ME1001: The Medieval World

What were the main factors behind the consolidation of Capetian

power in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries?
Louise Hemfrey
07.12.09
1
What were the main factors behind the consolidation of Capetian power in the twelfth
and thirteenth centuries?
When Louis VI ascended the throne of France in 1108, he was the ruler of a sall and ill
!disci"lined#
1
"rinci"alit$, %ut %$ the end of his &reat!&reat!&randson's rei&n in 1()0, the
*a"etians would %e the su"ree rulers of an alost co"letel$ united France, ins"irin&
Fawtier to sa$ In his da$ there was trul$ onl$ one +in& of France,#
(
There are an$ factors
that influenced the consolidation of *a"etian "ower at this tie- the ost i"ortant of which
I %elieve to %e the o""ortunities which were utili.ed in this "eriod and the character and
/ualit$ of the *a"etian +in&s, The &ood fortune of the line of succession, the %raver$ and
intelli&ence of the en, su""ort of the *hurch and cler&$, and a strict for of adinistration
all had a hand in creatin& Louis I0's France, Without these chance turnin&s of events there is
dou%t as to whether the descendents of 1u&h *a"et would have &one on to achieve the
su"reac$ the$ did,
2 vital and %asic d$naic in the *a"etian consolidation of "ower is the line of succession,
The late *arolin&ian rei&n was arred %$ "reature death and childless arria&e, a &rowin&
fee%leness and a%senteeis#
3
of soverei&n "ower "la&ued the land, The *a"etians re!
esta%lishent of ro$al control re/uired continuit$ and sustainent as no &reat chan&e in the
&overnin& structure would have %een feasi%le in one +in&'s lifetie, For the ost "art the
a%ilit$ of each *a"etian onarch to "roduce a ale heir was luc+- thou&h "ercenta&e of ale
%a%ies %orn is hi&her than feale 4 516 to 786
7
! %a%$ %o$s also have hi&her infant
ortalit$ rate than &irls, therefore the "rovidence of havin& a son who survived infanc$ could
have %een inter"reted %$ conte"oraries as a si&n fro 9od that the *a"etians were ri&htful
1
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp 145
2
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp ##
#
Lemarignier, $, The Medieval French Monarchy The Contracting !phere of "oyal #nfl$ence, (%llinoi&,
'S(, 1!#), pp #0)#1
4
The %cono&ist * Fertilit+ (rticle& * (,ew -or., /ct 2, 200)
2
heirs to the throne
5
, This %lessin& was also intrinsic to the wa$ in which *a"etian soverei&n
rule was constructed, :u&er notes in his The Life of ;in& Louis the Fat# how Louis, as a
$outh, "erfors his own con/uests and acco"anies his father on issions in the service of
their countr$, 1is son, and all the sons thereafter are noted in 1alla and Everard to do the
sae, Fawtier evaluates his trend in the "hrase the heir was trained in the %usiness of
;in&shi" durin& his father's lifetie, and was in the %est "ossi%le "osition to carr$ out the
latter's wor+ after his death#
<
The close relationshi" created %etween father and son, as well
as earl$ e="erience in securit$ and &overnance ensured a coitent to the continued
sustainent of their line %ecause, unli+e %elli&erent onarchs, the crown "rinces were tau&ht
%oth the res"onsi%ilities of their station and the eans to rule with a vivid e=a"le fro the
rei&n of their fathers to revert to should soethin& &o wron& 4 a factor conducive to *a"etian
doination over the castellans, There is, however, a sli&ht turnin& "oint in 1((< when Louis
VIII dies after three $ears as +in&, leavin& his twelve $ear old son, Louis I0, to rule %efore
coin& of a&e, Without the &uidance of his father, or the stren&th to lead an ar$, counter!
claiants to the throne antici"ated the downfall of the %o$!+in& and s"eculated over which
aristocrat would rule ne=t
)
, The >ueen dowa&er, ?lanche of *astile, was read$ to co%at the
o""ortunists, "rovin& to %e a forida%le o""onent to the rowd$ no%leen, rulin& as re&ent
until Louis was old enou&h to secure the throne, 1er influence over Louis would %e a
definin& feature of his character- he would con/uer ore of France than an$ of his
"redecessors and "rove hiself to %e a sound and fair#
8
+in&, Louis I0 would also &lorif$
the *a"etian line, and France, with his canonisation in 1(8), deonstratin& once a&ain the
divine ri&ht of the *a"etian line to rule France,
5
$ac.&on, Ric0ard (1, The 'o$rnal of Modern (istory %lective Kingship and Consens$s )op$li in
!i*teenth Cent$ry France, (2ol1 44, ,o12, 30icago, $4ne 1!2), pp 155
5
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp 22!
