HOW DID CHARLEMAGNE RULE SUCH A VAST EMPIRE? - HISTORY - 2025

Charlemagne successfully ruled his extensive empire by carefully attending to the needs of his governed. Due to the prevailing social and political conditions, this was not the usual way of acting for leaders. This, unlike his predecessors, did not consider his domains as personal assets from which to obtain wealth.

In this sense, there was the custom of dividing the kingdom proportionally among all living male children. This form of government created an atomization of the power of the State among multiple populations that were initially one and that later obeyed the orders of different kings.

Charlemagne and the Pope

Similarly, the kings did not rule directly but through "palace stewards" who administered the kingdom on their behalf. All this created a disconnect between the monarchs and the subjects that resulted in a lack of knowledge on the part of the sovereign about the needs of his people.

In a clear differentiation, throughout his 47-year reign, Charlemagne undertook a host of social, governmental, and religious reforms. Being aware of the immensity of the territory that he had to govern and its diversity of nationalities, he set about creating an identity as a people.

His desire for culture led him to intervene in teaching and build schools. Likewise, it developed a form of central government that was supported by governments with local authority that, feeling part of a nascent common culture, worked efficiently and loyally in favor of the empire.

Keys to understanding how Charlemagne ruled such a vast empire

Political-territorial division and government innovations

Charlemagne undertook a territorial political reorganization. He divided the vast empire into 52 counties, and appointed a manager to administer them.

In parallel, he formed a team of special agents called missi dominici, who periodically audited these charges to make sure they acted honestly and did not abuse their power.

In addition, it organized its central government team based on clearly defined functions. This team encompassed all the areas over which Charlemagne needed constant supervision.

Thus, he appointed a seneschal or head of the palace services and a waiter or administrator of the royal treasury. Likewise, he appointed a palatine count or expert in law and substitute for the emperor in cases of absence and a chancellor or notary of the emperor and an arch-chaplain or head of the palace's religious services.

During his reign, Charlemagne instituted general assemblies called synodus, conventus, concilium, or placitum that were consultative. These were summoned once a year and the greats of the kingdom (populus) attended. There he could hear opinions on matters of importance.

The conclusions reached in the meetings with the populus were formalized in official writings called the capitulars.

Its name came from the fact that such writings were organized by chapters. These gave force to the agreements and later they were transformed into laws.

Social reforms

Charlemagne partnered with the church to achieve the creatio imperii christiani (creation of a Christian empire), adopting the pax christiana as social policy. With this, he tried to achieve unity, justice and peace in both civil and ecclesiastical society.

In his quest to achieve this goal, he exerted pressure on counts (provincial governors) and their missis (auditors) to maintain dignified and honest conduct. And he filled the capitulars with typologies of infractions and their corresponding sanctions.

In a rare twist for the time, it levied fees on staples to avoid speculation. Also, it prohibited the accumulation of production surpluses and the loan with interest.

Likewise, he created and maintained hospices, leprosariums, and other charitable institutions while whipping the desire for profit.

From the beginning, Charlemagne was clear that the wide variety of nationalities of his empire had to be brought to unitarization. For that, he maintained Christianity as the forced lifestyle of his empire while allowing certain cultural freedoms of nationalities.

Diplomacy and foreign relations

Diplomatic and alliance activity was intense during the reign of Charlemagne. As a result of them, he came to have excellent relations with Alfonso II, King of Galicia and Asturias, Harun Al-Rashid, king of the Persians and the emperors of Constantinople, Nicephorus I, Miguel I and Leo.

In the same way, he maintained very good relations with the hierarchs of the Christian church. It is even believed that they were the true ideological supporters of his government.

Charlemagne set himself an objective to establish the kingdom of God on earth. This was one of the first projects to establish a religious vision of the world.

Additionally, he incorporated the power of his armies into his diplomatic practice. Thus, it became a custom for neighboring kings to give these relationships a high priority.

Each of them tried to avoid, through alliances, the possibility of being invaded (which happened in some cases).

In general terms, the power and the way in which Charlemagne ruled such a vast empire was viewed with great respect by his potential adversaries. Even Greeks and Romans decided to establish alliances when they suspected that they were going to be invaded.

New conquests

One of the strategies followed by Charlemagne to stay in power for 47 years was the annexation of new territories that he had received as an inheritance from his father, King Pepin II. During his reign the territory doubled compared to what he had inherited.

According to official accounts, Charlemagne received a territory slightly smaller than present-day France. And when he died he left an empire with a vast territory equivalent to present-day Western Europe.

As a result of his policy of continuous expansion, Charlemagne became king of the Franks, the Lombards, and finally Imperator Augustus (Roman emperor).

As the conquered territories increased, their power grew and the possibilities of their possible military adversaries diminished.

In 772, he received a request from Pope Hadrian I to help him recover certain Italian papal properties.

Then, Charlemagne confronted the Lombards (dynasty declared in rebellion) and stripped them of the lands they had held. Later, he made them available to the pope, thus gaining a powerful ally.

References

1. Sullivan, RE (2018, September). Charlemagne. Holy roman emperor. Taken from.britannica.com.
2. Del Hoyo, J. and Gazapo, B. (1997). Annals of the Carolingian Empire. Madrid: AKAL Editions
3. Penfield Central School District. (s / f). Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire. Taken from penfield.edu.
4. Einhard. (2016). The Life of Charlemagne. London: Lulu.com.
5. Collins, R. (1998). Charlemagne. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
6. McKitterick, R. (2008). Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.