Powerful Welsh rulers nobody talks about (NO 1 Caradog ap Gruffydd (died 1081)

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Caradog's father was Gruffydd ap Rhydderch who after receiving the Lordship of Caerleon in 1031, also inherited Glywysing, and became King of Deheubarth in 1045, in the same year as Gruffydd's second cousin, Cadwgan ap Meurig, inherited the Kingdom of Gwent from his father Meurig ap Hywel. Both of them were co-descendants of Owain, son of Morgan Hen "the Old", the last ruler of a unified Kingdom of Morgannwg.

Gruffydd ap Rhydderch was a powerful king who resisted raids by the Danes and attacks by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. However in 1055 after many attempts, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn killed him in battle and took Deheubarth which enabled him to unite the whole of Wales. 

In 1057 Gruffydd ap Llywellyn was recognized as King of Wales and Caradog was given Caerleon in Gwent, he also added  Morgannwg early on in his career. 

After the defeat of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn by Harold Godwinson in 1063, old lineages were restored, with Caradog becoming ruler of Glywysing at about the same time as Maredudd ab Owain ab Edwin, the male-line heir of Hywel Dda, became ruler of Deheubarth.

In 1065 Harold Godwinson decided to build a hunting lodge near Newport,  Caradog attacked and destroyed it and went on to ravage the district with his forces

Caradog thereafter set out to emulate his father and grandfather by adding Deheubarth to his realm. In 1072 he defeated and killed King Maredudd of Deheubarth in a battle by the Rhymney River. 

In 1074 Caradog took over control over what was left of the war-ravaged Kingdom of Gwent from Cadwgan ap Meurig.

In 1078 Caradog killed Rhys ab Owain (Rhys ap tewdwrs uncle) , who had succeeded Maredudd ab Owain as prince of Deheubarth.

By 1081 he had forced the new prince of Deheubarth, Rhys ap Tewdwr to flee to St David's Cathedral.

However, the situation was changed by the arrival from Ireland of Gruffudd ap Cynan, who was aiming to seize the throne of Gwynedd from Trahaearn ap Caradog. Rhys ap Tewdwr and Gruffudd ap Cynan met at St David's Cathedral and made an alliance with the blessing of the Bishop of St Davids.

Caradog countered this by himself making an alliance with the King of Gwynedd, Trahaearn ap Caradog. 

The two factions met in battle at Mynydd Carn, about a day's march north of St David's. Caradog and his ally Trahaearn were both killed.


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