Editing Rhys ap Gruffydd (section)

==Early reign==

===Loss of territory (1155–1163)===

Shortly after becoming ruler of Deheubarth, Rhys heard rumours that Owain Gwynedd was planning to invade Ceredigion in order to reclaim it for Gwynedd. Rhys responded by building a castle at [[Aberdyfi Castle|Aberdyfi]] in 1156.<ref>''Brut y Tywysogion'' pp. 101–102.</ref> The threatened invasion did not take place, and Turvey claims that Owain's intention may have been to test the resolve of the new ruler.<ref>Turvey p. 39.</ref>

[[Stephen, King of England|King Stephen]] had died in October 1154, bringing to an end the long dispute with the [[Empress Matilda]] which had helped Anarawd, Cadell and Maredudd to extend their rule in Deheubarth. With disunity within the realm no longer a problem, the new king of England, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], soon turned his attention to Wales. He began with an invasion of Gwynedd in 1157. This invasion was not entirely successful, but Owain Gwynedd was induced to seek terms and to give up some territory in the north-east of Wales.{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|pp=496–500}}
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[[File:Deheubarth1.PNG|thumb|upright|In 1158 King Henry stripped Rhys of all his territories apart from Cantref Mawr; the areas in Deheubarth held by various Norman lords are shown in grey.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}]] SEE TALK, uncited, and not easily citeable -->

The following year, Henry prepared an invasion of Deheubarth. Rhys made plans to resist, but was persuaded by his council to meet the king to discuss peace terms. The terms were much harsher than those offered to Owain: Rhys was stripped of all his possessions apart from [[Cantref Mawr]], though he was promised one other cantref. The other territories were returned to their Norman lords.<ref>''Brut y Tywysogion'' p. 104.</ref>

Among the Normans who returned to their holdings was [[Walter de Clifford (died 1190)|Walter de Clifford]], who reclaimed Cantref Bychan, then invaded Rhys's lands in Cantref Mawr. An appeal to the king produced no response, and Rhys resorted to arms, first capturing Clifford's castle at [[Llandovery]] then seizing Ceredigion. King Henry responded by preparing another invasion, and Rhys submitted without resistance. He was obliged to give hostages, probably including his son Hywel.<ref>Turvey pp. 41–42.</ref>

The king was absent in France in 1159, and Rhys took the opportunity to attack Dyfed and then to lay siege to Carmarthen, which was saved by a relief force led by [[Reginald de Dunstanville, 1st Earl of Cornwall|Earl Reginald of Cornwall]]. Rhys retreated to Cantref Mawr, where an army led by five earls, the Earls of Cornwall, [[William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester|Gloucester]], [[Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford|Hertford]], [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|Pembroke]] and Salisbury, marched against him. The earls were assisted by Cadwaladr, brother of Owain Gwynedd, and Owain's sons, Hywel and Cynan. However they were forced to withdraw and a truce was arranged.{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|pp=510–511}} In 1162, Rhys again attempted to recover some of his lost lands, and captured [[Llandovery]] castle. The following year Henry II returned to England after an absence of four years and prepared for another invasion of Deheubarth. Rhys met the king to discuss terms and was obliged to give more hostages, including another son, Maredudd. He was then seized and taken to England as a prisoner.<ref>Turvey p. 44.</ref> Henry appears to have been uncertain what to do with Rhys, but after a few weeks decided to free him and allow him to rule Cantref Mawr. Rhys was summoned to appear before Henry at Woodstock to do homage together with Owain Gwynedd and [[Malcolm IV of Scotland]].<ref>Warren pp. 162–163.</ref>

===Welsh uprising (1164–1170)===

In 1164 all the Welsh princes united in an uprising. Warren suggests that when Rhys and Owain were obliged to do homage to Henry in 1163 they were forced to accept a status of dependent vassalage instead of their previous client status, and that this led to the revolt.<ref>Warren p. 163.</ref> Rhys had other reasons for rebellion, for he had returned to Deheubarth from England to find that the neighbouring Norman lords were threatening Cantref Mawr. His nephew, [[Einion ab Anarawd]], who was the captain of his bodyguard, had been murdered at the instigation of [[Roger de Clare, 3rd Earl of Hertford|Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford]]. The murderer had been given the protection of the Clares in Ceredigion.<ref>Turvey pp. 46–47.</ref> Rhys first appealed to the king to intercede; when this failed, he invaded Ceredigion and recaptured all of it apart from the town and castle of Cardigan. The Welsh revolt led to another invasion of Wales by King Henry in 1165. Henry attacked Gwynedd first, but instead of following the usual invasion route along the north coast he attacked from the south, following a route over the [[Berwyn range|Berwyn hills]]. He was met by the united forces of the Welsh princes, led by Owain Gwynedd and including Rhys. According to ''[[Brut y Tywysogion]]'':<ref>''Brut y Tywysogion'' pp. 100–101.</ref>

{{Blockquote|...&nbsp;[King Henry] gathered an innumerable host of the selected warriors of England and Normandy and Flanders and Gascony and Anjou...{{nbsp}}and against him came Owain and Cadwaladr the sons of Gruffydd with all the host of Gwynedd, and Rhys ap Gruffydd with all the host of Deheubarth and Iorwerth the Red son of Maredudd and the sons of Madog ap Maredudd with all the host of Powys.<ref>''Brut y Tywysogion'' pp. 100–101.</ref>}}

Torrential rain forced Henry's army to retreat in disorder without fighting a major battle, and Henry vented his spleen on the hostages, having Rhys's son Maredudd blinded. Rhys's other son, Hywel, was not among the victims. Rhys returned to Deheubarth where he captured and burned [[Cardigan Castle]]. He allowed the garrison to depart, but held the castellan, [[Robert Fitz-Stephen]], as a prisoner. Shortly afterwards Rhys captured Cilgerran castle.<ref>Turvey pp. 48–49.</ref>

In 1167 he joined Owain Gwynedd in an attack on [[Owain Cyfeiliog]] of southern [[Kingdom of Powys|Powys]], and spent three weeks helping Owain besiege the Norman castle of [[Rhuddlan Castle|Rhuddlan]].<ref>Moore p. 103.</ref> In 1168 he attacked the Normans at [[Builth]], destroying its castle. Rhys benefited from the Norman invasion of [[Ireland]] in 1169 and 1170, which was largely led by the [[Cambro-Norman]] lords of south Wales. In 1167 the King of [[Leinster]], [[Diarmait Mac Murchada]], who had been driven out of his kingdom, had asked Rhys to release Robert Fitz-Stephen from captivity to take part in an expedition to Ireland. Rhys did not oblige at the time, but released him the following year and in 1169 Fitz-Stephen led the vanguard of a Norman army which landed in [[County Wexford|Wexford]]. The leader of the Norman forces, [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke]], known as "Strongbow", followed in 1170. According to Warren, "they were prompted to go by a growing suspicion that King Henry did not intend to renew his offensive against the Welsh, but was instead seeking an accommodation with the Welsh leaders".<ref>Warren p. 114.</ref> The departure of the Norman lords enabled Rhys to strengthen his position, and the death of Owain Gwynedd in late 1170 left him as the acknowledged leader of the Welsh princes.{{sfn|Lloyd|1911|p=536}}