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. Cover ......Page 1 Copyright Info ......Page 7 TOC ......Page 8 Figures ......Page 10 Abbreviations ......Page 11 A Note on Nomenclature and Citations ......Page 14 Acknowledgements ......Page 15 Religion, Sources and Scope ......Page 18 Early Medieval Politics: Problems of Approach ......Page 21 Gifts to the Church: Patterns and Potential ......Page 30 Spiritual Patronage and Gifts to the Church ......Page 35 Funerary Ritual, Inheritance and Gift Exchange ......Page 51 Gifts of Land and Social Power ......Page 57 The Implications of Monastic Landholding ......Page 64 Lorsch's Founders ......Page 68 The Family of Otakar ......Page 78 The Family of Hraban Maur ......Page 82 Land as Property ......Page 85 The Exploitation of Land and the Organisation of Estates ......Page 94 Vertical Integration: Social Status ......Page 99 Vertical Integration: Kinship and Lordship ......Page 102 The Relationship Between Land and Power ......Page 110 Patterns of Public Action ......Page 111 Cities, Monasteries and Collective Action ......Page 112 Rural Settlements ......Page 122 Scribes as Guardians of Legal Tradition ......Page 128 Counts and Public Meetings ......Page 135 Local Political Leadership ......Page 141 Violence, Ritual and Dispute Settlement ......Page 146 The Texture of Local Power ......Page 156 Approaching Early Medieval Government ......Page 158 Military Service ......Page 160 The Army Tax ......Page 170 Royal Levies ......Page 173 Roman to Merovingian ......Page 182 The Merovingian Middle Rhine ......Page 189 forging The Pax Karolina ......Page 197 Maintaining the Pax Karolina ......Page 205 The Politics of Division ......Page 212 The Zenith of Carolingian Politics ......Page 227 Crisis, Conflict and Consolidation ......Page 239 The Transformation of the Early Medieval Polity ......Page 258 Structural Characteristics of Early Medieval Polities ......Page 268 Public and Private, State and Society ......Page 271 Interpreting the Early Medieval West ......Page 276 List of Primary Sources ......Page 285 Bibliography of Secondary Works ......Page 291 Index ......Page 324 Titles in series ......Page 334 History Cover 1 Copyright Info 7 TOC 8 Figures 10 Abbreviations 11 A Note on Nomenclature and Citations 14 Acknowledgements 15 1 - Introduction 18 Religion, Sources and Scope 18 Early Medieval Politics: Problems of Approach 21 2 - Monasticism, Spiritual Patronage and Social Structure 30 Gifts to the Church: Patterns and Potential 30 Spiritual Patronage and Gifts to the Church 35 Funerary Ritual, Inheritance and Gift Exchange 51 Gifts of Land and Social Power 57 The Implications of Monastic Landholding 64 3 - Land, Kinship and Status 68 The Elite: Kinship, Land and Inheritance 68 Lorsch's Founders 68 The Family of Otakar 78 The Family of Hraban Maur 82 Land as Property 85 The Exploitation of Land and the Organisation of Estates 94 Vertical Integration: Social Status 99 Vertical Integration: Kinship and Lordship 102 The Relationship Between Land and Power 110 4 - Local Power: Collective Action, Conflict and Consensus 111 Patterns of Public Action 111 Cities, Monasteries and Collective Action 112 Rural Settlements 122 Scribes as Guardians of Legal Tradition 128 Counts and Public Meetings 135 Local Political Leadership 141 Violence, Ritual and Dispute Settlement 146 The Texture of Local Power 156 5 - Locality and Centre: Mechanisms of Extraction 158 Approaching Early Medieval Government 158 Military Service 160 The Army Tax 170 Royal Levies 173 6 - Political Power from the Fifth to the Eleventh Century 182 Introduction 182 Roman to Merovingian 182 The Merovingian Middle Rhine 189 forging The Pax Karolina 197 Maintaining the Pax Karolina 205 The Politics of Division 212 The Zenith of Carolingian Politics 227 Crisis, Conflict and Consolidation 239 The Transformation of the Early Medieval Polity 258 7 - Conclusion: State and Society in the Early Medieval West 268 Structural Characteristics of Early Medieval Polities 268 Public and Private, State and Society 271 Interpreting the Early Medieval West 276 List of Primary Sources 285 Bibliography of Secondary Works 291 Index 324 Titles in series 334 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.