The Welsh uprising of 1211 was a rebellion by several Welsh princes, orchestrated by

Llywelyn ap Iorwerth Llywelyn, Llewelyn or Llewellyn is a name of Welsh language origins. See Llywelyn (name) for the name's etymology, history and other details. As a surname Arts * Carmen Llywelyn, American actress and photographer * Chris Llewellyn (poet), America ...

with primary support from Gwenwynwyn of Powys,

Maelgwn ap Rhys Maelgwn ap Rhys (c. 1170–1230) was prince of part of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south west Wales. Maelgwn was the son of Rhys ap Gruffydd (''The Lord Rhys'') by his wife Gwenllian ferch Madog, daughter of Madog ap Maredudd prince of Powys. He a ...

Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor Madog ap Gruffudd, or Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor, was Prince of Powys Fadog from 1191 to 1236 in north-east Wales. Early life He was elder son of Prince Gruffydd Maelor and his wife, Angharad, a daughter of King Owain Gwynedd. He succeeded his fa ...

and Maredudd ap Robert against

King John of England King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

.Caradoc of Llancarvon, "The Chronicle of the Welsh Princes." Longman and Roberts, London, 1860, p.271. Although technically defeated, this uprising resulted in increased independence from England for the Welsh.

Background

In the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

of 1066, the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

army of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

conquered

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and English earldoms of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

, and

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

were created on England's border with Wales. These strategic political centres served as key points in military action against the Welsh. Despite the strategic advantage these areas gave the Normans, only one Welsh kingdom fell under Norman control during William's reign: the southeast

Kingdom of Gwent Gwent ( owl, Guent) was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century. Along with its neighbou ...

. By 1100, Norman lords control included

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

, Cardigan,

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

and Pembroke. This led to the establishment of the

March of Wales The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the Wales-England border, border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh Mar ...

, an area previously ruled by Welsh kings. The Welsh resisted Norman and Anglo-Saxon control in the twelfth century. The kingdoms of

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House of ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

and

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

, became a firmly established base for Welsh statehood.

Aberffraw Aberffraw is a village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey ( cy, Ynys Môn), in Wales, by the west bank of the Afon Ffraw (Ffraw River). The community includes Soar and Dothan. Located near the A4080 and the nearest ...

(Gwynedd), Dinefwr (Deheubarth), and

Mathrafal Mathrafal near Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales, was the seat of the Kings and Princes of Kingdom of Powys, Powys probably from the 9th century until its destruction in 1213 by Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Llywelyn the Great. Location On the ba ...

(Powys) had become the centers of Welsh culture and politics. The establishment of these kingdoms started a period of stability and growth for the Welsh, including flourishing agriculture, scholarship and Welsh literature. The Welsh lacked strength as an entity, however, because although allies, the Welsh kings ruled separately, and swore allegiance to England's crown.

The uprising

The end of the twelfth century marked a period of political unrest due to the contested succession following the deaths of the three Welsh kings. Several factions fought for control of the region.

and

never did return to stability, but Gwynedd was once again united under the reign of

(''Llywelyn Fawr, the Great''), following a rather brief power struggle. King John was unsettled by the new power gained by Llywelyn, and so he led a military campaign against him which led to Llywelyn's defeat in 1211. Llywelyn, although humiliated, did secure the allegiance of other Welsh leaders, since the Welsh feared total subjugation under King John. Llywelyn led Welsh forces through continued conflict with King John, and successfully united the Welsh politically. The result was John and Llywelyn reached an agreement and a peace treaty was signed in July 1211, but only after Joan, Lady of Wales, Llywelyn's wife, who was also the illegitimate daughter of King John intervened as a diplomat for her husband . This provided for minimal involvement by the king of England in Welsh affairs.

Bibliography

* Caradoc of Llancarvan; Williams, John, ''Brut y Tywysogion or The Chronicle of the Welsh Princes." Longman and Roberts, London, 1860, p. 271.

References

{{reflist
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John, King of England Conflicts in 1211 1211 in Wales 13th-century rebellions Medieval rebellions in Europe