# Death of Dagobert I (639)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/639-death-of-dagobert-i
Location: Frankish realm
Categories: ruler-change

His death inaugurated a period of weaker kings and stronger mayors of the palace. Within the broader Frankish Kingdoms period, Merovingian and Carolingian rulers built large Frankish realms over former Roman Gaul. Conversion, aristocratic power, church institutions and imperial expansion laid foundations for medieval France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Later Merovingian kings (Kings of the Franks). Death of Dagobert I mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Death of Dagobert I mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Later Merovingian kings](https://history-france.com/rulers/later-merovingian-kings)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Death of Dagobert I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Death+of+Dagobert+I&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Death of Dagobert I](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Death+of+Dagobert+I)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)