Lord Rhys

Rhys ap Gruffydd was a redirect to this article. For other people, see Rhys ap Gruffydd (disambiguation) .

The alleged tomb image of Lord Rhys

Lord Rhys (aka Rhys ap Gruffydd , known as Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys ('The lord Rhys'), * 1132 ; † April 28, 1197 ) was a ruler of the South Welsh Principality of Deheubarth . Under his leadership, the principality became the most powerful Welsh principality in the second half of the 12th century, but after his death it lost this position due to violent wars of succession.

Origin and youth

Rhys was the youngest son of Gruffydd ap Rhys , a prince of Deheubarth, and Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd , a daughter of Gruffydd ap Cynan and thus a sister of Owain Gwynedd . His mother was killed in action against the Anglo-Norman occupiers in 1136, and his father died the following year under unknown circumstances. The leadership of the resistance against the Anglo-Normans in South Wales was passed on to his older half-brothers Anarawd and Cadell . As a 13-year-old boy, he took part in the conquest of Llansteffan Castle and campaigns against the Anglo- Norman Marcher Lords in Dyfed under the leadership of his older brothers Maredudd and Cadell . In 1150 and 1151 he accompanied his brother Cadell in the conquest of the neighboring principality of Ceredigion , which was ruled by Hywel ab Owain , a son of Owain Gwynedd.

Ruler from 1155

His eldest brother Anarawd had already been murdered in 1143, while his brother Cadell was surprised and seriously wounded by Anglo-Normans from Tenby in 1151 while hunting . He has since been disabled. Together with his brother Maredudd, Rhys conquered Loughor Castle on Gower in 1151 . In 1153 they captured Tenby, where they avenged the attack on Cadell, and Aberafan Castle in a nighttime surprise attack . Then Rhys led a raid into the Cantref Cyfeiliog in Powys . After Maredudd had died in 1155 at the age of 25, Rhys succeeded him as the sole ruler of Deheubarth.

To defend the northern border of Ceredigion against his uncle Owain Gwynedd of Gwynedd , he built Aberdyfi Castle in 1156 . His brothers had so far benefited from the anarchy in England in the fight against the Anglo-Norman . After his accession to the throne, the new King Henry II now supported the Marcher Lords in the struggle to recapture their territories that were lost during this period. After a campaign by the king in Wales in 1157 Rhys had to submit to the king in 1158 and paid homage to him for Cantref Mawr and other scattered areas, while he lost Ceredigion to Roger de Clare and Cantref Bychan with Llandovery Castle to Walter de Clifford. Nevertheless, the fighting continued after a raid by Walter de Clifford on Deheubarth. Rhys retook Llandovery Castle in return, while his nephew Einion attacked from Anarawd Castell Hywel in Ceredigion. Henry II led a new force to South Wales and Rhys had to submit to him again, cede Llandovery Castle and recognize the English supremacy before the king translated to France in August 1158. With this homage he in fact lost his status as prince and was henceforth called Lord Rhys. As early as 1159, however, Rhys led raids to Dyfed and besieged Carmarthen Castle . An Anglo-Norman force under Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall, forced him to break off the siege. Dunstanville offered him a truce, which Rhys accepted.

Deheubarth around 1158

In 1162, while Henry was absent from Normandy , Rhys again conquered Llandovery Castle, whereupon Henry II undertook another campaign against him the following year. Rhys had to surrender to the king at Pencader and was brought as a prisoner to England, where he formally submitted to the king on July 1, 1163 in Woodstock together with Owain Gwynedd and Malcolm IV of Scotland. After this setback, however, Rhys conquered almost all of Ceredigion in 1164 in retaliation for the death of his nephew Einion from Anarawd , who was probably murdered in 1163 at the instigation of Roger de Clare. In August 1165, Rhys met Owain Gwynedd and other Welsh princes in Corwen to discuss joint resistance to the campaign of Henry II. The king's campaign ended in disaster, not least because of continuous rain, so that the king was forced to retreat to England. Later that year Rhys completed the conquest of Ceredigion, captured the castles of Cardigan and Cilgerran, and captured Cardigan's constable , his cousin Robert FitzStephen . In 1166 and 1167 he assisted Owain Gwynedd in the conquest of Cantref Tegeingl in northeast Wales, and later that year the two lords Owain Cyfeiliog of Powys attacked Wenwynwyn and captured Tafolwern Castle , which fell to Rhys. He also captured the royal Rhuddlan Castle . Rhys had regained the power he had lost in 1158. Ceredigion remained under his rule until his death.

