King Edgar of England - The Most Successful Peacetime Saxon King of England

Edgar (or Eadgar;[1] c. 944 – 8 July 975) was King of England from 959 until his death. He became king of all England on his brother's death. He was the younger son of King Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgifu. A detailed account of Edgar's reign is not possible, because only a few events were recorded by chroniclers and monastic writers were more interested in recording the activities of the leaders of the church.

Edgar mainly followed the political policies of his predecessors, but there were major changes in the religious sphere. The English Benedictine Reform, which he strongly supported, became a dominant religious and social force. It is seen by historians as a major achievement, and it was accompanied by a literary and artistic flowering, mainly associated with Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester. Monasteries aggressively acquired estates from lay landowners with Edgar's assistance, leading to disorder when he died and former owners sought to recover their lost property, sometimes by force. Edgar's major administrative reform was the introduction of a standardized coinage in the early 970s to replace the previous decentralized system. He also issued legislative codes which mainly concentrated on improving procedures for enforcement of the law.

This video is my Seventh in my Kings of England Series. A Historical Documentary video series where i plan to go through every sole ruler of England, starting with King Alfred the Great, and Ending With Queen Anne. This series will focus on the person in question, but will also summarize the most important historical events associated with the topic person during their life span. This will include battles, wars, cultural issues, religious changes, political documents, reforms, and lasting effects.

#EnglishHistory #KingsofEngland #ParryThis

Other Kings of England: [ Ссылка ]

Citations
Jessica, B. (2022, September 2). Edgar the Peaceful. Historic UK. [ Ссылка ]
Malmesbury, W. of. (2022, January 1). Edgar the Peaceful. Edgar of Wessex, the second son of Edmund the Elder. [ Ссылка ]
Whitelock, D., Douglas, D. C., & Tucker, S. I. (1986). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: A revised translation. Greenwood Press.
Yost, R. (2023, February 23). King Edgar the peaceful facts - the unifier of England. The History Junkie. [ Ссылка ]

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