Editing Gwenwynwyn

{{Short description|King of Powys}}
[[File:COA Gwenwynwyn ab Owain, Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn.svg|thumb|right|Attributed arms of Gwenwynwyn<ref name="Tribes of Wales">{{cite book|author=Williams, Richard|title=The royal tribes of Wales; To which is added an account of The fifteen tribes of north Wales. With numerous additions and notes, preface and index|url=https://archive.org/details/royaltribesofwal00yorkuoft|publisher=Liverpool I. Foulkes|year=1887|id=Unknown ID AFV-0947}}</ref>]]
'''Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog''' (died c. 1216) was the last major ruler of mid [[Wales]] before the completion of the [[History of Wales#Wales and the Normans: 1067–1283|Norman English invasion]]. He was one of few native rulers to represent a real threat to the rule of [[Llywelyn the Great]].

==Lineage==
Gwenwynwyn ruled southern [[kingdom of Powys|Powys]] ([[Powys Wenwynwyn]]) from 1195, and was given charge of the kingdom following the retirement of his father [[Owain Cyfeiliog]]. Prior to this, in 1187, he had made an attack on [[Carreghofa Castle]] with his brother Cadwallon, in the course of which they killed their father's cousin and former ally, [[Owain Fychan]].<ref name=Acts/> He had assisted [[Maelgwn ap Rhys]] in taking [[Aberystwyth Castle]] and capturing Maelgwn's brother [[Gruffydd ap Rhys II]], whom he handed over to the English. His military ambitions were temporarily thwarted by his failure at the siege of [[Painscastle]], when Gruffydd returned to battle.<ref>{{cite book|author=Juliet Gardiner|title=The History Today Who's who in British History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dDMYAQAAIAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Collins & Brown|isbn=978-1-85585-771-1|page=377}}</ref>

Owain Cyfeiliog had been a notable poet as well as a leader of the resistance against English invasion, and chose to enter the abbey of [[Strata Marcella]] in later life; he died in 1197, two years after becoming a monk. Gwenwynwyn continued his father's strategy and is thought to have been one of the Welsh rulers who made an agreement with King [[Richard I of England]] not to attack his kingdom while he was away on crusade. In 1199, he made peace with Richard's successor, [[John, King of England|John]].<ref name=Acts>{{cite book|title=The Acts of Welsh Rulers: 1120–1283|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4E2uBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA42|date=1 October 2010|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-0-7083-2387-8|pages=41–2}}</ref> He was rewarded with marriage to an English noblewoman, Margaret Corbet, the daughter of the Lord of the border territory of [[Caus Castle|Caus]], around 1200, as well as the grant of the manor of Ashford.<ref name=Acts/>

==Conflict with Llywelyn the Great==
Gwenwynwyn's possession of [[Powys Wenwynwyn]] brought him into conflict with [[Llywelyn the Great]], ruler of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]], who was keen to extend his own jurisdiction over the whole of Wales. In 1202 there was an uneasy peace between the two Welsh princes as Gwenwynwyn began attacking Marcher lords, thus losing John's favour; this eventually resulted in his being imprisoned at Shrewsbury.<ref name=Acts/>

==Conflict with King John==
King [[John of England|John]] favoured Gwenwynwyn until a marriage alliance was made between Llywelyn and John's illegitimate daughter.  The two native princes kept their distance until 1207.  As a result of Gwenwynwyn's aggression, John took him prisoner in 1208 and confiscated his lands, while Llywelyn seized [[Ceredigion]], Aberystwyth, and Powys.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Evans|first1=Howell T.|title=An Analysis of the History of Wales|date=1907|publisher=Educational Publishing|location=Merthyr Tydfil|page=79|url=https://archive.org/stream/analysisofhistor00evanuoft#page/78/mode/2up|accessdate=1 May 2018}}</ref>

Gwenwynwyn's lands were restored to him as a result of John's intervention after two years.<ref name=Acts/> Freed by the King, he recovered most of his possessions, and accompanied John on an expedition into Wales. However, his continued resentment towards the [[England|English]] led him into an alliance with Llywelyn, which lasted from 1212 until 1216, when John again restored some of Gwenwynwyn's property and the two Welsh princes fell out again.<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle= Llywelyn ab Iorwerth |volume= 34 |last= Tout |first= Thomas |author-link= Thomas Tout |pages= 7-13 |year=  |short=1}}</ref> Gwenwynwyn was pursued by Llywelyn, who took his lands, and he took refuge in Chester.<ref name="Yorke">{{cite book|last1=Yorke|first1=Philip|title=The Royal Tribes of Wales|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028051765|date=1887|publisher=Isaac Foulkes|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028051765/page/n92 61]–64}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Llywelyn invaded Powys, backed by other leaders of the Welsh alliance against the English.<ref name="Stephenson2016">{{cite book|author=David Stephenson|title=Medieval Powys: Kingdom, Principality and Lordships, 1132–1293|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ERJDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA77|year=2016|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|isbn=978-1-78327-140-5|pages=77–78}}</ref> Gwenwynwyn, having been driven out of his lands, is believed to have died or been killed later that same year. He was succeeded by [[Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn]], his son by Margaret Corbet, who was eventually restored to his lands after Llywelyn's death, and continued to feud with the princes of Gwynedd.<ref name=Acts/>

==References==
<references/>

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{{succession box|before=[[Owain Cyfeiliog]]|title=[[Prince of Powys Wenwynwyn]]|years=1195–1216|after=[[Llywelyn the Great]]}}
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[[Category:1210s deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Powys]]
[[Category:House of Mathrafal]]
[[Category:Welsh princes]]
[[Category:12th-century Welsh monarchs]]
[[Category:13th-century Welsh monarchs]]