Raja Ramesh 4/15/11 Pd 2 Charles Martel Charles Martel was born c. 688 and died on Oct.

22, 741, in Quierzy-sur-Oise, France. His name means Charles the Hammer. He was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia (the eastern part of the Frankish kingdom. Charles Martel was married twice. His first wife was Rortrude of Treves who gave birth to his two successors, Pepin the Short and Carloman. Swanhild was his second wife. He was the born illegitimately to Pippin II of Herstal, the mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Pippins last legitimate son died in 714 and his throne was left to his widow, Plectrude, and then his grandchildren. Plectrude in an effort to prevent Charles Martel, who was determined to seize power, from taking the throne, Plectrude jailed him. Charles escaped and gathered an army and then defeated another opponent of his, Neustria. Thus, he came to rule Austrasia. By the year 719 he also ruled the Franks. In 724 he conquered Neustria and throughout the 730s he conquered many other territories. In order to keep the land he had gained he supported St. Boniface and other missionaries in their efforts to convert the conquered tribes to Christianity. Charles Martel made many military and territorial gains. The most important battle in history that Charles Martel fought was the Battle of Tours. Muslims had been raiding Frankish territory since 711. Charles was able to turn the Muslims back at Poitiers in the Battle of Tours. This is why the Battle of Tours is also called the battle of Potiers. Charles also gained advanced military technology, such as stirrups and a cavalry, when

he fought the Muslims. This battle was extremely important because it stopped the spread of Islam in Europe. Charles Martels power increased during his time period. Charles became the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, his first territory. Later, he conquered many territories and tribes such as Neustria, the Frisians, the Saxons, and the Bavarians. This gave him a lot of power because he owned more land. Another way Charles gained power is by supporting the Church. This was aided by his work in stopping the spread of Islam in Europe. Charles Martels main contribution to the medieval era was that he stopped the spread of Islam in Europe. Charles was also a good Mayor of the Palace, and helped his country flourish. He also made his country bigger as Mayor of the Palace. Another reason Charles Martel was important is because he was the first European ruler to grant fiefs to his warriors in exchange for loyalty. This helped him solve the problem of having a much larger territory. Charles Martel had a big impact on the medieval era. Charles Martel himself was a great ruler and had a significant impact on the medieval era, but his children also had a huge impact on the medieval era. Charles Martels son Pepin the Short became the first Carolingian King and Charles Martels grandson Charlemagne (Charles the Great) unified his country and led it to new highs. Charles Martels greatness continued well after his death in his son and grandson. Charles Martel was a fierce ruler who was very skilled in military tactics. This allowed him to extend the land that he ruled and stop the spread of Islam. As Charles land became more powerful, so did Charles.