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Under theMerovingian dynasty, themayor of the palace ormajordomo,[1](Latin:maior palatii ormaior domus) was the manager of the household of theFrankish king. He was the head of the Merovingian administrative ladder and orchestrated the operation of the entire court. He was appointed by the king from among the magnates, the most powerful families.[2]Austrasia,Neustria andBurgundy had their own mayor of the palace. AfterChlothar II, who ruled over the entireFrankish Kingdom, had ordered the execution ofWarnachar, the mayor of Burgundy, the magnates of Burgundy declared in 626 not to want their own mayor anymore. This declaration marks the effective end of the Burgundian court and the beginning of the Neustrian-Burgundian political alliance against Austrasian influence. The Austrasian magnates revolted and theBattle of Tertry of 687 became the Austrasian victory withPepin of Herstal as their leader and the new mayor of the palace.
During the second half of the seventh century, the office evolved into the "power behind the throne". At that time the mayor of the palace held and wielded the real and effective power to make decisions affecting the kingdom, while the kings were increasingly reduced to performing merely ceremonial functions, which made them little more than figureheads (rois fainéants, 'do-nothing kings'). The office may be compared to that of thepeshwa,shōgun,sarvadhikari, or prime minister, all of which have similarly been the real powers behind some ceremonial monarchs.
In 687, after victory over the western kingdom ofNeustria, theAustrasian mayor,Pippin of Herstal, took the titleDuke of the Franks to signify his augmented rule. His son and successor,Charles Martel, ruled without elevating a new king during the last four years of his reign (737–741). His sonsCarloman andPepin the Short elevated another Merovingian king,Childeric III, but he was eventually deposed in 751 by Pepin, who was crowned king in his place.
| Name | In office | Family | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parthenius | 531–548 | court position is unknown | |
| Carloman, father of Pepin of Landen | c. 550-560 | ||
| Gogo | 567–581 | court position is mentioned as 'comes' and 'nutricius' | |
| Wandalenus | 581–583 | Waltrichs | |
| ... | |||
| Florentianus | by 589 | ||
| ... | |||
| Protadus | 595–600 | ||
| Claudius | 600 | ||
| Gondulphus | 600–612 | Merowingians (uncert.) | |
| Warnachar | 613 | Short after the assassination ofSigibert II | |
| Rado | 613–616/617 | ||
| Hugh (Chucus) | 617–622 | Hugobertins (uncert.) | |
| Pepin of Landen | 624/25–634 | Pippinids | First time |
| Adalgisel | 634–639 | ||
| Pepin of Landen | 639–640 | Pippinids | Second time |
| Otto | 640–643 | ||
| Grimoald I | 643–657 or 662 | Pippinids | |
| Ansegisel | 657 or 662–662 | Arnulfingians | |
| Wulfoald | 662–679 | Etichonen (uncert.) | |
| Pepin of Herstal | 679–714 | Pippinids | |
| Theudoald | 714–715 | Pippinids | de jure under his grandmotherPlectrude |
| Charles Martel | 715–741 | Pippinids | After theBattle of Soissons (718) Maior Domus in all parts of the realm |
| Carloman | 741–747 | Pippinids | Austrasia containing also Alemania |
| Pepin the Short | 747–751 | Pippinids | Maior Domus for the whole realm |
Hereafter the office remained vacant, withBurgundy a separate realm under the King of Neustria and Burgundy. The administration of Burgundy was briefly separate under:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