!
Fawtier, Robert, The Medieval French Monarchy The +reat Kings of the ,ynasty, (%llinoi&, 'S(,
1!#), pp 5")5
"
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp 25"
#
The su""ort of reli&ion, s"ecificall$ *hristianit$, would "rove to %e another definin& feature
of *a"etian France, The role of +in& i"lied a "erson who was %etter than coon en-
ore virtuous, "ious, res"ectful, and u"ri&ht is %ehaviour co"ared to other en, :u&er, for
instance, descri%es the %ehaviour of Louis VI as attachin& hiself to the saintl$ art$rs and
their servants at :t, @enis, as if fro a naturall$ sweet dis"osition,#
8
Fro the tie of
*harlea&ne there was a lon& u"held custo that the French onarchs were the direct
"rotectors of the church
10
, The *a"etians also sou&ht to ono"oli.e on this "osition, %ein&
+nown as the favourites of the *hurch#
11
in the two hundred $ears of the *a"etian rise the
reli&ious orders of *lun$, the *istercians, Franciscans, the order of :t *laire, the *arthusians
and the Te"lars would esta%lish a %ase for theselves in France fro which their teachin&
would s"read around the world, The *a"etian ;in&s were called to aid the cler&$ on a
nu%er of occasions- Louis VI defended the a%%e$ of :t!@enis, Louis VII *lun$ and the
*istercian on+s, Ahili" B2u&ustus' su""orted Ao"e Innocent III directl$ in his disa&reeent
with the 9eran E"eror, Thoas ?ec+ett sou&ht as$lu in *a"etian France, and Louis I0
lead and funded two crusades
1(
, Celi&ious culture was also develo"in& in France with an
alost constant strea of ecclesiastical constructions or redevelo"ents, ?lanche of *astile
%ein& a "roinent %enefactor to these wor+s
13
, The ardent su""ort for the Coan church was
not entirel$ altruistic in its nature, The *a"etian +in&s were in constant conflict with
nei&h%ourin& no%les and "articularl$ the En&lish crown, however with the %ac+in& of the
Ao"e the$ could retain that the$ were ri&hteous in all their conflicts,

S4ger, The -ife of King -o$is the Fat, 6ran&lated b+ $ean 74nbabin (8edieval Hi&tor+ So4rceboo.),
pp
10
60omp&on, $1, The ,evelop&ent of the French Monarchy $nder -o$is .#, (30icago, 'S(, 1"5) pp
!
11
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp 5!
12
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001),
adapted 9rom c0apter& 4 and 5
1#
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp
25"
4
*onflict "rovided o""ortunities for *a"etian e="ansion, as did cunnin& alle&iances and
"articularl$ arria&e, For the *a"etians, as with an$ successful soverei&nt$, o""ortunit$,
fate should not %e undercut for its influence in achievin& he&eon$, While Louis VI and VIII
had e="anded and aintained their su.eraint$#
17
over the aDorit$ of the French states,
Ahili" B2u&ustus' would ar+ a turnin& "oint in the "ro&ression of *a"etian "ower, The
"rie o""osition to *a"etian su"reac$ over all of France was En&land, %$ a stro+e of fate
the crusade which Ahili"'s adversar$, Cichard, lead would +ill soe of the ore "roinent
no%les of the French states, "assin& their doinion to Ahili", To add to this, Cichard was
ca"tured %$ the @u+e of 2ustria on his return fro the crusade and in his a%sence Ahili" was
a%le to secure the Eorth East, includin& Eorand$, under fir *a"etian control, 1is
territorial &ains would onl$ "rove disadvanta&eous if he could not "rove to the no%leen of
Euro"e his co"etenc$ as a ruler %ut the %attle of ?ouvines was to %ecoe the s$%ol of
revived ro$al "ower#
15
which Ahili" needed to assert hiself, ?ouvines was also fou&ht on a
:unda$, and his ene$ Ftto of ?runswic+ had Dust %een e=counicated %$ the *hurch,
continuin& the ideolo&$ that the *a"etians were 9od's cha"ions and the favoured
onarchs#
1<
, Thou&h Louis VIII rei&n was short!lived he did uch to consolidate on the
&ains of his father, includin& a severe co%atin& of heres$ on the 2l%i&ensian *rusade which
de"osed soe "otential no%le eneies fro "ower
1)
, 1is son Louis I0's rei&n would "rove
to %e the e%odient of *a"etian "ower thou&h uch of his +iset, es"eciall$ in his earl$
career, can %e attri%uted to his other, When the $oun& Louis was held hosta&e %$ his
eneies, the su""ort aon& the coon "eo"le and the castellans fro Ile de France which
14
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp
145
15
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp
1!2
15
3owdre+, H1, The #nternational (istory "evie/ "evie/s of 0oo1s, ( 2ol1 1#, ,o1#, 11) pp 55"
1!
