(“Cædwalla” /ˈkædˌwɔːlə/ (c. 659 – 20 April 689) was the ‘King of Wessex’ from approximately 685 until he abdicated in 688)
(his name is derived from the ‘British Cadwallon’)
(he was exiled from ‘Wessex’ as a youth and during his exile gathered forces and attacked the ‘South Saxons’, killing their king, ‘Æthelwealh’, in what is now ‘Sussex’)
(‘Cædwalla’ was unable to hold the ‘South Saxon’ territory, however, and was driven out by Æthelwealh’s ‘ealdormen’)
(in either 685 or 686 he became ‘King of Wessex’)
(he may have been involved in suppressing rival dynasties at this time, as an early source records that ‘Wessex’ was ruled by ‘underkings’ until ‘Cædwalla’)
(after his accession ‘Cædwalla’ returned to ‘Sussex’ and won the territory again, and also conquered the ‘Isle of Wight’, engaging in genocide, extinguishing the ruling dynasty there, and forcing the population of the island at sword point to renounce their pagan beliefs for ‘Christianity’)
(he gained control of ‘Surrey’ and the kingdom of ‘Kent’, and in 686 he installed his brother, ‘Mul’, as king of ‘Kent’)
(‘Mul’ was burned in a Kentish revolt a year later, and ‘Cædwalla’ returned, possibly ruling ‘Kent’ directly for a period)
(‘Cædwalla’ was wounded during the conquest of the ‘Isle of Wight’, and perhaps for this reason he abdicated in 688 to travel to ‘Rome’ for baptism)
(he reached ‘Rome’ in April 689, and was baptised by ‘Pope Sergius I’ on the Saturday before Easter, dying 10 days later on 20 April 689)
(he was succeeded by ‘Ine’)