Complex sentence: The land was divided into counties, or gauen, which were ruled by counts, prominent among whom were members of the families of Conradine and Babenberg, by whose feuds it was frequently devastated.
Split into simpler sentences: The land was divided into counties, or gauen, which were ruled by counts. Prominent members included the families of Conradine and Babenberg, by whose feuds the land was frequently devastated.