How did Stephen I organize Hungary into counties?

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Stephen I organized the Hungarian state by replacing tribal units with a system of counties, known as megyék, which served as the foundation of the country's political and social structure for centuries.1

In this system, each county was placed under the authority of a royal official called an ispán (or comes), who acted as the king’s representative. The responsibilities of the ispán included:1

Administering the unfree population within the county.1
Collecting taxes to generate national revenue.1
Maintaining an armed force of freemen at a fortified headquarters known as a castrum or vár.1

During the reign of Stephen I, there were approximately 40 to 50 of these counties established across the kingdom.1