Which Frankish ruler halted Muslim expansion at Tours in 732?

• A. Charlemagne
• B. Pepin the Short
• C. Charles Martel
• D. Clovis I

Answer: (C)

Stopping the northward Muslim expansion into Gaul in 732 was the accomplishment of Charles Martel, the Frankish leader who served as mayor of the palace. He organized and commanded the Frankish forces at the Battle of Tours (also called Poitiers), where his troops defeated the Umayyad army led by Abdul Rahman al-Ghafiqi. This victory checked Muslim advances into what is now France and helped preserve a Frankish political center in Western Europe, shaping the region’s future power dynamics.

Charlemagne and Pepin the Short come into the story later: Charlemagne would build on the Carolingian legacy after Martel, while Pepin the Short succeeded the Merovingian kings and laid foundations for the Carolingian dynasty. Clovis I is much earlier, foundational to the Frankish kingdom long before this encounter.