Capetian Dynasty - Capétiens (French)

The dynasty that ruled France from Hugh Capet, who ascended to the throne in 987, until Charles IV, who died in 1328 without a male heir. The predecessor of this dynasty was the House of Robert, whose ancestor was Robert Le Fort, a powerful man in northern France, and who fought with the Carolingians for the West Frankish throne for almost a century. At the time the Capetian dynasty was established, national power in France was consistently moving in the direction of disintegration, and the process of feudalization was progressing, with fiefs and chatelnies (castle-lord territories) being separated. The early Capetian territory was limited to the Paris and Orléans regions, but since they controlled the political axis of France, they had a geographical advantage compared to other great lords. In addition, since they could not assert the legitimacy of their royal authority derived from their bloodline, they sought proof of legitimacy solely through consecration by the church, and attempted to secure the loyalty of the lords. However, in this respect, it is commendable that the successive kings were blessed with sons and succeeded in making the throne hereditary.

The expansion and centralization of the direct territories of the Capetian family progressed during the reigns of Louis VI and Louis VII, with the development of new villages, the establishment of markets, and the promotion of urbanization. During the reign of the next king, Philip II, notable events included the recapture of the western French territories (Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and Poitou) that had been the property of the Plantagenet family in the previous reign, the establishment of southern France as a royal domain through the Albigensian Crusade, and the penetration of royal power into the urban communes of the great principalities. The establishment of a "feudal monarchy" that integrated feudalism and monarchy was achieved during the reign of Louis IX, with the establishment of a system of paid bureaucrats (baillis and sénéchals) in local administration, and the Supreme Court and the Court of Accounts being separated and independent from the Royal Council. During the reign of Philip IV, realist policies came to the fore, with the progress of the objectivization of rule (Fundamentals of the Kingdom, the Royal Council, and the Three Estates General) rather than the idealistic political ideals of justice and peace of the previous reign. The Pope's movement to Avignon (1309) and the dissolution of the Knights Templar (1312) were manifestations of this policy.

[Inoue Yasuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

987年に王位についたユーグ・カペー以来、1328年に男子相続人なしに死亡したシャルル4世まで、フランスに君臨した王朝。この王朝の前身は北フランスの豪族ロベール・ル・フォールを始祖とし、ほぼ1世紀にわたって西フランク王位をカロリング家と争ったロベール家。カペー朝成立当時、フランスにおける国家権力は一貫して解体の方向をたどり、領邦やシャテルニー（城主支配領）が分立する封建化の過程が進行した。初期カペー家の領土は、パリ地方とオルレアン地方に局限されていたが、フランスの政治的枢軸を押さえていただけに、他の大諸侯に比べて地の利があった。また血統に由来する王権の正統性を主張できなかったので、もっぱら教会による聖別に正統性の証(あかし)を求め、諸侯の忠誠を確保しようと図った。しかし、この点では、歴代国王が男子に恵まれ、王位の世襲化に成功したことが評価される。

　カペー家の直轄支配領の増大と集中化が進むのは、ルイ6世とルイ7世のときで、新村の開発、市場の設定、都市化の促進がみられる。次のフィリップ2世の時代には、前代にプランタジネット家の領有に帰していた西フランスの諸地方（ノルマンディー、アンジュー、メーヌ、ポアトゥー）の奪回、アルビジョア十字軍による南フランスの王領化、大諸侯領の都市コミューヌへの王権の浸透などが注目される。封建制と王政とを一体化した「封建王政」の確立はルイ9世の治世で、地方行政における有給官僚（バイイやセネシャル）の組織が整い、最高法院や会計院が国王会議から分離、独立する。フィリップ4世の治世ともなると、前代の正義と平和の理想主義的な政治理念よりも、支配の客観化（王国基本法、国王評議会と三部会）の進展とともに、現実主義的政策が表面化する。ローマ教皇のアビニョン移住（1309）、テンプル騎士団の解散（1312）などは、そうした政策の現れである。

［井上泰男］

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