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Cymraeg

Gall Merthyr Tudful hawlio mai hi yw tref fwyaf diddorol Cymru. Wedi datblygiad y diwydiannau haearn a glo yno dros ddwy ganrif yn ol tyfodd yn un o drefi diwydiannol mwyaf y byd. Yn nhridegau'r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg yr oedd pedwar ugain mil o bobl yn byw yn ei chyffiniau, a Chymraeg oedd iaith y boblogaeth fawr hon. Merthyr Tudful oedd prif ganolfan ddiwylliannol Cymru. Llanwai'r gweithwyr a'u teuluoedd y degau o gapeli Ymneilltuol, a mynychai'r deallusion niferus ddwsin o gymdeithasau diwylliannol a gyfarfyddai, fel y gwnai'r beirdd hwythau, mewn tafarnau.

Brwydrodd dinasyddion Merthyr dros gyfiawnder cymdeithasol mewn ymgyrch syfrdanol ym 1831. Dan arweiniad Lewsyn yr Heliwr cyfarfu miloedd ar fynydd yn ymyl y dref i brotestio yn erbyn y gorthrwm a'r dioddefaint. Wedi i'r Faner Goch gael ei chodi ganddynt - a hynny am y tro cyntaf mewn hanes - gorymdeithiasant i'r dref, a gwarchae'r ustusiaid yng Ngwesty'r Castell. Daeth pedwar ugain milwr Albanaidd o wersyll milwrol Aberhonddu i adfer trefn. Ymosododd y dinasyddion arnynt gan golli o leiaf pedwar bywyd ar hugain a chlwyfo saith deg. Er hynny, bu'r dref yn nwylo'r gweithwyr am bedwar diwrnod. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw trechwyd milwyr proffesiynol ddwywaith. Dim ond pan ymgasglodd deuddeg cant o filwyr o gwmpas y dref y daeth y gwrthryfel i ben. Un gweithiwr yn unig a grogwyd o ganlyniad i'r brotest, ac yr oedd ef yn ddieuog. Dic Penderyn oedd hwnnw. "O Arglwydd, dyma gamwedd", oedd ei eiriau olaf ar y crocbren.

Genhedlaeth ar ol y gwrthryfel etholwyd Henry Richard o Dregaron, gwr o statws Ewropeaidd, yn Aelod Seneddol. Pwysleisiai ei anerchiad yn y Senedd ei fod yn Gymro, yn radical ac yn Anghydffurfiwr Cymreig a safai dros 'Gymru a'r gweithiwr'. Ceisiodd gyflawni polisi'r Siartiaid, ond fel heddychwr y gwnaeth ei enw Ewropeaidd. Byddai'r torfeydd enfawr a ddeuai i wrando arno ar fynydd yn gadael y cyrddau gan ganu 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'.

Aelod Seneddol nodedig iawn a gafodd Merthyr oedd Keir Hardie, sefydlydd ac arweinydd y Blaid Lafur, yntau'n Gelt o Gristion, ac o blaid ymreolaeth i Gymru ar adeg pan gefnogai'r Blaid Lafur hunanlywodraeth Gymreig yn gryf.

Y Geiriau yma o'r Llyfr 'Cymru o Hud' Geiriau Gwynfor Evans, Lluniau Marian Delyth.

Cyhoeddwyd gan Y LOLFA 2001.  

English

Merthyr Tydfil can lay claim to being the most interesting town in Wales.Following the development of Iron and Coal Industries over two hundred years ago it grew to be one of the biggest industrial towns in the world. In the 1930's 80,000 people lived in this area and Welsh was the language of this population. Merthyr Tydfil was the the Capital of Culture. The workers and their families thronged the many chapels and the public houses were full of bards. The citizens of Merthyr fought for social justice in a historical campaign of 1831.Under the leadership of 'Lewsyn Yr Heliwr', thousands met on a mountainside overlooking the town to protest against oppression and injustice. Following the raising of the Scarlet Banner and that for the first time in history they challenged the justices who were staying at the Castle Hotel.

80 Scottish Soldiers from Brecon Barracks were dispatched to restore Law and Order. The Citizens' army charged the soldiers and twenty four of their number were killed and and seventy injured. Despite this loss of the life, the town was in the hands of the workers for four days. During that time the professional soldiers were attacked and defeated twice. It was only when the town became surrounded by 1200 professional soldiers that the siege was broken.

One citizen was hung in response to the insurrection and he was innocent. Dic Penderyn was his name and his last words on the gibbet were 'Oh Lord, here is injustice'.

A generation after the civil unrest, Henry Richard, a man known throughout Europe, originally from Tregaron, was elected Member of Parliament.

In his address to Parliament he emphasised that he was a Welshman, a radical, and a Non- Conconformist and that he stood for Wales and its workers. He tried to implement Chartist Policies but it was as a pacifist that he was known throughout Europe. The immense crowds that would come to hear him at the open mountainside meetings would leave by singing 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'.

Another notable Member of Parliament for Merthyr was Keir Hardie who established and led the Welsh Labour Party. He was a Celt and a Christian and supported self-government for Wales at a time when the Labour Party were strongly in favour of it.

Translated from the words of Gwynfor Evans from the book 'Cymru o Hud' published by the LOLFA 2001.