Biography
Duke Wilhelm I entered the story as the conqueror of England, the founder of the Norman dynasty of the kings. In the middle of the XI century, he united under his beginnings fragmented, weakened by the inner straightening state, creating a centralized power vertical. The era of Wilhelm I the conqueror has become time for England a lot of political and social change, the echo of which has come to modern history.Childhood and youth
Wilhelm was born in the Norman city of Faleza in the first third of the XI century. Historians call three possible dates of his birth - 1027, 1028 or 1029 years.
The father of the boy is Robert II magnificent on nicknamed the devil, the ruler of Normandy, the state created by the Vikings in the IX century in the north-west of France. Mother Gerleva - more innocent origin. There is information that her father, a resident of Faleza, was a wealthy artisan-leather-leather.
There is a beautiful legend about the meeting of Wilhelm's parents. Allegedly Robert II met the girl at the stream, returning from hunting. The fighting of her beauty, the duke took the "trophy" to himself in the Falez castle. Soon Gerlin gave birth to his son, but the Christian marriage between lovers did not take place, so the boy was considered illegitimate. He was called - Wilhelm Bastard.
However, Robert himself recognized the boy his son. This is evidenced by the fact that, going to the pilgrimage in Jerusalem in 1034, the Duke declared Wilhelm to his heir, which quite complicated that life. After all, after the unexpected death of Robert in 1035, the heir was a hindrance on the path of numerous applicants for power.
From the faithful death saved the fact that among the nobility did not have a decent candidate for the throne, which would approve the absolute majority. This was used by the Archbishop Rouen Robert, who was the first adviser to the deceased Duke. Having connections at the courtyard of France, he achieved that King Heinrich I recognize young Wilhelm and thereby had a protectorate of the future Vassal.
However, after the death of Archbishop over the juvenile duke, the danger again hung. Between the relatives of Wilhelm began the struggle to influence the heir. One of one killed his guardian. The life of the young duke was also dangerous. It is known that uncle for the mother more than once saved the nephew, hiding in the huts of the poor.
Wars and state activities
Only in 1042, becoming the 15-year-old young men, with the support of the patron of Heinrich I, Wilhelm began to participate in state affairs. At first, carefully, relying on supporting it to know, and then all the bolders took the braza of the board in their hands. His character, hardened in the struggle for power, ridicule on illegitimate origin, the betrayal of loved ones, became strong and tough.
This is evidenced by how he dealt with the rebels, organized a conspiracy against him in 1044-1046. The head of the insurgency stood in Gi Burgundy, a friend of Childhood Wilhelm, who wanted to capture power in the duchy. And he would have succeeded, if it were not for the next help from Heinrich I. The joint efforts of French and Norman warriors broke the rebels.
A similar disgrace strengthened the power of the young duke, even the aristocrats of distant lands are sworn. Wilhelm chose a bet - the city of Kan, who began to grow and flourish. However, the elevation of the bastard was still outraged by individual representatives of the nobility.
And at the beginning of the 1050s, another uprising rose against the new government. This time the head of the rebellion was the uncle of the young Duke Count Arkese Wilhelm de Talo with Brother Mozhel, Archbishop Rouen. They lured to their side of Heinrich I, who, displeased with the fact that the protest is so reliative strengthens its position, becomes the enemy of Norman.
In confrontation, Heinrich lost a significant part of the troops and preferred to be returned. Then the fortress was fell by the fortress, ran Wilhelm de Talu, leaving the owned nephew. There was no more internal rebellion in the duchy. Wilhelm managed to strengthen the state, and until the 1060s, he participates only in ships with French opponents - Heinrich I and Joffroa Martelll, Count Anzhuy, united against the increasing power of Norman.
Allies invaded the Allies twice in Normandy in 1054 and 1058, but each time was defeated. After the death of Heinrich I and Joffroi Martella in 1060, raids stopped.
In 1066, the king of England Eduard confessor died. This monarch was associated with Wilhelm I not only of friendship bonds, but also blood relations. The Norman ruler accounted for the grandchildren of Mother Eduard. At the courtyard of Normandy, the latter spent over 25 years old, while in exile, and therefore he loved Wilhelm as a native son and promised to acquaint him the throne, because he did not have direct heirs.
However, after the death of the monarch, the British elected the king of the Anglo-Saxon Aristocrat Harold Godvinson, his brother of Eduard wife. Having learned about it, Wilhelm came into rage. He refused to recognize the Board of Harold and began to gather in a military campaign to England. The duke attracted the strength of large vassals, and the aristocrats from Flanders and France were added to it. But the main goat Wilhelm was the support of the Vatican.
