This book constitutes a major reappraisal of the late Anglo-Saxon
state on the eve of its demise. Its principal focus is the family of
Ealdorman Leofwine, which obtained power in Mercia and retained it
throughout an extraordinary period of political upheaval between 994
and 1071. In doing so it explores a paradox: that earls were
extraordinarily wealthy and powerful yet distinctly insecure. The book
contains the first extended treatment of earls' powers in late
Anglo-Saxon England and shows that although they wielded considerable
military, administrative and political powers, they remained
vulnerable to exile and other forms of political punishment including
loss of territory. The book also offers a path-breaking analysis of
land tenure and the mechanics of royal patronage, and argues that the
majority of earls' estates were held from the king on a revocable
basis for the duration of their period in office. In order to
compensate for such insecurities, earls used lordship and religious
patronage to construct local networks of power. The book uses
innovative methods for interpreting the representation of lordship in
Domesday Book to reconstruct the affinity of the earls of Mercia. It
also examines how the house of Leofwine made strategic use of
religious patronage to cement local power structures. All this created
intense competition between the earls of Mercia and their rivals for
power, both at court and in the localities, and the book explores how
factional rivalry determined the course of politics, and ultimately
the fate of the late Anglo-Saxon state.
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Lordship and Power in Late Anglo-Saxon England
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780191528217
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
OUP Oxford
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter