[Biografi Tokoh Dunia] Charlemagne, the ruler of medieval Europe who converted his people to Christianity

KOMPAS.com – Charlemagne is a medieval rulers which controls most of it Western Europe from 768 to 814 AD.

Charlemagne, also known as Charles and Charles the Great, in 771 became king of the Franks, now a Germanic tribe, in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany.

Under his rule, he embarked on a mission to unite all Germans into one empire, and convert his people to Christianity, as the records show. biographies of world figures quoted from History.

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He is known as a skilled military strategist, who spent most of his reign engaged in warfare to achieve his goals.

In 800, Pope Leo III (750-816) crowned Charlemagne Roman emperor. In this role, he encouraged the Karoling Renaissance, namely the cultural and intellectual revival of Europe.

When Charlemagne died, his empire had covered most of Western Europe, and Christianity was deeply embedded in the West.

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Early life

Charlemagne was born around 742 AD, the son of Bertrada of Laon and Pepin the Short. In 751 AD, he became king of the Franks.

Little is known about childhood and the educational background of this future ruler of Western Europe.

After Pepin’s death in 768, the Frankish empire was divided between Charlemagne and his younger brother, Carloman (751-771).

The two brothers are said to have had a tense relationship.
After Carloman’s death in 771, Charlemagne became the sole ruler of Frankonia.

Expand the government

Once in power, Charlemagne sought to unite all Germans into one kingdom, and to convert his people to Christianity.

To carry out this mission, he spent most of his reign involved in military campaigns.

Soon after becoming king, he conquered Lombard (now northern Italy), Avar (in modern Austria and Hungary), and Bavaria.

Charlemagne waged a series of bloody battles over three decades against the Saxons, the German pagan tribe.

His actions earned him a reputation as a violent person.

In 782, Charlemagne reportedly ordered the massacre of some 4,500 Saxons, which is later remembered as the Verden Massacre.

He eventually forced the Saxons to convert to Christianity, and declared that anyone who was not baptized or followed Christian traditions would be put to death.

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Charlemagne’s personal life

In his personal life, Charlemagne had many wives and mistresses. It is estimated that he has about 18 children.

However, it is reported that he is a loving father who cares about his children’s education.

There is a record in his history, that because he loved his daughters so much, he forbade them to marry while he was alive.

Einhard (775-840 AD), a Frankish scholar and contemporary of Charlemagne, was a biographer of the emperor after his death.

In his work, entitled “Vita Karoli Magni” which means “Life of Charles the Great”, Einhard described Charlemagne as a person with “a very strong body and very tall, beyond normal size … His appearance was impressive whether he was sitting or standing, despite having a large neck. fat and too short, and a big belly. “

Charlemagne as emperor

As the emperor who expanded the spread of Christianity, Charlemagne gave money and land to the Christian church and protected the popes.

As a way of recognizing Charlemagne’s power and strengthening his ties to the church, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Roman emperor on December 25, 800, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

As emperor, Charlemagne proved to be a talented diplomat and a competent administrator in the vast territories he ruled.

He stressed the importance of education and encouraged the Karoling Renaissance, a period of renewed emphasis on educational and cultural scholarship.

He instituted economic and religious reforms, as the forerunner to the birth of Minuskul Karoling, the standard form of writing which later became the basis for modern European printed letters.

Charlemagne ruled his kingdom from a number of cities and palaces, but he often spent time in the palace at Aachen, where there also stood the school which had the best teachers from all over the country.

Apart from the school there, Aachen has a special appeal for Charlemagne, as there are therapeutic warm springs.

Apart from education, Charlemagne was interested in athletic activities. He enjoyed hunting, horseback riding, and swimming.

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The end of history

According to Einhard, the end of Charlemagne’s history of experiencing health problems for 4 years. It was said that he often suffered from fever and was weak.

However, as noted by biographer, “Even now … he is following his own opinion rather than the advice of the doctors, which he almost hates, because they advised him to stop eating the roast that he loves”.

In 813 AD, Charlemagne crowned his son Louis the Pious (778-840) king of Aquitaine, as co-emperor.

Louis became sole emperor when Charlemagne died in January 814 AD, ending his reign of more than 4 decades. Charlemagne is buried in the cathedral in Aachen.

At the time of Charlemagne’s death, his empire covered most of Western Europe.

In the following decade, his kingdom was divided among his heirs. In the late 800s, the kingdom collapsed.

In 1165, under Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (1122-1190), the medieval ruler was crowned a saint for political reasons. However, the church at this time does not recognize his holiness.

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