Editing Feudalism (section)

=== Heinrich Brunner ===
[[File:Francia at the death of Pepin of Heristal 714-es.svg|thumb|The Frankish domains in the time of Charles Martel (boundaries approximate), primarily modern day France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Austria]]
[[Heinrich Brunner]], in his ''The Equestrian Service and the Beginnings of the Feudal System'' (1887), maintained that [[Charles Martel]] laid the foundation for feudalism during the 8th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fouracre |first=Paul |title=Debating Medieval Europe: the Early Middle Ages, c. 450-c.1050 |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2020 |isbn=9781526117328 |editor-last1=Mossman |editor-first1=Stephen |location=Manchester |pages=35–62 |language=English |chapter=The Successor States, 550-750}}</ref> Brunner believed Martel to be a brilliant warrior who secularized church lands for the purpose of providing ''[[precaria]]s'' (or leases) for his followers, in return for their military service. Martel's military ambitions were becoming more expensive as it changed into a cavalry force, thus the need to maintain his followers through the despoiling of church lands.<ref name="FouracreIntroduction">{{Cite book |last=Fouracre |first=Paul |title=The Age of Charles Martel |publisher=Routledge |year=2000 |isbn=9781315845647 |edition=1st |location=London |publication-date=2000 |pages=1–11 |language=English |chapter=Introduction}}</ref> 

Responding to Brunner's thesis, [[Paul Fouracre]] theorizes that the church itself held power over the land with its own ''precarias''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fouracre |first=Paul |title='Writing about Charles Martel', in Law, laity and solidarities : essays in honour of Susan Reynolds / edited by Pauline Stafford, Janet L. Nelson and Jane Martindale |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2007 |location=Manchester |publication-date=2007 |pages=19 |language=English}}</ref> The most commonly utilized ''precarias'' was the gifting of land to the church, done for various spiritual and legal purposes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fouracre |first=Paul |title='Writing About Charles Martel' in Law, Laity and Solidarities : Essays in Honour of Susan Reynolds / Edited by Pauline Stafford, Janet L. Nelson and Jane Martindale |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2007 |location=Manchester |publication-date=2007 |pages=19 |language=English}}</ref> Although Charles Martel did indeed utilize ''precaria'' for his own purposes, and even drove some of the bishops out of the church and placed his own laymen in their seats, Fouracre discounts Martel's role in creating political change, that it was simply a military move in order to have control in the region by hording land through tenancies, and expelling the bishops who he did not agree with, but it did not specifically create feudalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fouracre |first=Paul |title='Writing About Charles Martel' in Law, Laity and Solidarities : Essays in Honour of Susan Reynolds / Edited by Pauline Stafford, Janet L. Nelson and Jane Martindale |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2007 |location=Manchester |publication-date=2007 |pages=18 |language=English}}</ref>