' s ▁he ir . ▁ ▁An ge v ins ▁ ▁Henry ▁II ▁( 1 1 5 4 – 8 9 ) ▁ ▁After ▁Stephen ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 1 5 4 ▁Henry ▁succeeded ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁An ge vin ▁king ▁of ▁England , ▁so - called ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁Count ▁of ▁An jou ▁in ▁Northern ▁France , ▁adding ▁it ▁to ▁his ▁extensive ▁hold ings ▁in ▁Norm andy ▁and ▁Aqu itaine . ▁England ▁became ▁a ▁key ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁loose - kn it ▁assemb lage ▁of ▁lands ▁spread ▁across ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁later ▁term ed ▁the ▁An ge vin ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Henry ▁assert ed ▁his ▁authority ▁over ▁Brit t any , ▁even ▁re organ ising ▁the ▁Duch y ▁into ▁eight ▁administrative ▁districts ▁and ▁introdu cing ▁An ge vin ▁legal ▁re forms . ▁He ▁purs ued ▁an ▁ag gress ive ▁policy ▁in ▁Wales , ▁rec laim ing ▁lands ▁lost ▁by ▁Ang lo - N orm an ▁princes ▁and ▁conduct ing ▁four ▁pun itive ▁campaign s ▁against ▁Wel sh ▁princes ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁their ▁submission ▁to ▁his ▁authority . ▁This ▁under lined ▁his ▁over l ord ship , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁attempt ▁a ▁direct ▁con quest . ▁When ▁the ▁Scottish ▁king ▁William ▁the ▁Lion ▁joined ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁of ▁Henry ' s ▁sons ▁and ▁was ▁captured , ▁it ▁allowed ▁Henry ▁to ▁extract ▁hom age ▁from ▁the ▁Scottish ▁king ▁under ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁F ala ise ▁( 1 1 7 4 ), ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁purs ue