Afterward the death of Prophet Muhammed the Muslims became great warriors. They conquered many countries and accomplished the muslim religion in them. In 711 the Muslims infested and conquered a avid part of Spain and established a powerful kingdom there, which lasted about seven 100 years.They designated to conquer the land of the Franks following, and then all Europe.They believed it would be easy to conquer the Franks, as the Frankish king at that time was a very weak man. He was among a number of kings who were called the "Do-nothings." They reigned from about 638 to 751. They spent all their time in amusements and pleasures, leaving the affairs of the government to be managed by individuals called mayors of the palace.The mayors of the palace were officers who initially managed the king's household. Afterwards they were made defenders of kings who came to the enthrone when very young. So long as the king was under age the mayor of the palace played chief officer of the authorities in his name. And as several of the young kings, even when they were old adequate to rule, gave lower attention to business than to pleasure, the mayors bore on to do all the business, till at last they did everything that the king ought to have done. They made war, led armies in battle, aroused money and dropped it, and acted up the government as they pleased, without confabbing the king.The "Do-nothings" had the title of king, but nothing more. In point of fact, they didn't desire to have any business to do. The affairs they cared for were dogs, horses and sport.One of the most famed of the mayors was a man named Pep'in. Once a year, it's said, Pepin had the king appareled in his finest adorns and exhibited by the city of Paris, where the court was held. A brilliant throng of nobles and courtiers accompanied the king, and did him honor as he went along the streets in a gilded chariot drawn by a long line of beautiful horses. The king was barracked by the people, and he admitted their greetings most gracefully.After the parade the king was saw to the great hall of the palace, which was filled up with nobles. Seated on a magnificent enthrone, he saluted the assemblage and made a brusque speech. The speech was prepared beforehand by Pepin, and committed to memory by the king. At the close of the ceremony the royal "nobody" adjourned to his country house and wasn't heard of once more for a year.Pepin broke in 714 A.D., and his son Charles, who was 25 years old at that time, succeeded him as mayor of the palace. This Charles is known in history as Charles Martel. He was a brave young man. He had agitated in many of his father's battles and so had get a skilled soldier. His men were committed to him.Charles Martel and the Moslem advanceWhile he was city manager of the palace he led armies in several wars versus the enemies of the Franks. The most authoritative of his wars was one with the Muslims, who came across the Pyrenees from Spain and infested the land of the Franks, intending to base Mohammedanism there. Their army was directed by Abd-er-Rah'man, the Saracen regulator of Spain.On his march by the southern dominions of the land of the Franks Abd-er-Rahman destroyed many towns and villages, killed a number of the people, and seized all the property he could carry off. He despoiled the city of Bordeaux (bor-do'), and, it is said, obtained so many valuable things that every soldier "was affluent with golden vases and cups and emeralds and additional precious stones."But meantime Charles Martel was not idle. As rapidly as he could he got together a avid army of Franks and Germans and marched versus the Muslims. The two armies filled between the cities of Tours and Poitiers (pwaw-te-ay) in October, 732. For six days there was nothing but an occasional brush between small companies from both sides; but on the seventh day a big battle occurred.Both Christians and Muslims agitated with terrible earnestness. The fight went on all day, and the field was covered with the bodies of the slain. But towards evening, during a unhesitating charge made by the Franks, Abd-er-Rahman was downed. Then the Muslims step by step retired to their campy.It was not yet known, even so, which side had won; and the Franks expected that the combat would be renewed in the morning.But when Charles Martel, with his Christian warriors, looked on the field at sunrise there was no enemy to fight. The Muslims had fled in the be quiet and darkness of the night and had left them all their valuable spoils. There was now without doubt which side had won.The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be known as, is affected as one of the decisive battles of the world. It adjudicated that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the governing power in Europe.Charles Martel at the Battle of ToursCharles Martel at ToursCharles Martel is particularly celebrated as the bomber of this battle. It is said that the name Martel was given to him because of his courage during the fight. Marteau (mar-to') is the French word for hammer, and one of the old French historians says that as a forge breaks and crushes iron and steel, so Charles broke and beat the power of his foemen in the battle of Tours.But although the Muslims flew from the battlefield of Tours, they did not leave the ground of the Franks; and Charles had to fight other battles with them, before they were finally defeated. In the end, however, he aimed them across the Pyrenees, and they nevermore attempted to invade Frank land.After his frustration of the Muslims Charles Martel was esteemed as the great adept of Christianity; and to the day of his death, in 741, he was in reality, altho not in name, the king of the Franks.Recent Articles:Division of Charlemagne's EmpireCharlemagne BiographyCharlemagne Facts

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