Carolingian dynasty

The Frankish ruling dynasty that began with Pepin the Short and reached its height under Charlemagne, governing much of western and central Europe from the eighth to tenth centuries.

Pepin the Short: Frankish king from 751 to 768 who founded the Carolingian royal dynasty. His accession as king marks the dynasty’s beginning.
Merovingian dynasty: The Frankish royal dynasty that preceded the Carolingians and ruled from the fifth to eighth centuries. Carolingian rulers replaced its kings while initially governing in their name.
Frankish succession: The practices by which Frankish rulers passed royal authority among their heirs. Inheritance customs repeatedly divided Carolingian territories among competing successors.
Carolingian Empire: A western and central European empire ruled by Charlemagne and his successors from the late eighth century. The dynasty’s political power took its broadest form in this empire.
Charlemagne: Frankish king and emperor who ruled from 768 to 814 and greatly expanded his realm. His reign represents the dynasty’s imperial height.
Mayor of the Palace: A senior Frankish court officeholder who managed the royal household and often exercised political power. Carolingian ancestors built authority through this office before taking the throne.
Ordinatio Imperii: An 817 decree by Louis the Pious that established a hierarchy among his sons and assigned them territories. It attempted to reconcile imperial unity with dynastic inheritance.
Holy Roman Empire: A central European political formation whose rulers claimed a tradition of Roman imperial authority from the tenth century onward. Its imperial tradition drew on the Carolingian coronation and legacy.
Carloman I: Frankish king who ruled alongside his brother Charlemagne from 768 until his death in 771. His early death ended the brothers’ division of the Frankish kingdom.
Charles Martel: Frankish leader who governed the kingdom as mayor of the palace from 718 until 741. His military and political power laid groundwork for his descendants’ kingship.

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