Carolingians

Carolingians were a Frankish noble family that rose to prominence in the 7th–8th centuries and governed the Frankish realms after the fall of the Merovingians. The name derives from Charles (Carolus) and refers to the line that, through Pippin the Short, supplanted the Merovingian kings and founded the dynasty with his 751 coronation. The early Carolingians built a centralized administration with counts and missi dominici and issued capitularies to govern the realm. The most famous member, Charlemagne (Charles the Great), expanded the realm, reuniting much of Gaul and parts of Italy, and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800, symbolizing the revival of imperial authority in Western Europe. His reign saw the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of learning and standardization of law, script, and religious reform.

After Charlemagne, his son Louis the Pious faced internal conflict among heirs, leading to the empire’s fragmentation. The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the realm among Louis’s sons into West Francia, East Francia, and Middle Francia, setting the pattern for medieval political geography. The Carolingians continued to rule parts of the Frankish world into the late 9th century, but their political primacy declined as local lords and rival dynasties gained strength.

Culture and institutions associated with the dynasty, including monastic reform, script reform, and governmental practice, persisted beyond their political power. By the end of the 10th century, the Carolingian line had largely ceded power to emergent dynasties in West and East Francia, marking the end of the Carolingian dynasty as a ruling house.