To get it, Normandz provided evidence of Harold's treachery, namely, he said that before the death of Edward, as was stated, sent Govindon to Normandy to swear to the new king of England, that is, Wilhelm. Harold did it, swearing in the holy relics to ensure comprehensive support for Wilhelm, but the oath broke and asked the throne himself.
This information is displayed in the official medieval biography of Norman "Acts of the Duke of Wilhelm, written by Gilome De Poitiers, and, according to historians," will "" wore "the gripful nature of the hike made, which allows them to be considered dubious.
But in the XI century, no one began to understand where the truth, and where is a lie. In addition, the Pope was beneficial to stand on the side of Wilhelm, who promised to shift the Archbishop of Canterbury Stiganda. As a result, in August 1066, the Duke campaign with an army of almost 7 thousand people. Having moved across La Mans, the troops advanced to the town called Hastings, south of London.
Here on October 14, 1066, the fateful battle occurred, which changed the course of English history. Harold's army was defeated, and he was killed himself. The victory in the battle of Hastings opened Wilhelm access to the English crown. And although individual Angleosak dynasties still had resistance to the Norman Duke, their actions could no longer solve anything.
On December 25, 1066, the coronation of Wilhelm was held as a ruler of England. Submitting the state, Normandec began the construction of the residence - Tower and began to implement the power policy. High posts have now occupied only his vassals, the Earth from the Anglo -kan feudal feudalists participating in the battle took place and gave the Normans-winners.
Dissatisfied the British tried to rebel, then there were flashed there, which the new king was cruelly suppressed. At the same time, Norman is taken for the redistribution of the territory - the lands of rebellious aristocrats are abolished, creates new land units, introduces San officials, trying to strengthen and, if possible, expand new ownership.
By 1075, suppressing the so-called "rebellion of three graphs", Wilhelm achieved the final recognition of power. But by this time problems began in Normandy. France I became an adult king Filipp I began to show the Antinormandic moods. And in 1078, even his own son Robert Kurtges, who wanted to sit on the throne in Normandy against Wilhelm. Philip I supported the rebel, but Wilhelm overwhelmed the rebels, Robert fled to Flanders.
Returning to England, King Wilhelm is taken for the fundamental reform of the state. He approved the payment of tax with each land unit for both Saxons and Normans. And to be confident in accuracy of payments, ordered a great wanted list, draw up a list of land of the kingdom and their owners. Census conducted 6 years, collecting information in the so-called "book of the last court". Saksa called it by analogy with a vessel afternoon, when a person shows a list of acts.
Wilhelm carried out a number of reforms in the spiritual sphere, increasing the dependence of the church from the king: began to control the appointment of bishops and abbots, ruled that the papal documents do not act without the permission of the king, strictly divided the church and secular jurisdiction. Official language became Norman with a pronounced French dialect. These and other steps led to the appearance of strong centralized power in England. It is this socio-political system that will become the basis of the medieval English state.
Personal life
Unlike Father Wilhelm I, the conqueror was not a metropolitan and a personal life was considered only from the point of view of political interests. In 1053 (on other sources - in 1056), the Duke, despite the ban of the church, married Matilde Flanders, the daughter of Graph Flanders Baldina V. Already, Norman pursued thoughts about the English throne, because Matilda was the descendant of the first king of England Alfred Great.
Marriage promised great prospects. 10 children were born in this union: 6 daughters and 4 Sons - Robert (nicknamed Kurtgez), Richard, Wilhelm II, Heinrich I Boklerk. All his life suffering from the stigma of Bastarda, Wilhelm in marriage was distinguished by loyalty, looseness and piousness.
Judging by the portrait of the king, this is a state-owned person (height 178 cm) with an incredible physical force. In recent years, suffered from excessive obesity.
Death
The clumsiness due to the strong completeness and caused the death of the monarch. At the end of 1086, he urgently went to Normandy because of the broken conflict with the King of France Philip I, who began to ruin the possessions of Wilhelm. By destroying the French city of Mant, the king was driving his shuttering streets. Suddenly, the horse came on the burning coals and shot down on the piles. Thick, the vague Wilhelm could not resist in the saddle and the fall was very wounded in the stomach.
For six months, the ruler conducted in the torment, the inflamed wound bleeding and was terribly sick. On September 9, 1087, Wilhelm died at the Saint-Zherev monastery, near Rouen, surviving the wife of Matilda for 4 years. Before his death, the king bequeathed the throne of England to the second son of Wilhelm, and Roberta gave the right to power in Normandy.
Monument to Wilhelm I is located in French Falez. A lot of books are written about the era of His Board, films and serials were shot.