castle of Sâniob became the properties of the Turks.
The Austrians regained the territory and the first contact with the turkish army had happened in this settlement. In 1686 the general called Caraffa regained the castle and the territory around it with an army made up of 4000 Germains and 3000 Hungarians.
At the 30th of August there is the general meeting of the noblemen from the committee of Bihar. This event was noted in the registration of proceedings which have begun this time.
The Names of the Settlements
As the centuries passed by, the names of the settlements have been changed several times:
1169 – abbas de S'ancte Jog, 1213 – Beuchyon, 1219 – Curioliscomes de Beruche, abbas de Berucio (adică Bereteu sau Barcău), 1333 – abbas de Sancto Jog,
1449 – Zenthyvgh and Zenth Jog, 1469 – Zenthjogh, 1475 – Zenthjog, 1587 – Zent hiob, 1599 – Zent Joob, 1599 – de Sancto Giob, and Zentiob1626 – Szentjobb, 1692 – St. Job, arx pagus, St Jobiensia; 1828 şi 1851 – Szent Jobb.
The name of the village Ciuhoi seems to come from the word Ciuhe, this village appeared on the verge of the settlement called Szent Jobb known from the time of St. Stephen of Hungary where the Catholic bishop has got from the hungarian state a territory which existed until the present.
The landlords of this territory had their own shepherds and workers who settled down on the marginal parts of their permanent settlements on this territory. They have been expelled to the left side of the Barcău. Their masters have made for them a certain borderline (“ciuhă”) until where they could graze their herds.
Ciuhoi appears in the documents under the following names: Ciuhoi, Csohaj, Brezzyocsohaj.
During the centuries the name of Ciuhoi suffered a lot of changes:
1291 – 1294-villa Chuay; 1332 – sacerdos de Tvali ( Cuali); 1333 – Choc, 1334 – Choe; 1335 – Cherow; 1336 – Kouey; 1342 – Chouhuay, Chouay; 1488 – Choay, Chokal; 1828 – Csohalj; 1851 – Csohalj, Csuhaju; 1913 – Berettyocsohaj.
Sfârnaş appeared in the documents under the following names: Sfârnaş, Fărnas, Farnas, Berettyofarnas.
1332 – sacerdos de villa Fornuş, 1336 – Fernuş, 1342 – Fornos,1475 – Farnas, 1599 and 1692 – Farnos, 1828 and 1851 – Farnos, 1913 Berettyofarnos .
The settlement Cenaloş had several names, too during the years that passed by: Cenaloş, Cienaloş, Csalanoş, Csanaloş, Biharcsanalos.
1342 – Chalanus Ochalanus: in the time of the Anju family it was called Csanalos, then O-Csalanos and in the period of the Hunyadi family it was called Feher Csanalos. 1461 – Chanalos, 1692 – Szinalos, 1828 şi 1851 – Csanalos.
