Difference between revisions of "Kingdom of Gondor of the Reunited Kingdom (Arnor-Gondor)"

Revision as of 07:39, 9 December 2018

Gondor Arnad i Gondor Southern Kingdom
—  Constituent Kingdom  —
Kingdom of Gondor
Flag Coat of arms
Map of Gondor
Country	Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor
Founded	S.A. 3320
Return of the King	T.A. 3019
Reunited Kingdom	T.A. 3020
Capital	Minas Anor
Provinces	Umbar, Harondor, Ithilien, Anórien, Lossarnach, Lebennin, Belfalas, Lamedon and Ringló Vale, Tolfalas, Anfalas and Andrast.
Government
• Type	Absolute Monarchy
• King of Gondor	Arathorn II Tar Eldarien Telcontar
Area
• Total	2,155,530 km2 (832,254 sq mi)
Population (Fo.A. 273)
• Total	4,500,000
• Density	2.1/km2 (5.4/sq mi)
Demonym	Gondorian

The Kingdom of Gondor is the Southern Kingdom of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor. In the first three centuries of the Fourth Age, Gondor has been the actual seat of the High King and the most developed part of the vast realm of the Men of the West.

Geography

Within the Reunited Kingdom, Gondor lies south the line of Adorn-Angren (Isen) river in the north, which separates it from both Enedwaith (part of the Kingdom of the West but not of Gondor) and the allied land of Rohan; south a relatively segment of the Ered Nimrais range, which separate Gondor from the Eastfold; east the Mearing Stream and the Falls of Rauros, which separate Gondor and Eastfold and East Emnet respectively; south the Dead Marshes, which mark the border between the Western Middle-earth and the Rhovanion (part of which under the control of the High Kings); west the Ephel Duath, which separate Ithilien from Plateau of Gorgoroth (the ancient Mordor) and Nurn; north the Harnen (except for some coastal possessions), which divides Harondor from Near Harad.

Council of Gondor

The Council of Gondor is the select royal advice and support body. The King of Gondor (as conceptually separated by the High King) is aided by the Council of Gondor, which meets in a separate capacity from the Council of the Sceptre. Some Gondorian lords who do seat in the Council of Gondor, do not seat into the Council of the Sceptre and vice versa.

The Council of Gondor is composed of princes and lords of each of the Gondor's twelve provinces, of the High King's heir, and of the Steward and the Great Officers of the Realm as well. The Councillors in their capacity have no power save that of advice and counsel.

The Council of Gondor's most significant task is to function as the King's council, and while the King could ignore any advice it offered, Council's prestige makes the advice that it offers difficult to outright ignore. Only the King makes new laws, although he often involves Councillors in the process.

Membership

The Council of Gondor consists of three categories of Men. The first group is represented by members by virtue of their birth: the King's Heir, all Hîratarin of Gondor, all members of the Herenya of Gondor, and certain houses of the Bŷrin, i.e. of vassals sworn directly to the King of Gondor. The second group consists of members who represent a given territory; this group therefore includes magistrates of important cities and all heads of the provinces. The third group includes all those are involved in the central administration of Gondor as Great Officers of the Realm, as well as King's trusted men outside their specific duties.

Great Officers of the Realm

In the Kingdom, the Great Officers of the Realm are the Crown ministers, who are appointed to exercise certain functions as part of the government. Such positions are not transmissible nor hereditary. The Reunited Kingdom inherits its Officers from both Gondor and Arnor. While most of them are hereditary, some offices are appointed. Some offices are put into "commission"; that is, multiple commissioners are appointed to collectively exercise the office.

Great Officers of the Realm are shared by Arnor and Gondor, and therefore they sit in all the three Councils. As of Fo.A. 273, they are:

• The Steward of the Realm;
• The Captain General of the Royal Hosts;
• The Shipmaster (Ciryatur): overseer of the royal navy;
• The Spymaster (Ethirtur): the spymaster and the head of intelligence;
• The Master of coin (Miriantur): head of the treasury and finances of the kingdom;
• The Master of laws: overseer of the law and justice for the kingdom;
• The Loremaster (Golodh): the head adviser on matters of lore and wisdom.

