Galicia
Coloman was installed in Galicia soon after the fall of Kormilichich. Since Coloman was a minor, Benedict the Bald was appointed to administer the principality. Another Hungarian nobleman, Demetrius Aba, was made the master of the stewards in Coloman's court before 1216. Kormilichich's former ally, Sudislav, was one of the leading Galician boyars who supported Coloman.
Andrew sent a letter to Pope Innocent, requesting him to authorize John, Archbishop of Esztergom to anoint Coloman as king. In his next letter, Andrew thanked the pope for giving consent to Coloman's coronation, but also informed him that a riot had broken out against Coloman and the rebels laid siege to Galicia. Andrew urged Innocent to send a legate and a golden crown to Coloman to strengthen the legitimacy of his rule. Pope Honorius III mentioned in a letter in 1222 that the Archbishop of Esztergom had crowned Coloman "with the blessing of the Holy See", but the circumstances of the ceremony are unknown. Historians Font, Barabás and Karol Hollý inferred from the correspondence that Coloman was most probably crowned twice: first (in late 1214 or early 1215) with a provisional crown in Hungary, later (probably in early 1216) with the crown sent by the pope. Other historians—including Tibor Almási, Nataša Procházková and Đura Hardi—conclude that Coloman was first anointed, and he was only once crowned, in early 1216.
The relationship between Andrew and Leszek the White had meanwhile become tense. Leszek granted Vladimir-in-Vohynia, which was the most prestigious princely seat in Volhynia, to Daniel and Vasilko Romanovich. He also failed to support Coloman during the siege of Galicia. The Hungarian army invaded western Galicia and captured Przemyśl and Lubaczów in late 1215 or early 1216. Leszek approached Mstislav Mstislavich, Prince of Novgorod, seeking his assistance against the Hungarians. The reconstruction of the ensuing events is difficult, because their dating is uncertain. Mstislav invaded Galicia between 1215 and 1219—most probably in early 1219, according to Font and Barabás—and forced Coloman, Benedict the Bald and Sudislav to flee to Hungary.
Mstislav gave his daughter, Anna, in marriage to Daniel Romanovich who soon occupied the lands between the rivers Wieprz and Bug from Leszek. Outraged by Daniel's attack, Leszek made a new alliance with Andrew II. Their united forces defeated Mstislav's army in three battles in October 1219. Mstislav and Daniel were forced to abandon Galicia and Coloman returned to the principality. Andrew most probably made Sudislav's son-in-law, Philnius, the commander of the Hungarian army in Galicia around this time, according to Font and Barabás.
Mstislav hired Cumans and again invaded Galicia in late 1220 or early 1221, but could not capture the capital. Mstislav's fiasco encouraged Philnius to join Leszek's campaign against Volhynia, leaving Coloman and Salomea in the newly fortified Church of the Virgin Mary in Galicia. Taking advantage of the absence of the bulk of the Hungarian army, Mstislav and the Cumans laid siege to Galicia in August 1221. Philnius hurried back from his campaign, but Mstislav defeated his army and he could only flee with the help of a Galician boyar, Zhiroslav on 14 August. Coloman's retainers tried to resist in the fortified church, but the lack of water forced them to surrender. The Polish chronicler, Jan Długosz, wrote that Coloman and Salomea were imprisoned in the fortress of Torchesk.
Internal strifes in Hungary prevented Coloman's father from launching a military expedition against Mstislav. Andrew entered into negotiations with Mstislav and they reached a compromise in late 1221 or early 1222. According to the agreement, Coloman was to renounce the title of King of Galicia, but Mstislav agreed to give his daughter, Maria, in marriage to Coloman's younger brother, Andrew, to whom Coloman's royal title would be transferred.
[Princes] Mstislav and [ Volodimir ] went from Kiev to [Halych] against the King's son, and the men of [Halych] came out against them and [Czechs] and [Poles], Moravians and Hungarians, and the forces came together. And God helped Mstislav, and he entered the town of [Halych] and they took with their hands the King's son and his wife, and he took peace with the King, and let go his son, and himself took his seat in [Halych] and [Volodimir] in Kiev.
