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Pergamon

Polmcal Geography, Vol. 17.No.6, pp. 667-682, 1998 0 1998 Ekvier Science Ltd All rights reserved. Printed in Great Brttain
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Early state formation in native medieval Wales
RHYS JONES*

Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Wales,Aberystwytb, Ceredigion, SY23 308,
ABSTRACT.This

UK

article examines theapplicability of general theories concerning the formation of early states to native Wales in the Middle Ages. Theories which attempt to explain the state-making process are reviewed in order to clarify the concepts and possible processes associated with this major institutional change. It is stressed in the article that an understanding of the extent to which a society is organised according tostate concepts of rule is an important first step in the formulation of any theory which attempts to explain the main reasons for the formation of the early state in the first place. Consequently, three of the criteria given by Claessen and Skalnik as being indicative of the existence of state institutions within a society are utilised in order to elucidate the extent to which Welsh society wasorganised as an early state in the Middle Ages. It is argued that Welsh society was indeed organised in this way, but that these state institutions were centred on regional kingdoms within Wales and not on a unified Welsh state. This suggests that mature state institutions are viable within kingdoms, political units which were previously considered as being immature forms of early states. Thearticle concludes by postulating that the main reasons for the adoption of state institutions within Wales was the diffusion of ideas of state rule both from neighbouring Wessex and also from one Welsh regional kingdom to another. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

One of the most important institutional changes which occurred the one where societies changed from being controlled

inthe Middle Ages was of kinship to being

by concepts

ordered around the power exercised by kings over defined territories (Sahlins, 1968: 5; Dodgshon, 1987: Chapter 5; Claessen and Skalnik, 1978; Gledhill, 1988). As a consequence of this state-making process, rulers in society no longer controlled rather became ling territory domain of authority was set down within demarcated groups of peoplebut kings and lords over territorially defined areas of jurisdiction. A ruler’s areas of operation and by controlits inhabitants. It it naturally followed that a societal ruler also controlled

meant that individuals’ rights of property within a particular society were not defined by being a member, real or assumed, of a kin group or tribe, but by being born within a particular territory.Clearly, this would have made it a change of great geographical significance. Territorialisation of power occurred throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and this article proposes to closely examine the process within a Welsh context. * Tel: (01970) 622594. Fax: (01970) 622659

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Early state formation in native medieval Wales

Early states first appeared on a king. Nevertheless,

in Europein the form of kingdoms (Claessen

and Skalnik,

1978: 20; Khazanov, 1974). These were early states in which political power was centred there is a certain degree of conflict amongst historians as to the of Welsh kingdoms,
1954:

exact timing of the formation the immediate Post-Roman

and indeed European
27; Chadwick,

kingdoms

in

general. Numerous authors have hypothesised period(Chadwick,

that kingdoms appeared within Wales in
1959; Lloyd, 1911:

214; Davies, 1990: 80, n. 4). These alleged kingdoms were based upon Roman civitutes and were part of a common Europe from approximately converted process which occurred throughout the whole of Western the fifth century onwards (Wolfram, 1970). As Roman civitutes started to lose their imperial status, local rulers took...