After the Romans left Britain in the early 5th century, the country was plunged into a period of chaos and instability. The Roman infrastructure, which had held the country together for centuries, collapsed, and the region was divided into a patchwork of small, independent kingdoms. These kingdoms were constantly at war with each other, and the people of Britain suffered greatly. In addition, the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from northern Europe, began to invade Britain in the 5th century. The Anglo-Saxons eventually established their own kingdoms in Britain, and they gradually assimilated the Celtic Britons, the original inhabitants of the country. The Anglo-Saxon period in British history lasted from the 5th to the 11th century, and it was during this time that the English language and culture began to take shape.