Compensation with Heinrich II.

Until 1171, Rhys's relationship with the English king was marked by disobedience and enmity, interrupted by reluctant submission to military pressure. After 1171, Henry II's policy towards Rhys changed radically. With the death of Owain Gwynedd in November 1170, Rhys had become the most powerful Welsh prince. Heinrich's reputation, however, was destroyed in England after the murder of Thomas Becket , and at the same time a number of the Marcher Lords attempted to conquer Ireland. Rhys had supported the attacks on Ireland, for example he had only released Robert FitzStephen on condition that he participated in the attack on Ireland.

Henry II had recognized that he could not pacify Wales by military means, at the same time he was concerned about the increasing power of the Marcher Lords due to the conquests in Ireland. Before he translated to Ireland to assert his rule over the Marcher Lords, he met Rhys in October 1171 in Pembroke . The king confirmed Rhys rule over Ceredigion, Ystrad Tywi, Emlyn and the commotes of Ystlwyf and Efelffre in Cantref Gwarthaf, and released Rhys son Hywel Sais, who had been held hostage. In return, Hwywel accompanied Sais after Heinrich's return to France in 1173, and Rhys himself led the southeast Welsh princes Seisyll ap Dyfnwal from Gwent, Einion from Clud from Elfael , Morgan ap Caradog from Glamorgan, Iorwerth from Owain from Caerleon and Gruffudd from Ifor from Senghenydd to Gloucester who paid homage to the king there on June 29, 1175. However, the peace was not entirely without tensions, for example, after the death of William FitzRobert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester in 1183, Rhys nephew Morgan ap Caradog attacked parts of Glamorgan, and in 1186 the justiciar Ranulf de Glanville had to mediate in a conflict, the Rhys Sons caused by raids in Herefordshire and Cheshire .

Dominion over Deheubarth

During the long period of peace, Rhys consolidated his principality. The Welsh upper class partly took over the Anglo-Norman culture, and Rhys built stone castles based on the Norman model to secure his rule, in addition to his residence Dinefwr Castle, above all Cardigan Castle. A first iceddfod took place at Cardigan Castle in 1176 under his auspices. Other castles were the castle of Rhayader , built in 1177 and strengthened in 1194, and Kidwelly Castle, which was renovated in 1190 . Following the Norman model, Rhys promoted monasteries and abbeys. After the conquest of Ceredigion, he took over the patronage of Strata Florida Abbey in 1165 and gave it as well as Whitland Abbey rich gifts . He was the first Welsh prince to allow the Cistercians to settle in Wales, and he himself founded a Cistercian convent in Llanllŷr and the Premonstratensian Abbey of Talley .

His contemporaries judged him almost exclusively benevolent. Giraldus Cambrensis praised his generosity, energy and wisdom, his skill and his success in warfare. His military achievements were respected by both the English and Welsh.

Deheubarth around 1190

Border wars after Heinrich's death and succession dispute

The death of Henry II in July 1189 marked the end of the long peaceful coexistence in Wales. Rhys himself apparently considered the agreement with Henry II to have expired upon his death. Since he had not yet concluded an agreement with the new King Richard I , he attacked the castles of the king and the Marcher Lords as early as September 1189. The king's brother, Johann , then undertook a campaign against Rhys, concluded a truce with him and escorted Rhys to Oxford, where he was to meet Richard the Lionheart. The meeting did not materialize, however, whereupon Rhys returned to Wales and continued his attacks on English castles in Dyfed. At Christmas 1189 he captured St Clears Castle and Llansteffan Castle, in 1191 Rhys captured Nevern Castle , a castle belonging to his son-in-law William FitzMartin . In 1192 he captured Llawhaden Castle , a castle from Peter de Leia , the Bishop of St David's .

