Norman Conquest and Its Influence

Norman Conquest and Its Influence

Abstract:

King Edward had promised the English throne to William, but

The Witan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In

October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Ha

rold

and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus

beginning the Norman Conquest of England.

William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman

followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government.

So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the

Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended.

Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced.

The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church

courts were separated from the civil courts.

Key words:

Norman Conquest; influence

Norman Conquest

Edward

died

in

1066.

Upon

his

death

bed

he

recommended

his

successor

a

great

warrior

name

d

Harold

who

was

his

wife

’

s

brother

.

Harold

was

not

from

the royal family,

he

was accepted as king only

upon Edward

’

s

recommendation.

And this gave rise to dispute over his claim to the crown.

William,

Duke

of

Normandy,

was

Edward

’

s

cousin.

He

claimed

that

Edward

had

promised

the

crown

to

him

before

his

death.

William

also

claimed

that

Harold

had

promised to

help

him to

become the king of England.

What

he said

might

be

true.

He

became

very

angry

when

he

heard

that

Harold

had

snapped

the crown from him.

Harold

knew

that

William

would

come

to

measure

swords

with

him.

He

was

prepared to fight, placing an army on the southern coast of England to watch for

William

’

s

coming.

Several

months

passed

by

and

William

failed

to

appear

.

He

was abiding his time. When the harvest time in England came, many of Harold

’

s

soldiers

went

back to

their

homes to gather in

the crops. The coast was thus left

undefended.

William

seized

the

chance

and

landed

his

army

in

Southeastern

England

without

opposition

in

September

,

1066.

Harold,

who

was

fighting

in

the

north,

hurried

back

with

his

men.

The

two

armies

met

near

Hastings

in

Southeastern

England.

The

Normans,

armed

with

bows

and

arrows,

defeated

the

Anglo-Saxons

who

fought

with

battle-axes.

Harold

was

killed

and

English

soldiers

were

put

to

fight.

But

the

Normans

were

not

so

strong

as

to

storm

London

directly.

They

then

crossed

the

Thames

River

and

established

their

camps

a

few

miles

from

the

city,

cutting

its

connection

with

the

hinterland.