Rhain ap Cadwgan (English: Regin son of Cadogan; died c. 740) was an 8th-century king of Dyfed and Brycheiniog in Wales of the Early Middle Ages. He succeeded his father Cadwgan, who succeeded his father Caten ap Cloten.[1]
Rhain's great-grandfather, Cloten, had married the heiress of Brycheiniog, briefly uniting the two kingdoms. During Rhain's rule, however, King Seisyll of Ceredigion invaded Dyfed and annexed its Cantref Ystrad Tywi (c. 710), cleaving apart Rhain's realm; Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi were merged by Seisyll to form Seisyllwg.[1] Sometime after this, the reduced Dyfed-Brycheiniog was briefly called Rhainwg,[1] but the detached parts could not be maintained as a unit, and Rhain's younger brother - Awst (English: Augustus) - was appointed as a governor of Brycheiniog.[citation needed]
Rhain's son, Tewdws succeeded him in Dyfed. Following Awst's death, Tewdws asserted his right to Brycheiniog, only allowing Awst's son, Elwystl, to rule a sub-division of it. Tewdws later murdered Elwystl, forcibly re-establishing Rhainwg.[2]
The various manuscripts identifying Rhain's wife and immediate descendants are particularly inconsistent, and muddled.[citation needed] There are a number of possible conclusions:[citation needed]