March (territory) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A march or mark was a special kind of borderland in medieval Europe. Think of it as a frontier area between different kingdoms or empires. These areas were important because they acted like a warning system for incoming armies or helped control trade between different lands.

Marches were often ruled by powerful lords who had special titles. For example, in England, they were called marquess (for men) or marchioness (for women). In Germany, they were known as margraves (which means "march count"). These titles showed that the person was in charge of a border region.

What Does "March" Mean?

The word "march" comes from a very old word meaning "edge" or "boundary." It's related to words like "margin" and "mark."

For example, the old English kingdom of Mercia got its name because it was a borderland. It was located on the frontier between the Anglo-Saxons and the native Britons to the west.

The word "mark" also appears in the name Denmark, which means "the borderland of the Danes."

Marches in History

Frankish Empire Marches

The Frankish Empire, led by powerful rulers like Charlemagne, created many marches to protect its borders.

The Spanish March

After some battles, Charlemagne's son Louis captured Barcelona from the Moorish rulers in 801. This created a border area between the Franks and the Moors called the Hispanic March. It was a buffer zone, meaning it helped protect the main Frankish lands.

This area was ruled by several powerful lords, like the Count of Barcelona. These counts were supposed to be loyal to the Emperor. However, because they were so far away, they slowly became more independent. Over time, some of these areas, like what became Catalonia, developed their own strong identities.

Charlemagne's Other Marches

Charlemagne set up many other marches across his empire to protect against different groups:

The Danish March against the Danes.
The Saxon march against the Obotrites.
The Thuringian march against the Sorbs.
The Avar march (later called the Eastern March) which became the area of modern Austria.
The March of Friuli in Italy.

Marches in France

There was a region in France called Marche (sometimes Marche Limousine). It started as a small border area between the Duchy of Aquitaine and the lands of the French kings.

This region grew over time and kept its name until the French Revolution. Its capital was first Charroux and later Guéret.

The area was first ruled by a count named Boso in the 10th century. Later, it was controlled by the powerful Lusignan family. Eventually, it became part of the French king's own lands in 1527.

Marches in Germany and Austria

The ancient Germanic tribes called Marcomanni were simply "men of the borderlands."

The Limes Saxoniae was a border between the Saxons and the Slavic Obotrites, set up around 810.

In Germany, "Mark" still means a piece of land that was historically a borderland.

Later German Marches

The Nordmark ("Northern March") was a border area set up by the Ottonian empire in lands taken from the Wends. Later, it became the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
The March of Austria (marcha Orientalis, or "Eastern March") is what we know today as Lower Austria.
The March of Carniola and Windic march were in modern Slovenia.

Other German "Marks"

The Margraviate of Brandenburg was ruled by a Markgraf (margrave or "march-count"). It had regions called:
- Altmark ("Old March")
- Mittelmark ("Central March")
- Neumark ("New March")
The region of Märkischer Kreis in modern North Rhine-Westphalia also gets its name from a medieval territory called "Mark."

Habsburg Empire Marches

This map shows the Military Frontier (red outline) that protected the Habsburg Empire from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

The Habsburg Empire created a large border region called the Military Frontier. This was a special military zone set up to defend against attacks from the Ottoman Empire. People living in this area had to serve as soldiers to protect the border.

Marches in Italy

In Italy, the word marca also appeared for border regions. For example, the March of Ancona was a territory that was sometimes controlled by the Holy Roman Emperor and sometimes by the Pope. Today, there is a modern Italian region called Marche, which keeps this historical name.

Marches in Hungary

In medieval Hungary, there was a system called gyepű and gyepűelve. The gyepű was a fortified strip of land, and the gyepűelve was a mostly empty land beyond it. These acted like marches, creating a buffer zone.

Special tribes, like the Székelys and Pechenegs, were given rights to guard these borders for the Hungarian nation.

Marches in Iberia

Besides the Frankish Marca Hispanica, other kingdoms in Iberia also set up their own marches.

The future kingdoms of Portugal and Castile started as marcher counties. They protected the Kingdom of León from the Moorish Cordoban Emirate.
The Caliphate of Córdoba also had its own marches to protect against the Christian states to the north. These included the Upper March (around Zaragoza), the Central March (around Toledo), and the Lower March (around Mérida). These areas later became independent kingdoms called Taifas.

Marches in Scandinavia

As mentioned, Denmark means "the march of the Danes."

In Norse languages, "mark" meant "borderlands" or "forest." Today, in Norwegian and Swedish, it means "ground," and in Danish, it means "field."

Markland was the Norse name for a part of North America discovered by Vikings.
The forests around Norwegian cities are called "Marka" (the marches). For example, the forests around Oslo are called Nordmarka (northern march), Østmarka (eastern march), and Vestmarka (western march).
Other Norwegian counties with "mark" in their name include Finnmark ("the borderlands of the Sami people") and Telemark.

Marches in the British Isles

Welsh Marches

The name of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia in central England means "boundary folk." It was located along the frontier between the Welsh and the Anglo-Saxon invaders.

The border areas between England and Wales were known as the Welsh Marches. The Norman lords who settled there became the new Marcher Lords. These lords had special powers and responsibilities to defend the border.

Scottish Marches

The Scottish Marches were the border regions on both sides of the frontier between England and Scotland. For a long time, clashes were common here. The kings of both countries relied on Marcher Lords to defend these areas. These lords were chosen carefully because of the tough job they had.

Irish Marches

In Ireland, there were also marches, which were the territories between English-controlled lands and Irish-controlled lands. These areas were often fortified by the English kings. Local Anglo-Irish and Gaelic leaders in these marches were given some independence by the Crown.

Titles from Marches

The titles Marquis, marchese, and margrave (Markgraf) all came from the feudal lords who held important positions in these borderlands. The English title "marquess" was borrowed from France and became more common in England in the 15th century.

Related Concepts Around the World

China

In China, a similar idea was called Fan (藩). These were feudal lands or small kingdoms on the borders of the empire. For example, in ancient China, some military areas called "commanderies" acted like marches, protecting the main states.

Japan

The fief of the Matsumae clan on the island of Hokkaidō was like a march. It was Japan's northern border with the Ainu people. The Matsumae lords were special because they didn't have to pay tribute or spend half the year at the capital like most other lords. Their job was to guard the border.

Ukraine

The name Ukraine itself comes from a Slavic word meaning "borderland" or "march." This shows its historical role as a frontier area. The Cossacks, who were independent landowners and warriors, played a big role in defending these borderlands, especially against raids from the Tatars. As the borders moved, the Tsars (Russian emperors) used Cossack units to protect other border areas further south and east.