Aberdyfi Agreement

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The Aberdyfi Agreement was a division of inheritance among the descendants of Lord Rhys , decided in 1216 , which ended the fighting over the division of the Welsh principality of Deheubarth , which had continued since the mid-1190s .

prehistory

While Lord Rhys was still alive, quarrels began between his sons about the division of the empire, during which Lord Rhys himself was briefly imprisoned in Nevern Castle by two of his sons in 1194 . After his death in 1197, bitter wars of succession followed between his sons and their descendants for years. Deheubarth split up into several principalities, which fought in changing alliances, in which Gwenwynwyn von Powys Wenwynwyn and the English King John were involved. The Gwynedd , which also split into several principalities after 1170, was reunited at the beginning of the 13th century under the leadership of Llywelyn from Iorwerth , and after 1212 Llywelyn was able to quickly gain supremacy among the Welsh princes.

Assembly of Aberdyfi

In the spring of 1216, Llywelyn from Iorwerth called the Welsh princes to a meeting at Aberdyfi Castle in Ceredigion . At this meeting, the remaining parts of Deheubarth were divided among the descendants of Lord Rhys under Welsh law: the youngest claimant divided the empire, then the oldest claimant could choose his share. Thus Maelgwn ap Rhys with Dyfed with Carmarthen , Cemais and Cilgerran received the western part of the empire, Ceredigion south of the River Aeron and Llanmyddyfri . Rhys Gryg received the Cantref Mawr in Ystrad Tywi as well as Cantref Bychan and Cydweli , while the sons of Gruffydd ap Rhys , Owain and Rhys Ieuanc , Ceredigion north of the Aeron received. In return, the descendants of Lord Rhys recognized the supremacy of Llywelyn from Iorwerth.

consequences

The Aberdyfi Agreement ended the wars of succession in Deheubarth. After Rhys Ieuanc died in 1222 without male offspring, Ceredigion was again divided between Maelgwn and Rhys brother Owain. Through further divisions of inheritance within the individual principalities, these became small sublords, which had largely lost their importance and remained dependent on Gwynedd or the English king. With the conquest of Wales by King Edward I , they finally lost their independence until 1287 and were conquered by English troops.

literature

  • Rees R. Davies: The Age of Conquest. Wales 1063-1415. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-820198-2

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nevern Castle: History. Retrieved May 25, 2014 .
  2. ^ John Edward Lloyd: A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest . Vol. 2. Longmans, Green and Co., London 1912, p. 649
  3. ^ Rees R. Davies: The Age of Conquest. Wales 1063-1415. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-820198-2 , p. 228