Carolingians definition of Carolingians in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Carolingians (kărəlĭn`jēənz), dynasty of Frankish rulers, founded in the 7th cent. by Pepin of Landen Pepin of Landen (Pepin I), d. 639?, mayor of the palace of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia . With Arnulf, bishop of Metz, he called in King Clotaire II of Neustria to overthrow (613) Queen Brunhilda of Austrasia.
..... Click the link for more information. , who, as mayor of the palace, ruled the East Frankish Kingdom of Austrasia for Dagobert I. His descendants, Pepin of Heristal Pepin of Heristal (Pepin II) (hĕr`ĭstəl pĕp`ĭn), d.
..... Click the link for more information. , Charles Martel Charles Martel (märtĕl`) [O.Fr.
..... Click the link for more information. , Carloman Carloman, d. 754, mayor of the palace in the kingdom of Austrasia after the death (741) of his father, Charles Martel. Ruling with his brother, Pepin the Short , he carried on successful wars against the dukes of Aquitaine, the Saxons, the Swabians, and the Bavarians.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Pepin the Short Pepin the Short (Pepin III), c.714–768, first Carolingian king of the Franks (751–68), son of Charles Martel and father of Charlemagne . Succeeding his father as mayor of the palace (741), he ruled Neustria, Burgundy, and Provence, while his brother
..... Click the link for more information. , continued to govern the territories under the nominal kingship of the Merovingians Merovingians, dynasty of Frankish kings, descended, according to tradition, from Merovech, chief of the Salian Franks , whose son was Childeric I and whose grandson was Clovis I , the founder of the Frankish monarchy.
..... Click the link for more information. . In 751, with the knowledge and backing of Pope Zacharias, Pepin the Short deposed the last Merovingian king, Childeric III. To emphasize the importance of the church and to legitimize his reign, Pepin was consecrated by a bishop of the Roman church. The family was at its height under Pepin's son, Charlemagne Charlemagne (Charles the Great or Charles I) (shär`ləmān) [O.Fr.
..... Click the link for more information. , who was crowned emperor in 800. His empire was divided by the Treaty of Verdun (843) after the death of his son, Emperor Louis I Louis I or Louis the Pious, Fr. Louis le Pieux or Louis le Débonnaire, 778–840, emperor of the West (814–40), son and successor of Charlemagne.
..... Click the link for more information. , among Louis's three sons. Lothair I Lothair I (lōthâr`), 795–855, emperor of the West (840–55), son and successor of Louis I .
..... Click the link for more information. inherited the imperial title and the middle part of the empire. Louis the German Louis the German, c.804–876, king of the East Franks (817–76). When his father, Emperor of the West Louis I , partitioned the empire in 817, Louis received Bavaria and adjacent territories.
..... Click the link for more information. founded a dynasty that ruled in Germany (kingdom of the East Franks) until 911, his successors being Charles III Charles III or Charles the Fat, 839–88, emperor of the West (881–87), king of the East Franks (882–87), and king of the West Franks (884–87); son of Louis the German , at whose death he inherited Swabia (876).
..... Click the link for more information. (Charles the Fat), Arnulf Arnulf (är`nəlf), c.850–899, Carolingian emperor (896–99), king of the East Franks (887–99), illegitimate son of
..... Click the link for more information. , and Louis the Child Louis the Child, 893–911, German king (900–911), son and successor of King Arnulf. He was the last of the German line of the Carolingians. The archbishop of Mainz was regent for him.
..... Click the link for more information. . The third son of Louis I, Charles II Charles II or Charles the Bald, 823–77, emperor of the West (875–77) and king of the West Franks (843–77); son of Emperor Louis I by a second marriage.
..... Click the link for more information. (Charles the Bald), founded the French Carolingian dynasty, which ruled, with interruptions, until 987. Its rulers were Louis II Louis II or Louis the Stammerer, 846–79, French king. He succeeded (877) his father, Emperor of the West Charles II, as king. On Louis's death his kingdom was divided between his sons Carloman and Louis III.
..... Click the link for more information. (Louis the Stammerer), Louis III Louis III, c.863–882, French king, son of King Louis II. He became joint ruler with his brother Carloman on the death of Louis II (879), despite the attempts of Louis the Younger to become French king.
..... Click the link for more information. , Carloman Carloman, d. 884, king of the West Franks (France), son of King Louis II (Louis the Stammerer). He became joint ruler with his brother Louis III in 879. His reign was disturbed by revolts in Burgundy, by the loss (879) of Provence to Boso, count of Arles, and by an
..... Click the link for more information. , Charles III Charles III (Charles the Simple), 879–929, French king (893–923), son of King Louis II (Louis the Stammerer). As a child he was excluded from the succession at the death (884) of his half brother Carloman and at the deposition (887) of King Charles III
..... Click the link for more information. (Charles the Simple), Louis IV Louis IV or Louis d'Outremer (lwē d
..... Click the link for more information. (Louis d'Outremer), Lothair Lothair, 941–86, French king (954–86), son and successor of King Louis IV. During the early part of his reign he was dominated by Hugh the Great .
..... Click the link for more information. (941–86), and Louis V Louis V (Louis the Sluggard), c.967–987, last French king of the Carolingian dynasty; son of King Lothair. His father had him crowned in 979, but he did not become king until Lothair's death in 986. He was childless and was succeeded by Hugh Capet .
..... Click the link for more information. . In the Carolingian period, a landed economy was firmly established. The kings consolidated their rule by issuing capitularies capitularies (kəpĭch`
..... Click the link for more information. and worked closely with church officials. Until the late 9th cent., Charlemagne and his successors were generous patrons of the arts. He encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a return to Roman classicism and Byzantine and Greco-Roman styles. Charlemagne successfully conquered all of Gaul and parts of Germany and Italy. He created a papal state in central Italy in 774. After his death the kingdom was divided; its authority, eventually eroded, was reestablished in France in 893.

Bibliography

See H. Fichtenau, The Carolingian Empire (1949; tr. 1957, repr. 1965); D. Bullough, The Age of Charlemagne (1965); F. L. Ganshof, The Carolingians and the Frankish Monarchy (tr. 1971); E. James, The Origins of France: Clovis and the Capetians, A.D. 500–1000 (1982); R. McKitternick, The Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians (1983).