:a.e9ield, :, (eresy, Cr$sade and #n2$isition in !o$thern France, (San Franci&co, 1!4) pp124
5
had %een collected %$ his other was so far reachin& that he was /uic+l$ returned to
freedo
18
,
Louis I0 would %e the insti&ator of a rei&n of "eace and Dustice#
18
creatin& new fors of
adinistration to rei&n in the inde"endent %arons and secure his "osition as soverei&n in
France, Man$ of his chan&es were in fact develo"ents of structures which Ahili"
B2u&ustus' had %e&an i"leentin& at the %e&innin& of the thirteenth centur$- the
noination of officials to &overnent was a "riar$ feature of this oveent
(0
,
Intellectuals were &iven the "ractical Do%s of creatin& new laws, ta=ation "olicies, ana&in&
the treasur$, The fact that the$ were e"lo$ed %$ the +in& eant that he could disiss the
if the$ did not "erfor to the standard he e="ected, ?ailiffs were created to hold court and
"ractice the law, holdin& the entire +in&'s "eo"le accounta%le to one Dustice s$ste
(1
, Endin&
the law of Btrial %$ co%at' to resolve dis"utes, further securin& the lo$alt$ of the no%les,
With the an$ wars of the no%les now over, direct vassala&e to the ;in& had increased
treendousl$ hel"in& to ensure the national i"leentation of the new adinistration,
@es"ite his continued devotion to the Coan *hurch, Louis I0 was not %e$ond cur%in& the
over!.ealous ecclesiastics in his +in&do, and even refused as$lu to Ao"e Innocent the IV,
with the e=cuse that he needed "erission fro his ?arons
((
, when in realit$ he was tr$in& to
avert war with the 1ol$ Coan E"eror,
The efforts of the *a"etian onarchs to achieve su"ree rule in France were an on&oin& and
co"le= "rocess which re/uired an e=treel$ fortunate succession of onarchs and
"articularl$ de"enda%le characters of the en theselves, @ue to the o""ortunities of
1"
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp 2"
1
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp ##
20
Fawtier, Robert, The Capetian Kings of France, (London, 1!"), pp 1!5
21
Fe&ler, $1, 60e 8edieval Frenc0 8onarc0+; The %&ergence of )rovincial 3d&inistration, (%llinoi&,
'S(, 1!#) pp !"
22
Hallam and Everard, Capetian France 987 1328, (Second Edition, Harlow, England, 2001), pp
2!5
5
alliance and con/uest, the *a"etians were a%le to e="and their +in&do to incor"orate nearl$
all of France, and %rou&ht the no%les under their $o+e of alle&iance, Fro there adinisterial
structurin& the$ could fashion a &overnental structure that would %e efficient for the
+in&do and ensure the continued su""ort of the no%les, Fne ust not for&et the i"ortance
of the church, for without their su""ort, the divine will, the *a"etians would have
undou%tedl$ had ore o""osition to their ri&ht to rule, as well as a severe lac+ of financial
su""ort in their con/uests, I do not dou%t there were other issues %ehind the consolidation of
"ower, %ut each of these stands out for its "roinence in the te=ts, confirin& their
i"ortance to *a"etian soverei&nt$,
iblio!raphy
Ariar$ :ources
:u&er, The Life of King Louis the Fat, Translated %$ Gean @un%a%in HMedieval
1istor$ :ource%oo+I
:econdar$ :ources
*owdre$, 1,, The International History Review: Reviews of Books, H Vol, 13, Eo,3,
1881I
Fawtier, Co%ert, The Capetian Kings of France, HLondon, 18)8I,
!
1alla and Everard, Capetian France !" # $%&!, H:econd Edition, 1arlow,
En&land, (001I,
1ennean, Gohn, et al, The 'e(ieval French 'onarchy, HIllinois, J:2, 18)3I
Gac+son, Cichard 2,, The )ournal of 'o(ern History: *lective Kingship an(
Consensus +opuli in ,i-teenth Century France, HVol, 77, Eo,(, *hica&o, Gune 18)(I
Tho"son, G,, The .evelop/ent of the French 'onarchy un(er Louis 0I, H*hica&o,
J:2, 1885I
Wa+efield, W, Heresy, Crusa(e an( In1uisition in ,outhern France, H:an Francisco,
18)7I
The *cono/ist 4 Fertilit$ 2rticles 4 HEew Kor+, Fct (8, (008I
"