Charles Martel
Charles Martel, (688?–741), a ruler of the Franks. Pepin the Short was his son and Charlemagne his grandson. In 714 Charles succeeded his father as mayor of the palace. This officer, originally merely the steward of the royal household, had come to hold the ruling power under the last, weak kings of the Merovingian line.
Charles Martel brought under his rule the entire Frankish kingdom and many German tribes east of the Rhine. In 732 he defeated the Moors in the Battle of Tours, preventing the conquest of western Europe by the Muslims. For this victory Charles was nicknamed Martel, “the Hammer.” He was never actually king, but during the last four years of his life the throne was vacant and he was the sole ruler.