Capetian << kuh PEE shuhn, >> dynasty, is the name given to a long line of kings that ruled France from 987 to 1328. Between 987 and 1316, son followed father without a break in the royal succession. Many Capetian kings had very long reigns. Several of them, notably Philip II (Augustus), Louis IX (St. Louis), and Philip IV (the Fair), were men of considerable administrative ability. Hugh Capet, the first of the line, ruled only a small territory around Paris and was surrounded by feudal lords much more powerful than himself. Later Capetians enlarged the royal holdings, increased the powers of the rulers, and gave France a strong centralized government. After the Capetian dynasty, France was ruled by two branches of the Capetian family—the Valois family and the Bourbon family. Valois kings ruled France from 1328 to 1589. Bourbons ruled from 1589 to 1792, and again from 1814 to 1848. See Hugh Capet; Louis IX; Philip II [of France]; Philip IV [of France].
