Heptarchy

A government of seven; said to have been established by the Anglo-Saxons in England before the reign of Egbert (800-836 A.D. ). Under Egbert, We ex rose to be supreme, and virtually swallowed up the others. The common idea is that these seven kingdoms were contemporaneous; but all that can be safely a erted is, that England in this time was peopled by various tribes, whose leading occupation was war; and that sometimes one was conquered, sometimes another. At no time was there a counterpoise of power among seven of them, so that they could be said to have a separate, much le an independent existence. Still, seven names do survive, so as to use the term Heptarchy.