• General Notes

  [Neet3.FTW]
  
  Political Events, 732
  
  The Battle of Tours near Poitiers October 11 ends the menace of a 90,000-man Moorish army that has invaded southern France under the Yemenite Abd ar-Rahman, who has crossed the Pyrenees, captured and burned Bordeaux, defeated an army under Eudo, duke of Aquitaine, and destroyed the basilica of St. Hilary at Poitiers. The Moors march on Tours, attracted by the riches of its famous church of St. Martin, but they are routed in battle by the Frankish leader Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer), 44, whose men kill Abd ar-Rahman. The Moors retreat to the Pyrenees, and their advance into Europe is terminated, partly by their loss to Charles Martel and partly by a revolt of the Berbers in North Africa.
  
  Political Events, 735
  
  Charles Martel, mayor of Austrasia and Neustria, conquers Burgundy.
  
  Political Events, 739
  
  Pope Gregory III asks Charles Martel to help fight the Lombards, Greeks, and Arabs.
  
  Political Events, 741
  
  Charles Martel dies October 22 at age 53 after dividing his realms between his elder son Carloman and younger son Pepin (or Pippin), although the country has had no true king since the death of Theodoric in 737. Lands to the east, including Austrasia, Alemannia, and Thuringia, have gone to Carloman along with suzerainty over Bavaria, while Pepin has received Neustria, Burgundy, and Provence.
  Source:
  The People's Chronology is licensed from Henry Holt and Company, Inc. Copyright © 1994 by James Trager. All rights reserved.
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  Charles Martel (circa 688-741), Carolingian ruler of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia (in present northeastern France and southwestern Germany). Charles, whose surname means "the hammer," was the son of Pepin of Herstal and the grandfather of Charlemagne. Pepin was mayor of the palace under the last kings of the Merovingian dynasty. When he died in 714, Charles, an illegitimate son, was imprisoned by his father's widow, but he escaped in 715 and was proclaimed mayor of the palace by the Austrasians. A war between Austrasia and the Frankish kingdom of Neustria (now part of France) followed, and at the end of it Charles became the undisputed ruler of all the Franks. Although he was engaged in wars against the Alamanni, Bavarians, and Saxons, his greatest achievements were against the Muslims from Spain, who invaded France in 732. Charles defeated them near Poitiers in a great battle in which the Muslim leader, Abd-ar-Rahman, the emir of Spain, was killed. The progress of Islam, which had filled all Christendom with alarm, was thus checked for a time. Charles drove the Muslims out of the Rhône valley in 739, when they had again advanced into France as far as Lyon, leaving them nothing of their possessions north of the Pyrenees beyond the Aude River. Charles died in Quierzy, on the Oise River, leaving the kingdom divided between his two sons, Carloman and Pepin the Short.
  Source: "Charles Martel," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Details of Charles "Martel" Mayor Of The Palace Of's family with Rotrude (Chrotude) Duchess Of Austrasia