Reunited Kingdom

The Reunited Kingdom (also called the Two Kingdoms^[1]) was the restored kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, the twin kingdoms founded at the end of the Second Age by Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anárion. In the beginning, Elendil was High King of both realms, but the two were divided after the deaths of his sons. Over 3,000 years later Aragorn Elessar reunited the kingdoms and ruled as High King of the Reunited Kingdom.

The fate of the kingdoms, especially that of Gondor, would come to dominate the history of the Third Age.

Geography

During Aragorn's reign, the Reunited Kingdom expanded to retake all territories that had originally belonged to both Arnor and Gondor at their greatest extents, excluding only Rohan (the grant of which he renewed), and the Shire, the Drúadan Forest, and Fangorn Forest (which became protectorates), under the protection of the Sceptre.^[2]

The Reunited Kingdom included all the lands of Arnor; all of Eriador, except the regions beyond the Lune, and the lands east of Greyflood and Loudwater, in which lay Rivendell and Eregion.^[3]

In Gondor, the realm extended:^[4]

• North to the field of Celebrant and the southern eaves of Mirkwood^[4]
• West to the Greyflood^[4]
• East to the inland Sea of Rhûn^[4]
• South to the River Harnen, and also along the coast to the peninsula and haven of Umbar^[4]

History

Background

At the end of the Second Age, Elendil and his sons established two great kingdoms in Middle-earth: Arnor in the north and Gondor in the south. These Kingdoms of the Dúnedain were united under a single High King, Elendil himself, who ruled the North-kingdom while his sons reigned jointly over the South-kingdom of Gondor.^[5]

In the first years of the Third Age, this union failed. After the loss of Isildur at the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, his nephew Meneldil took up the kingship of Gondor, and that country remained independent from the North-kingdom through most of the Third Age.

Dissolutions

In the north, the realm of Arnor fell into troubled times. It broke into three separate kingdoms, and in time these too were lost, so that the Dúnedain of the North-kingdom of Elendil were reduced to a wandering people led by a Chieftain. Nonetheless, they were able to maintain Isildur's line in unbroken descent.^[5]

However, this failed in Gondor, and Eärnur was lost without heirs. Its rule was taken up by the Stewards.^[5]

There were two attempts to reunite the kingdoms. The first of these occurred in TA 1944 when Arvedui of Arthedain claimed the High Kingship of the Two Kingdoms. His claim was rejected by Steward Pelendur and the Council of Gondor, who elected to maintain their independence.^[4]

Reunification and Later History

More than a thousand years later, after the War of the Ring, Arvedui's direct descendant, Aragorn, came forward to make the same claim. This time, the people of Gondor accepted a High King, and the Two Kingdoms were reunited at last.

Aragorn restored Gondor and repeopled it, but retained Minas Tirith as the chief city.^[6] He rebuilt Annúminas and when he went north, would rule from there.^[3] He also had the ruins of Fornost Erain rebuilt and made it a great city where Men dwelt once again.^[7] The Shire was an exception to this, and though it lay within the Reunited Kingdom, Aragorn made a law that Men should not enter it, a law that he observed himself.^[3]

During his reign, he, alongside King Éomer, led military campaigns beyond the Sea of Rhûn and on the far fields of the South.^[2] As a result, he was able to re-establish his dominance in places which Gondor initially held at the height of its power. The threat of the Corsairs was finally completely subdued during his reign and Umbar was finally re-taken.^[4] He also made peace with the Haradrim after his coronation.^[8]

After Aragorn's death in FO 120,^[9] his son Eldarion took up the High Kingship.^[9] One hundred years into his reign, he encountered a renewal of Morgoth-worship known as the "Dark Tree".^[10] In a 1972 letter concerning The New Shadow, Tolkien mentioned that Eldarion's reign would have lasted for about 100 years after the death of Aragorn.^[11]

Of Eldarion, it was foretold that he should rule a great realm and that it should endure for a hundred generations of Men after him, that is until a new age brought in again new things, and from him should come the kings of many realms in long days after.^[6] But if this foretelling spoke truly, none now can say, for Gondor and Arnor are no more; and even the chronicles of the House of Elessar and all their deeds and glory are lost.^[6]

Translations

References

1. ↑ "The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, July 2001, p. 6
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark"
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Heirs of Elendil"
7. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Homeward Bound"
8. ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Steward and the King"
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
10. ↑ The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The New Shadow"
11. ↑ The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 338, (dated 6 June 1972)