Charlemagne
Also called: Charles the Great · Topic: Medieval Europe: Feudalism and the Three Orders · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"; Class 11, Ch 3 "Changing Traditions"; Class 11, Ch 4 "The Three Orders"
Meaning
Charlemagne, also called Charles the Great (742–814), was a king of the Franks, a Germanic people who ruled France. He became king in 768, after his father Pepin, and won many wars. His empire was the finest example of Roman ways of ruling mixed with tribal customs (old rules followed by Germanic peoples). Historians trace some roots of feudalism to his age, but feudalism became a settled way of life only in the eleventh century.
Example
In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne 'Holy Roman Emperor' to make sure he had Charlemagne's support. This showed how closely kings and the Church in Rome depended on each other. Charlemagne's empire broke up quickly after his death.
Don't confuse with
- Charles Martel: Charlemagne's grandfather. He became 'mayor of the palace' (the chief officer of the Frankish court) in 714, but he was never crowned emperor.
- Pepin: Charlemagne's father. In 751 he removed the Frankish ruler and started a new dynasty, the one that Charlemagne later took over.