Editing Carolingian Empire (section)

=== Carolingians in historiography ===
Despite the relatively short existence of the Carolingian Empire when compared to other European dynastic empires, its legacy far outlasts the state that had forged it. In historiographical terms, the Carolingian Empire is seen as the beginning of '[[feudalism]]'; or rather, the notion of feudalism held in the modern era. Though most historians would be naturally hesitant to assign [[Carolingian dynasty|Charles Martel and his descendants]] as founders of feudalism, it is obvious that a Carolingian 'template' lends to the structure of central medieval political culture.{{Sfn|Costambeys|2011|pages=428–435}} Yet some argue against this assumption; [[Marc Bloch]] disdained this hunt for feudalism's birth as 'the idol of origins'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bloch |first=Marc |title=The Historian's Craft, ed. P. Burke |publisher=Manchester |year=1992 |pages=24–29}}</ref> A concerted effort can be noted by Carolingian authors, such as [[Einhard]], to establish a shift in continuity from the [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] to the [[Carolingian dynasty|Carolingian]], likely where no such groundbreaking difference between the two ever existed.{{Sfn|Costambeys|2011|pages=428–435}}