Neustrian

Neustrian is an historical term referring to Neustria, a western region of the Frankish kingdom in the early and high Middle Ages. The name Neustria comes from Latin Neustria and was used to designate the western portion of Francia, contrasted with Austrasia to the east. The precise borders shifted over time, but Neustria was generally centered along the lower Seine and Loire basins and their western hinterlands, encompassing parts of what are now western and northwestern France. The political center of Neustria varied as the Frankish realm evolved, with royal power and administration relocated among different centers in different periods.

The Neustrian population and institutions were integrated into the Frankish realm under the Merovingian and later Carolingian dynasties. Neustria played a leading role in early medieval politics, administration, and religious affairs, often contending with Austrasia for influence over the whole kingdom. The term is primarily a scholarly designation used to describe a historical geographic and political subdivision, rather than a contemporary political entity.

During the Viking Age, Neustria experienced substantial raids, and its fortunes fluctuated with the broader dynamics of West Francia after the fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The Neustrian designation gradually merged into the broader identity of West Francia, the precursor of medieval France.

In summary, Neustrian denotes the western Frankish lands and their history, distinct from other regions such as Austrasia, within the broader narrative of the early medieval Frankish world.