Part of the New Edinburgh History of Scotland, this volume focuses on the period usually known as the ‘Making of the Kingdom’ or the ‘Anglo-Norman’ era in Scottish history. It aims to strike a balance between the traditional historical focus on the ‘feudalisation’ of Scottish society as part of the complete adoption of foreign cultural traditions by a ‘modernising’ monarchy, and the more recent emphasis on the ongoing strength and importance of Gaelic culture and traditions within the 12th and early 13th-century kingdom.
Part I, looks at the shift from the Gaelic kingship of Alba to the medieval state and examines Scotland’s role as both dominated and dominator. It explores how relationships with England, Gaelic magnates within Scotland’s traditional territory, and autonomous/independent mainland and insular powers were redefined. The main focus is centred on the struggle for political domination of northern mainland Britain and adjacent islands, the methods used to project and express that domination, and the manner in which it was expressed.
Part II explores key aspects of late eleventh- to early thirteenth-century Scottish society and culture that shaped the emerging kingdom. It delves into the development of Scottish economic structures, changes in land management, and the acquisition and exercise of secular power and authority. The emergence of urban communities and the creation of a new noble class in the twelfth century are discussed, along with the development of the Church as an institution and the religious experience of the lay population.
Author: Richard Oram | Publisher: Edinburgh University Press | Published: 21 February 2011 | Length: 448 pages | ISBN: 9780748614974 | Publishers page
