Kingdom of Mercia: Map & History
Mercia was an early medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom, one of the seven kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon period.
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Mercia was an early medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom, one of the seven kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon period. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlands of England.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Mercia
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Mercia covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Mercia's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Mercia in Depth
History
Mercia's exact evolution at the start of the Anglo-Saxon era remains more obscure than that of Northumbria, Kent, or even Wessex. Mercia developed an effective political structure and was Christianised later than the other kingdoms. Archaeological surveys show that Angles settled the lands north of the River Thames by the 6th century. The name "Mercia" is Mercian Old English for "boundary folk" (see Welsh Marches), and the traditional interpretation is that the kingdom originated along the frontier between the native Brythonic-speaking Romano-British Welsh and the Anglo-Saxon invaders. However, Peter Hunter Blair argued an alternative interpretation: that they emerged along the frontier between Northumbria and the inhabitants of the Trent river valley.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mercia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Mercia: Key Facts
| Capital | Tamworth |
|---|---|
| Official language | Old English |
| Religions | Anglo-Saxon paganism, Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy, monarchy |
| Currency | Anglo-Saxon pound |
| Founded | 527 CE |
| Dissolved | 918 CE |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q105092 (CC0).
Kingdom of Mercia Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Mercia appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Mercia Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 96,899 km² in 802 CE.
Kingdom of Mercia: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Mercia exist?
The Kingdom of Mercia is dated to 534 CE – 925 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Mercia?
The capital of the Kingdom of Mercia was Tamworth.
How large was the Kingdom of Mercia at its peak?
At its peak in 802 AD the Kingdom of Mercia covered about 96,899 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Mercia change over time?
The Kingdom of Mercia appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 600 CE to 900 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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