List of Frankish Kings
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The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents.
The Frankish kingdoms were ruled by two main dynasties, the Merovingians (who established the realm) and later the Carolingians. A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited. For more detailed explanations, see the Franks article.
Upon Clovis' death, the kingdom was split among his four sons:
| Soissons | Paris | Orleans | Reims |
| Clotaire I 511-561 | |||
| Clotaire I 511-561 |
Clotaire (of Soissons) eventually took over the other three kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers (or their successors). After his own death, the kingdom was once again split among his four sons:
| Soissons (Neustria) | Paris | Orleans (Burgundy) | Metz (Austrasia) |
|---|---|---|---|
Clotaire II defeated Brunhilda and her offspring and reunified the kingdom. However, in 623 he created the sub-kingdom of Austrasia, in order to appease particularistic forces and also to secure the borders. His son and successor Dagobert I emulated this move by appointing sub-kings for Aquitaine in 629 and Austrasia in 634.
| Neustria & Burgundy | Aquitaine | Austrasia |
|---|---|---|
| Neustria & Burgundy | Austrasia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Neustria & Burgundy | Austrasia | ||
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The Carolingians initially were Mayors of the Palace under Merovingian kings in the sub-kingdom of Austrasia and later in the reunited Frankish realm:
- Pippin the Elder (580-640), Mayor of Austrasia 623-629, 639-640
- Ansegisel (602-685), Mayor of Austrasia 629-639
- Grimoald (616-662), son of Pippin, Mayor of Austrasia 643-657
- Pippin the Middle (640-714), son of Ansegisel, Mayor of Austrasia 679-714, since 688 as Duke and Prince of the Franks de facto ruler of the whole kingdom
- Charles Martel (690-741), Mayor of Austrasia 717-741, since 718 of the whole kingdom
- Carloman (716-754), Mayor of Austrasia 741-747
- Pippin the Younger (714-768), Mayor of Neustria 741-751, since 747 also Mayor of Austrasia
- Pippin the Younger (714-768), 751-768
- Charlemagne (742-814), 768-814 (at first only Neustria, Aquitaine, northern Austrasia)
- Carloman 768-771 (Burgundy, Allemania, southern Austrasia)
- Louis the Pious (778-840), 814-840
- Lothar I (795-855), 817-855 (until 840 under his father)
The Frankish kingdom was then divided with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 among the sons of Louis the Pious. The following table lists only the rulers in the three subdivisions, which are the kernels of later kingdoms France and Germany, leaving out Italy.
| West Franks (eventually France) | Lotharingia | East Franks (eventually Germany) |
|---|---|---|
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Names marked * were not Carolingians, but still distantly related to the dynasty.
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See also
- Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)
- List of the Mayors of the Palaces
For further reading
- The history of France as recounted in the "Grandes Chroniques de France," and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingians, and the Capetian Rulers of France, that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. This document was produced and likely commissioned during the Hundred Years' War, a dynastic struggle between the rulers of France and England with rival claims to the French throne. It should therefore be read and considered carefully as a source, due to the inherent bias in the context of its origins.
- The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
- The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000 by Edward James ISBN 0333270525
- Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester Medieval Sources); Paul Fouracre (Editor), Richard A. Gerberding (Editor)ISBN 0719047919
- Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Merovingian Dynasty: [link].
- Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, eds. W. Kibler and G. Zinn. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995.
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