424 Wang Anshi conducted through the medium of English The tax system imposed on the country hit the poorest the hardest and drove them further into destitution See also Edward I and II Further reading: Davies, John A History of Wales London: Allen Lane, 1993; Davies, R R The Age of Conquest: Wales, 1063–1415 Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000; Herbert, Trevor, and Gareth Elwyn Jones eds Edward I and Wales Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1988 Mark J Crowley King Edward established towns in Wales and constructed more castles, such as Conwy Castle in Gwynedd, Wales Wang Anshi (Wang An-shih) (1021–1086) Chinese statesman and reformer By 1282 the Welsh had become increasingly unhappy at the powers exerted over them by English lordship, and consequently rebelled Llywelyn led the rebellion, captured castles, and defeated the royal army The king’s response was to lead a large army into Wales, which further antagonized the population Intervention came from the archbishop of Canterbury, John Peckham, who tried to bring agreement to the both sides Peckham suggested that Llywelyn would be offered land and titles in England if he abdicated his position as prince of Wales This provoked outrage, with the Welsh council arguing that Edward I ruled over Wales by tyranny, and further solidified the campaign for Welsh independence Llywelyn branded the English invasion of Wales and their fight against it as a “war of national liberation.” The Welsh attacked the English knights and made use of the varied Welsh terrain, with which the English were unfamiliar However their optimism was quickly extinguished by the death of Llywelyn in a fight with an English soldier Llywelyn’s head was dismembered and sent to London and carried through the streets as proof of the prince’s death Despite Llywelyn’s death, the revolt continued for a short time and eventually ended in 1284, with the Welsh conceding defeat In victory King Edward established towns in Wales, constructed more castles, encouraged movement into Wales from England, and established and preserved English-run institutions in Wales This position received statutory recognition through the Royal Assent provided to the Statute of Rhuddlan, passed in 1284, which ultimately led to the imposition of the English common law in Wales and covered all matters, except land claims The Welsh language remained in Wales, although the daily business in the country was now Wang Anshi was a well-known refomer and statesman of the Chinese Song (Sung) dynasty that ruled from 960 to 1279 Wang Anshi was a Renaissance man, who was equally at home in statecraft and in poetry Wang was born into a landlord family in Linchuan, Jiangxi (Kiangsi) Province After he passed the stringent imperial civil service exams, he became an official Involved initially in government at the local level, he saw the hardships of the Chinese peasantry, and the exactions of the landlords who controlled their lives Wang’s exposure to the life of the peasants had a profound influence upon his life Wang participated in the debate among Song scholarofficials on the application of Confucianism in the ordering of society and as instrument of political reform that had begun earlier in the Song dynasty He believed that the state existed in large measure to serve the needs of its citizens He said, “The state should take the entire management of commerce, industry, and agriculture into its own hands, with a view to succoring the working classes and preventing them from being ground into the dust by the rich.” In 1058 Wang took the momentous step of writing a memorial to the emperor to present his views Unfortunately, the emperor at that time, Kenzong (Jen Tsung), was not interested in reforms Yingzong (Ying Tsung, r 1063–67), the next Song ruler, was more receptive The new emperor was intent on making reforms and made Wang his chief minister Wang and a few other officials enacted the New Laws during the 15 years they were in power, aimed to encourage agricultural production by reducing the burdens of the common people Their New Laws also limited the privileges of high-ranking officials and landlords, who naturally hated the reforms He realized that the