Editing Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (section)

== Rise to power 1188–1199 ==
[[File:Arms of Llywelyn.svg|thumb|upright|The [[Coat of arms|arms]] of the [[House of Gwynedd|royal house of Gwynedd]] were traditionally first used by Llywelyn's father, [[Iorwerth Drwyndwn]].]]

In his account of his journey around Wales in 1188, Gerald mentions that the young Llywelyn was already in arms against his uncles Dafydd and Rhodri:

{{blockquote|Owen, son of Gruffyth, prince of [[North Wales]], had many sons, but only one legitimate, namely, [[Iorwerth Drwyndwn]], which in Welsh means "flat-nosed", who had a son named Lhewelyn. This young man, being only twelve years of age, began, during the period of our journey, to molest his uncles David and Roderic, the sons of Owen by Christiana, his [[Cousin|cousin-german]]; and although they had divided amongst themselves all North Wales, except the land of Conan, and although David, having married the sister of king Henry II, by whom he had one son, was powerfully supported by the English, yet within a few years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money (by the aid of divine vengeance), bravely expelled from North Wales those who were born in public incest, though supported by their own wealth and by that of others, leaving them nothing but what the liberality of his own mind and the counsel of good men from pity suggested: a proof that adulterous and incestuous persons are displeasing to God.<ref name=google/>{{#tag:ref|Giraldus says that Llywelyn was only twelve years of age at this time, which would mean that he was born about 1176. However, most historians consider that he was born about 1173|group=ll}}}}

In 1194, with the aid of his cousins [[Gruffudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd|Gruffudd ap Cynan]]{{#tag:ref|This Gruffudd ap Cynan should not be confused with [[Gruffudd ap Cynan]] the late 11th and early 12th century king of Gwynedd, Llywelyn's great-grandfather|group=ll}} and [[Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd|Maredudd ap Cynan]], he defeated Dafydd at the [[Battle of Aberconwy]] at the mouth of the River Conwy.<ref name=DWB/>

Rhodri died in 1195, and his lands west of the Conwy were taken over by Gruffudd and Maredudd, while Llywelyn ruled the territories taken from Dafydd east of the Conwy.{{sfn|Maund|2006|p=187}} In 1197, Llywelyn captured Dafydd and imprisoned him. A year later [[Hubert Walter]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], persuaded Llywelyn to release him, and Dafydd retired to [[England]], where he died in May 1203.

Wales was divided into ''Pura Wallia'', the areas ruled by the Welsh princes, and ''[[Welsh Marches|Marchia Wallia]]'', ruled by the [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman barons]]. Since the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, [[Rhys ap Gruffydd]] had made the southern kingdom of [[Deheubarth]] the strongest of the Welsh kingdoms, and had established himself as the leader of ''Pura Wallia''. After Rhys died in 1197, fighting between his sons led to the splitting of Deheubarth between warring factions. [[Gwenwynwyn]], prince of [[Powys Wenwynwyn]], tried to take over as leader of the Welsh princes, and in 1198, raised a great army to besiege [[Painscastle Castle|Painscastle]], which was held by the troops of [[William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber]]. Llywelyn sent troops to help Gwenwynwyn, but in August Gwenwynwyn's force was attacked by an army led by the [[justiciar]], [[Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex]], and heavily defeated.{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|pp=585–586}} Gwenwynwyn's defeat gave Llywelyn the opportunity to establish himself as the leader of the Welsh. In 1199, he captured the important castle of [[Mold Castle|Mold]], [[Flintshire]] and was apparently using the title "prince of the whole of North Wales" ({{langx|la|tocius norwallie princeps}}).{{sfn|Davies|1992|p=239}} Llywelyn was probably not in fact master of all Gwynedd at this time since it was his cousin Gruffudd ap Cynan who promised homage to King John for Gwynedd in 1199.<ref name="Moore"/>