Steward of the Realm

The Stewards of the Realm are at first the chief of the high councilors to the High Kings. Steward is therefore the traditional title of the chief counsellor to the High Kings. Stewards are of pure high Númenórean blood. Soon after the death of Denethor II, Aragorn II Tar Elessar Telcontar was crowned High King. The Steward Faramir, son of Denethor II, surrendered to the High King his rod of office, but it was returned to him. King Elessar confirmed in Faramir and his descendants the office of Steward of Gondor, which soon became Steward of the Realm, and granted him in addition the Princedom of Ithilien, ensuring his line a position as counsellor of the King.

Provinces

The Kingdom of Gondor comprises the twelve most southern lands and provinces (Sûza): Umbar, Harondor, Ithilien, Anórien, Lossarnach, Lebennin, Belfalas, Lamedon and Ringló Vale, Tolfalas, Anfalas and Andrast. Each of these lands enjoys of a different form of government, according to its own customs and traditions.

Gondorian provinces are classified as either internal or royal, meaning that their heads are either appointed within the local aristocracy or drawn from King's trusted advisors and companions, also a nobleman. The core function of a provincial head, whatever form the position may take, is to be the representative of the High King and of its government, to act as the highest magistrate of judge, and manage the taxation and public spending in his area. The head of a province has usually a large staff of other officials: procurators, judicial advisers and reeves.

In a general way, Royal Provinces (Arnendor) are unstable, newly conquered or particular territories: Umbar, Harondor and Andrast all have a King-appointed Lord Lieutenant (although duties and responsibilities vary according each province).
The remaining provinces are called "internal provinces" (Mityandor). These provinces are governed by High Councils, made up of all significant lords and representatives of major autonomous cities and towns. At the head of the High Councils are generally high-ranking nobles, but the High King may appoint a commoner as personal legate. The only exception is the High Council of Belfalas, which is presided over by the Prince of Dol Amroth due to an hereditary privilege granted in ancient times.

To this division there are two exceptions: Ithilien is under the firm rule of the Prince of Ithilien of the House of Húrin, and Anórien is under the direct rule of the King.

Districts

The twelve Gondorian provinces are further subdivided into numerous Districts (Sindarin: Drann, pl. Drannin), which in turn include fiefdoms, cities and towns, each enjoying its own degree of autonomy, according its history and granted privileges.

Each District is governed by a magistrate (Condir i Drann) appointed by the King for ten years. Such magistrates have the duty to oversee subordinate fiefdoms and cities, as well as to deliver the King's High Justice, manage the collection of taxes and revenues, and ensure the establishment of the local military forces. As a rule, an urban settlement is included with its surrounding into a larger Drann. In some special cases, however, a particularly important city may constitute a district of its own.

Responsibilities of Districts consist in the building and upkeep of "district roads", other building plans which cover more than one local authority's area, caring for King's reserves, demesnes and direct royal possessions, building and upkeep of palaces of lore and of healing.

Fiefdoms and cities

Gondor is home to a deeply-rooted nobility and to long-standing cities and towns. Both fiefdoms and lordships, on one hand, and cities and towns, on the other hand, have the right to administer on their own the small justice, i.e. all laws not pertaining the King's High Justice.

While fiefdoms, such as the Princedom of Dol Amroth or the Lordship of Emyn Arnen, are ruled by King's vassals according hereditary rules, autonomous cities and towns are governed through several institutional forms, ranging from an urban aristocracy to a direct democracy. However, the most common forms of government are oligarchic in nature.

Those cities and towns which are not autonomous or which are not granted their own charter of rights and privileges are governed and administered by an Ostherdir (Sindarin for Town-Prefect), who is appointed directly by the High King (for Umbar, Harondor and Andrast, as well as for Anorien) or by the head of the relevant province. Tenure of an Ostherdir lasts five years, if not extended by his appointer.

Royal City

In the Reunited Kingdom, a Royal City (Arnen Caras) is a city which has a special government due its own great importance. A Royal City is not part of any province and, and as such, is subordinate only to the High King, as opposed to a territorial city or town, which is subordinate to a Province or even to a District.

