State and Society in the Early Middle Ages: The Middle Rhine Valley, 400–1000 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series, Series Number 47)

This book, first published in 2000, is a pioneering study of politics and society in the early Middle Ages. Whereas it is widely believed that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of the workings of social and political relationships on the ground, this book focuses on a uniquely well-documented area to investigate the basis of power. Topics covered include the foundation of monasteries, their relationship with the laity, and their role as social centres; the significance of urbanism; the control of land, the development of property rights and the organization of states; community, kinship and lordship; justice and dispute settlement; the uses of the written word; violence and the feud; and the development of political structures from the Roman empire to the high Middle Ages. EEn ......Page 1 Cover ......Page 2 Copyright Info ......Page 8 TOC ......Page 9 Figures ......Page 11 Abbreviations ......Page 12 A Note on Nomenclature and Citations ......Page 15 Acknowledgements ......Page 16 Religion, Sources and Scope ......Page 19 Early Medieval Politics: Problems of Approach ......Page 22 Gifts to the Church: Patterns and Potential ......Page 31 Spiritual Patronage and Gifts to the Church ......Page 36 Funerary Ritual, Inheritance and Gift Exchange ......Page 52 Gifts of Land and Social Power ......Page 58 The Implications of Monastic Landholding ......Page 65 Lorsch's Founders ......Page 69 The Family of Otakar ......Page 79 The Family of Hraban Maur ......Page 83 Land as Property ......Page 86 The Exploitation of Land and the Organisation of Estates ......Page 95 Vertical Integration: Social Status ......Page 100 Vertical Integration: Kinship and Lordship ......Page 103 The Relationship Between Land and Power ......Page 111 Patterns of Public Action ......Page 112 Cities, Monasteries and Collective Action ......Page 113 Rural Settlements ......Page 123 Scribes as Guardians of Legal Tradition ......Page 129 Counts and Public Meetings ......Page 136 Local Political Leadership ......Page 142 Violence, Ritual and Dispute Settlement ......Page 147 The Texture of Local Power ......Page 157 Approaching Early Medieval Government ......Page 159 Military Service ......Page 161 The Army Tax ......Page 171 Royal Levies ......Page 174 Roman to Merovingian ......Page 183 The Merovingian Middle Rhine ......Page 190 forging The Pax Karolina ......Page 198 Maintaining the Pax Karolina ......Page 206 The Politics of Division ......Page 213 The Zenith of Carolingian Politics ......Page 228 Crisis, Conflict and Consolidation ......Page 240 The Transformation of the Early Medieval Polity ......Page 259 Structural Characteristics of Early Medieval Polities ......Page 269 Public and Private, State and Society ......Page 272 Interpreting the Early Medieval West ......Page 277 List of Primary Sources ......Page 286 Bibliography of Secondary Works ......Page 292 Index ......Page 325 Titles in series ......Page 335 History EEn 1 Cover 2 Copyright Info 8 TOC 9 Figures 11 Abbreviations 12 A Note on Nomenclature and Citations 15 Acknowledgements 16 1 - Introduction 19 Religion, Sources and Scope 19 Early Medieval Politics: Problems of Approach 22 2 - Monasticism, Spiritual Patronage and Social Structure 31 Gifts to the Church: Patterns and Potential 31 Spiritual Patronage and Gifts to the Church 36 Funerary Ritual, Inheritance and Gift Exchange 52 Gifts of Land and Social Power 58 The Implications of Monastic Landholding 65 3 - Land, Kinship and Status 69 The Elite: Kinship, Land and Inheritance 69 Lorsch's Founders 69 The Family of Otakar 79 The Family of Hraban Maur 83 Land as Property 86 The Exploitation of Land and the Organisation of Estates 95 Vertical Integration: Social Status 100 Vertical Integration: Kinship and Lordship 103 The Relationship Between Land and Power 111 4 - Local Power: Collective Action, Conflict and Consensus 112 Patterns of Public Action 112 Cities, Monasteries and Collective Action 113 Rural Settlements 123 Scribes as Guardians of Legal Tradition 129 Counts and Public Meetings 136 Local Political Leadership 142 Violence, Ritual and Dispute Settlement 147 The Texture of Local Power 157 5 - Locality and Centre: Mechanisms of Extraction 159 Approaching Early Medieval Government 159 Military Service 161 The Army Tax 171 Royal Levies 174 6 - Political Power from the Fifth to the Eleventh Century 183 Introduction 183 Roman to Merovingian 183 The Merovingian Middle Rhine 190 forging The Pax Karolina 198 Maintaining the Pax Karolina 206 The Politics of Division 213 The Zenith of Carolingian Politics 228 Crisis, Conflict and Consolidation 240 The Transformation of the Early Medieval Polity 259 7 - Conclusion: State and Society in the Early Medieval West 269 Structural Characteristics of Early Medieval Polities 269 Public and Private, State and Society 272 Interpreting the Early Medieval West 277 List of Primary Sources 286 Bibliography of Secondary Works 292 Index 325 Titles in series 335 This book is a pioneering study of politics and society in the early middle ages. Whereas it is widely believed that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of the workings of social and political relationships on the ground, this book focuses on a uniquely well-documented area to investigate the basis of power. Topics covered include the foundation of monasteries, their relationship with the laity, and their role as social centres; the significance of urbanism; the control of land, the development of property rights and the organisation of states; community, kinship and lordship; justice and dispute settlement; the uses of the written word; violence and the feud; and the development of political structures from the Roman empire to the high middle ages.

This book shows just how much can be discovered about the so-called "Dark Ages," between the fall of Rome and the high Middle Ages. Whereas it is believed widely that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of social and political relationships, State and Society in the Early Middle Ages offers a detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire, and suggests the need to rethink our understanding of political power in this period.

"This book is a study of politics and society in the early middle ages, based on the middle Rhine valley." "Although a local study, the book offers persuasive and challenging generalisations about the nature of power in the early middle ages. It places its findings in an explicitly comparative perspective, identifying the peculiarities of the early medieval west and their implications for the broader sweep of European history."--Jacket This book shows just how much can be discovered about the so-called 'Dark Ages', offering a detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire, and suggesting the need to rethink our understanding of political power in the early middle ages

a Detailed Analysis Of The Workings Of Society At The Heart Of Charlemagne's Empire During The 'dark Ages'.

On the morning of 18 January 838 an earthquake hit the middle Rhine valley.