Editing Jutes (section)

===West Saxon invasion===
In the 680s, the [[Kingdom of Wessex]] was in the ascendant, the alliance between the [[South Saxons]] and the Mercians and their control of southern England, put the West Saxons under pressure.{{sfn|Kirby|2000|pp=97-99}} Their king [[Cædwalla]], probably concerned about Mercian and South Saxon influence in Southern England, conquered the land of the South Saxons and took over the Jutish areas in Hampshire and the [[Isle of Wight]]. Bede describes how Cædwalla brutally suppressed the South Saxons and attempted to slaughter the Jutes of the Isle of Wight and replace them with people from "his own province", but maintained that he was unable to do so, and Jutes remained a majority on the island.{{efn|Some have described this act as "ethnic cleansing". The historian [[Robin Bush]] was cited in the BBC Radio 4 "Who were the Jutes". ''Making History Programme'' 11 (2008), as being the principal advocate for this assertion.{{sfn|BBC|2008}}}}{{sfn|Bede|1910|loc=4.15}} 
{{blockquote|After Cædwalla had possessed himself of the kingdom of the [[Gewissae]], he also took the Isle of Wight, which till then was entirely given over to idolatry, and by cruel slaughter endeavoured to destroy all the inhabitants thereof, and to place in their stead people from his own province.|source={{harvnb|Bede|1910|loc=4.16}}}}

Cædwalla killed [[Aruald|Aruald, the king of the Isle of Wight]]. Aruald's two younger brothers, who were heirs to the throne, escaped from the island but were hunted down and found at [[South Stoneham|Stoneham]], [[Hampshire]]. They were killed on Cædwalla's orders. The Isle of Wight was then permanently under West Saxon control and the ''Meonwara'' was integrated into Wessex.{{sfn|Bede|1910|loc=4.16}}{{sfn|Yorke|1995|p=66}} Cædwalla also invaded Kent and installed his brother Mul as leader. However, it was not long before Mul and twelve others were burnt to death by the Kentishmen.{{sfn|Yorke|1990|pp=29-30}} After Cædwalla was superseded by [[Ine of Wessex]], Kent agreed to pay compensation to Wessex for the death of Mul, but they retained their independence.{{sfn|Yorke|1995|p=66}}