Short notes on The Norman Conquest

Short notes on The Norman Conquest

Short notes on The Norman Conquest

 

After the death of Edward the Confessor on January 5, 1066, Harold succeeded him. Unfortunately, he was destined to be the last Saxon King. And that was the result of the Norman Conquest.

William II, Duke of Normandy, a strong man of nerve, was ambitious of the crown of England. He planned to invade and conquer the English. He made elaborate preparations for the invasion. He busied himself in the spring as well as summer of 1066 to gather forces and enlist support from different sources. He even managed to have the sanction of the Roman Church for that pre-planned invasion.

After some minor encounters, the final battle took place on October 16, 1066, in Hastings. The Saxons and their king fought gallantly. But they were overpowered by the mail-clad Norman cavalry. Moreover, the Norman army was strengthened with a large body of infantry and a great number of archers. The Saxon's force fell ultimately. England was conquered by the Duke of Normandy, William. That was the Norman Conquest.

The Norman Conquest was a decisive event in the history of England in all spheres. It brought a foreign ruler. On Christmas Day 1066 William, the Duke of Normandy was crowned as the King of England, William I. It introduced, along with a French-speaking ruling class, foreign laws, and administration as also social and agrarian reforms. The Norman Conquest no less influenced and shaped English literature as well as language.