Charlemagne was an outstanding ruler and educator of men during his reign over the Frankish Empire. His influence on Christianity during this period was directly related to his passion for learning and education which he himself exemplified. Charlemagne was born in 742 AD to a very famous and well-known family. His grandfather was Charles Martel, the man responsible for the defeat of the Saracens, a barbaric, Muslim tribe whose defeat elevated Charles to emperor on the Frankish throne. Charlemagne was also the eldest son of Bertrada (also known as Bertha Greatfoot) and Pepin the Short, the first to become king of the Franks. With the near extinction of schools in the 8th century, many historians claim that Charlemagne received very little education, but learned the art of reading from Bertrada. His belief in the need for education among the Frankish people was to bring about religious, political and educational reforms that would change the history of Europe. Charlemagne knew the meaning of an education after growing up with his father, Pepin the Short. Pepin was insecure and feared that his two sons, Charlemagne and Charlemagne, might take over his empire before their time. This was difficult to understand because Pepin valued education and reading so much in an effort to bring civilization back to society during his reign. The two sons experienced all the hardships of a military campaign at an early age, being on the road, huddled around fires at night while sleeping, and even eating frugal meals with the troops. Both quickly realized that they might be ready to lead when they returned to their palace, but still unable to read or write to communicate with the citizens who would one day have... middle of paper... d leader who restored the roots of education and order in medieval Europe. Laws, traditions and teachings were carried forward by the descendants of the Carolingians in their words and deeds, setting a precedent for the actions of civilizations for hundreds of years to come. The relationships that Charlemagne formed between Church and State rooted Christianity in Europe for the future. . Charlemagne created a political structure in which counts and bishops governed different regions side by side. This gave the church power at the local government level. By having bishops working together on the counts, this brought Christianity to the people at all levels and highlighted the need for the importance of cooperation with the Church. Even with the final collapse of Charlemagne's centralized government, this local influence strengthened and allowed Christianity to flourish in Europe..