Mahaut, Countess of Artois, also known as Mathilda, was Countess of Burgundy and Artois. She defended counties of Artois and Burgundy from internal and external enemies in France.
Background
Mahaut of Artois was the daughter of Robert II, Count of Artois and Amicie de Courtenay. She was the sister of Philip of Artois and Robert of Artois.
Mahaut's mother Amicie de Courtenay died in 1275 when Mahaut was about five years old, and her father then married Agnes of Bourbon. Relations between Mahaut and her stepmother must have been cordial, judging by the care Mahaut later took to provide a tomb monument for Agnes. However, the absence of consistent maternal influence may be one reason why some of Mahaut's formative years were spent at the French court.
Career
Mahaut d'Artois enforced the law, suppressed rebellions among her own vassals, and defended her claims to the county of Artois against the repeated assaults of her nephew Robert. Mahaut was left as sole ruler of the county of Artois after the deaths of her brother Philip in 1298 and her father Robert II of Artois at the Battle of Courtrai in 1302. She had already shared the rulership of Burgundy with her husband Otto since their marriage in 1285, and when he died in 1303, she became the sole ruler of that county as well. In both territories, her duties as ruler included enforcing justice and maintaining the peace, through force when necessary - although it appears that Mahaut did not normally lead armed expeditions herself but usually delegated these tasks to trusted subordinates. Thus when one of her vassals, the lord of Oisy, pillaged the property and mistreated the inhabitants of some lands under her protection (even going so far as to imprison one of her officials), Mahaut ordered the destruction of his castle, an order that was carried out by an armed band under the leadership of Jean de Ponthieu.
Mahaut's hold on Artois was contested several times by her nephew Robert. The difficulty of maintaining peace was compounded by the fact that she had to defend her title and rights in Artois against Robert's repeated military and legal challenges. Although Mahaut received favorable rulings in the king's court, Robert was able to stir up rebellions against her by providing aid to some of her more disgruntled vassals. The problem became so acute in the first few years after the death of Philippe IV in 1314 that Mahaut was forced to spend five years under the king's protection, returning in 1319.
Achievements
Mahaut, countess of Artois, was among the most important women in France during the early 14th century. Her achievements illustrate how a woman of intelligence and determination was able to utilize her social standing to be an active participant in the politics and culture of French courtly society.
Politics
As a young woman in her 20s, Mahaut assumed responsibilities not only for the care of her children but also for some of the administration of her husband's feudal territory of Burgundy, because Count Otto was frequently absent on military campaigns. Although he was a valiant knight, he was less capable of managing his feudal resources. His accumulation of debts from his military exploits led him to place the county of Burgundy and the education of his children in the hands of Philip IV, king of France, in return for Philip's payment of Otto's debts and provision of income for his family. These arrangements reinforced the close ties among Mahaut, her children, and the French royal family.
Mahaut's situation began to change in 1302 when her father, Count Robert II of Artois, was killed fighting with French forces in campaigns against Flanders, and she inherited the county of Artois. Her husband was killed in battle the following year. Mahaut, now a widow in her early 30s, assumed sole responsibility for raising three young children and added the administration of a second significant feudal territory, Burgundy, to her duties in Artois.
Personality
When Mahaut's life is viewed as a whole, the countess emerges as an intelligent and competent ruler who successfully maintained her authority in difficult circumstances through her utilization of alliances and the delegated application of armed force.
Connections
In 1285, Mahaut married Otto IV, count palatine of Burgundy, who at about 45 years of age was considerably older than his first wife. The marriage probably was arranged to draw the important territory of Burgundy, located on the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire, into closer alliance with France. For the next 18 years, until Otto's death in 1303, Mahaut was primarily occupied with her duties as wife and mother. Between around 1290 and 1300, she had four children; Jean, the youngest, died in infancy, but she raised two daughters, Jeanne I of Burgundy and Blanche of Burgundy, and a son, Robert.
Father:
Robert II, Count of Artois
Mother:
Amicie de Courtenay
Brother:
Philip of Artois
Brother:
Robert of Artois
husband:
Otto IV, Count of Burgundy
Daughter:
Joan II, Countess of Burgundy
Jeanne I of Burgundy, became the wife of Philip (the future Philip V the Tall, king of France), count of Poitiers, the second son of King Philip IV the Fair in 1306. This marriage fulfilled an agreement made in 1291 between Otto of Burgundy and Philip the Fair by which Jeanne was promised to one of Philip the Fair's sons.
Daughter:
Blanche of Burgundy
Blanche of Burgundy married Charles, count of La Marche (the future Charles IV, king of France), the third son of the French king and Mahaut's godson. This second couple appeared to be well matched. Blanche was reportedly very beautiful, and her husband Charles was so handsome that he was also called "the Fair" like his father.
Son:
Robert, Count of Burgundy
Mahaut's only surviving son Robert, who showed great promise, was brought up in Paris and also traveled through his future lands of Burgundy and Artois. Mahaut made certain that he received the education befitting a future knight and peer of the realm; he learned his letters as well as the knightly pursuits of combat and hunting. He also enjoyed musical entertainment and an early form of tennis.
Son:
Jean
Jean was the youngest son who died in infancy.
Friend:
Marie of Brabant
Mahaut developed a close friendship with Marie of Brabant, the young second wife of the reigning French monarch, Philip III (1270–1285). Her friendship with Queen Marie influenced the development of Mahaut's keen interest in the arts, and the two remained friends until Marie's death in 1321.
