Obotrites; the Thuringian or Sorbian march on the Saale river, against the Sorbs dwelling behind the limes sorabicus; the March of Lusatia, March of Meissen, March of Merseburg and March of Zeitz; the Franconian march in modern Upper Franconia, against the Czechs; the Avar march between Enns river and Wienerwald (the later Eastern March that became the Margraviate of Austria); the Pannonian march east of Vienna (divided into Upper and Lower); the Carantanian march; Steiermark (Styria), established under Charlemagne from a part of Carantania (Carinthia), erected as a border territory against the Avars and Slavs; the March of Friuli; the Marca Hispanica against the Muslims of Al-Andalus (Spain) France The province of France called Marche (), sometimes Marche Limousine, was originally a small border district between the Duchy of Aquitaine and the domains of the Frankish kings in central France, partly of Limousin and partly of Poitou. Its area was increased during the 13th century and remained the same until the French Revolution. Marche was bounded on the north by Berry, on the east by Bourbonnais and Auvergne; on the south by Limousin itself and on the west by Poitou. It embraced the greater part of the modern département of Creuse, a considerable part of the northern Haute-Vienne, and a fragment of Indre, up to Saint-Benoît-du-Sault. Its area was about its capital was Charroux and later Guéret, and among its other principal towns were Dorat, Bellac and Confolens. Marche first appeared as a separate fief about the middle of the 10th century when William III, duke of Aquitaine, gave it to one of his vassals named Boso, who took the title of count. In the 12th century it passed to the family of Lusignan, sometimes also Counts of Angoulême, until the death of the childless Count Hugh in 1303, when it was seized by King Philip IV. In 1316 it was made an appanage for his youngest son the Prince, afterwards King Charles IV and a few years later (1327) it passed into the hands of the family of Bourbon. The family of Armagnac held it from 1435 to 1477, when it reverted to the Bourbons, and in 1527 it was seized by King Francis I and became part of the domains of the French crown. It was divided into Haute-Marche (i.e. "Upper Marche") and Basse-Marche (i.e. "Lower Marche"), the estates of the former being in existence until the 17th