Defining power in the Mercian Supremacy: An examination of the dynamics of power in the kingdom of the borderers

Abstract

The Mercian Supremacy is taken as fact by most scholars of early Anglo-Saxon England. However, seldom discussed are the institutions, policies, and strategies developed by Mercian monarchs aimed at establishing and maintaining that supremacy over the course of several centuries, which also laid important institutional foundations for later Anglo-Saxon England. These included a new paradigm of power in which successive Mercian monarchs sought the annexation and incorporation of neighboring polities rather than their mere submission, as well as a stable method of power transfer based on fraternal succession. In order to maintain their power, Mercian monarchs implemented several unique and successful strategies specifically aimed at political, military, and economic innovations. The political paradigm of power on which Mercian monarchs dominated Southumbria was significantly different from that of their peers who sought mere recognition as “overkings,” when the situation permitted. Mercia, however, aimed at the creation of a true Empire based on the incorporation of its sub-polities within a greater whole. To this end, Mercian monarchs utilized distinct and important political, military, and economic strategies to ensure their position and ultimately treat with the major European powers as equals. This thesis explores the dynamics of power and many of the strategies employed by Mercian kings to maintain and expand their suzerainty.