The Carolingians, the Church, and the medieval constitution
Andrew T. Young
In the eighth century, Charles Martel confiscated Church property to make distributions of benefices and precaria his vassals. This project was an investment in state capacity secularizations were continued under Charles’ son Pippin III. Many scholars have characterized this development as expansion Carolingian (monarchical) authority at expense benefit lay nobility. I argue that a better characterization is one constitutional bargains that, taken together, benefited well Carolingians their noble opportunity for mutually beneficial exchange arose because decrease importance trade relative landed wealth increased papal insecurity resulting from Muslim Lombard threats.
Social Science Journal