However, his rule was weakened by family quarrels. He had provided his second eldest son Gruffydd as the main heir, who was married in 1189 to Maud, a daughter of the mighty Marcher Lord William de Braose . His probably eldest son Maelgwn ap Rhys was deeply enemies with Gruffydd because of his resetting and therefore had to be captured in 1189. Gruffydd delivered Maelgwn to his father-in-law without his father's knowledge, and Maelgwn remained in Braose's captivity until 1192 when he was released on his father's initiative. Maelgwn took part in the siege of Swansea Castle in 1192, but his hostility to Gruffydd is said to have contributed to the failure of the siege. Wiston Castle , however, was conquered in 1192. In 1194, Rhy's sons Maelgwn and Hywel Sais formed an alliance against their father, captured him and imprisoned him at Nevern Castle. Hywel Sais released him a little later, while Maelgwn fled into exile. The family wars led to further setbacks when William de Braose retook St Clears and Wiston Castle was also lost. Finally, in 1195, Rhys had to capture his sons, Maredudd and Rhys Gryg , who had seized the castles of Dinefwr and Llandovery, and imprisoned them in the castle of Ystrad Meurig .

In 1196 he undertook his last major campaign and devastated Carmarthen, but he was unable to conquer the castle. He then captured Colwyn Castle in Upper Elfael, defeated Roger Mortimer of Wigmore in Radnor and captured William de Braose's new castle at Painscastle . He died at the age of 65 on April 28, 1197. Excommunicated because of the war with the Bishop of St David's , his son Gruffydd had to repent for him before Rhys could be buried in St David's Cathedral.

Family and offspring

He was married to his cousin Gwenlllian, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd von Powys , who was the mother of three of his sons and two daughters, among them

• Maelgwn ap Rhys
• Gruffydd ap Rhys
• Rhys Gryg
• Marged ferch Rhys ∞ about 1182 Gwenwynwyn ap Owain Cyfeiliog of South Powys
• Gwenllian ∞ Ednyfed Fychan, Seneschal of Gwynedd, who is considered the progenitor of the House of Tudor .

He is also said to have had thirteen illegitimate children, including a child with his niece, a daughter of his brother Maredudd:

• Maredudd Ddall (The Blind) († 1239), was held hostage to Henry II as a child, after the defeat of 1165 the king blinded him and sent him back to his father.
• Maredudd († 1227), archdeacon of Ceredigion,
• Hywel Sais (Hywel the Saxon), was held hostage to Heinrich II until 1171. He accompanied the king to France from 1173 to 1175, which is why he received his nickname. He was badly wounded by his brother Maelgwn's followers in Cemais in 1204 and died shortly afterwards.
• Cynwrig ap Rhys († 1237)
• Meurig (* 1173), son of Gwenllian, the daughter of his older brother Maredudd
• Maredudd ap Rhys († July 2, 1201), Lord of Cantref Bychan, was murdered in Carnwyllion by followers of William de Londres , Lord of Kidwelly.

literature

Essays

• Dictionary of National Biography . Volume XXXVIII: From Reilly to Robins. New York, London, Macmillan, Smith, Elder & Co., 1896, p. 91, available online from Wikisource
• JE Caerwyn Williams: Aberteifi, 1176 . In: Taliesin , 32, 30-35 (1976).

Monographs

• Anthony D. Carr: Medieval Wales (British history in perspective). Macmillan, Basingstoke 1995, ISBN 0-333-54772-1 .
• Karen L. Maund: The Welsh Kings. The medieval rulers of Wales . Tempus, Stroud 2002, ISBN 0-7524-2321-5 .
• David Moore: The Welsh wars of independence. C 410 - c. 1415 . Tempus, Stroud 2005, ISBN 978-0-7524-3321-9 .
• Roger Turvey: The Lord Rhys . Gomer Publ., Llandysul 1997, ISBN 1-85902-430-0 .

Web links

• Thomas Jones Pierce: Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132-1197), Welsh Biography Online, National Library of Wales, [1] , accessed June 29, 2014
• Huw Pryce: Rhys ap Gruffudd (1131 / 2–1197), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Oxford University Press, 2004 [2] , accessed June 30, 2014

Individual evidence

1. ^ Welsh Biography Online: Lord Rhys. Retrieved August 28, 2013 . 
2. ^ John Gillingham: The English in the twelfth century. Imperalism, national identity and political values. Boydell, Woodbridge 2000. ISBN 978-0-85115-732-0 , p. 61
3. ↑ Acient Welsh Studies: The Children of Lord Rhys. Retrieved August 29, 2013 .