Origins
The region had been conquered by the Moors in the early 8th century. In 731, the Moorish governor of Cerdanya allied himself with Odo the Great by marrying his daughter, at Odo's insistence, in order to secure his southern frontier from further Muslim expansion. Cerdanya was at this time predominantly Basque, and Odo had a pro-Basque policy in the face of Charles Martel and the Franks.
Moorish rule was soon purely nominal; the Cerdanya was reconquered by Charlemagne shortly after the surrender of Girona in 785. The first Count of Cerdanya that we know of by name was Borrell I (798), who was subject to the Count of Toulouse. At this date, Cerdanya was united in government under one count with County of Besalú and Urgell; it was part of the Kingdom of Aquitaine after 817. Cerdanya and Urgell remained united until 897 and both were under the influence and often control of the Count of Aragon. In 842, the Emirate of Córdoba invaded Cerdanya in an attempt to regain the Pyrenees, but they were repulsed by Count Sunifred.
In the 9th century, Cerdanya was the centre of a region wherein the aprisio form of landholding was common. In 835, a charter of Louis the Pious even forbid the church of the region to grant lands in beneficium, that is, as benefices or in feudal tenure.
After the death of Louis the Stammerer (879), Aquitaine and West Francia in general experienced a period of instability during which the outlying regions, such as Catalonia, became de facto independent of central royal authority. During this period as well, the office of count became de facto hereditary.
Read more about this topic: County Of Cerdanya
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