Within the borders of the Kingdom of Gondor, there are two Royal Cities: Osgiliath, which is the southern capital of the Reunited Kingdom, and Pelargir, which was the most prominent haven and the very first base of the Faithful in the southern course of the Anduin.

Pelargir

Coat of arms of Pelargir (granted by Tar-Telemmaitë in S.A. 2401.

Pelargir is the greatest port of Gondor, situated above the delta of Anduin in southern Lebennin; its name means "garth of royal ships" in Sindarin. With a population of circa 100,000 by Fo.A. 270, Pelargir is a city located on the right bank of the Anduin, at the confluence with the Sirith. Well connected by important roads, Pelargir is mainly built on the fluvial banks of the Sirith, resulting in a series of vast stone stilts and harbours. Before the Sirith banks, there are several islets which are urbanised too, and are connected by more than 100 bridges. The resulting canals, as well as the two main canals, serve the function of roads. The classical Pelargir boat is the limlug, although boats and ships of all sizes and types may be found.

Aside the military and strategic role of Pelargir, the city also is a trading hub. Goods coming from the south along the Harad Road come to Pelargir, and in turn are redirected towards Osgiliath and the regions along the course of the Anduin beyond Gondor. From Osgiliath, flows also take the great North-South Road. Goods and trade flows also are redirected towards central and eastern Gondor, as well as towards thriving shores. Pelargir merchants and mariners are famed in all the Reunited Kingdom and are known even into the Rhovanion.

History

Pelargir is the most ancient city of Gondor. It was built in S.A. 2350, almost a millennium before the Downfall of Númenor, as a haven and stronghold of the Faithful. In its early days it had been a city only a few miles away from the coasts, but after the Downfall of Númenor the coasts along the Bay of Belfalas had retreated a great distance and the city was left far inland. Pelargir was one of the cities that assembled Gondor when it was founded in S.A. 3320 by the Faithful. Since its foundation, Pelargir has been the main base for the Gondorian (and later Western) navy and has always played a crucial role in the fortunes of Gondor: it became the main naval base during the Ship-kings' conquests, and often rivalled in importance even Osgiliath. During the Kin-strife, Castamir the Usurper planned to make Pelargir the capital, and after his defeat his sons and followers retreated to this town and withstood a siege for a year, before fleeing to Umbar; in T.A. XVI Century, Númenoreans attacked Pelargir. From that time, the city was almost on the frontier and under constant threat from Umbar and Harad. After the War of the Ring, Pelargir rose back to its former importance, being the main military centre for expeditions to Harondor, both sea and ground based.

Geography and structure

The city is built on the estuary of the Sirith with an artificial island at the centre of the estuary, almost in the river bed of the Anduin. The island, called Tol Vórima, is a triangle with a large basin at its centre; in reality, each of the points of the triangle is a separate islet, connected with the other two islets. Pelargir divided into 6 boroughs: Arceleth, Arcun, Bostharn, Minyalondë, Rindbain, and Iaurost. Iaurost, Rindbain and Minyalondë are the boroughs on the island; Arceleth and Arcun are on the left bank and Bostharn is on the right bank of the Sirith. Each borough of the banks also extends over shore islets and resulting canals, and it is administered by a magistrate and his staff. The boroughs are divided into wards – initially 96, but reduced through the centuries and now numbering just 48. These wards predate the boroughs. Each ward exhibits unique characteristics but also belongs to an integrated network. Each community stages its own festivals, congregates around its own market center, constructs its own bell towers and develops its own customs and has been doing so since the foundation of the earliest settlements.

The boroughs on the river estuary are protected by high walls and, on the right bank, there is the large military garrison, called Forvenost, just north to Bostharn. Soldiers' families live separate, in the city proper. On the Anduin banks there are the civilian/mercantile harbours (Hobasmanadh, on the right bank of the Anduin) and the military port (Cyriannath Vagor Lorn, on the left bank of the Anduin).

Government

Due its importance, Pelargir has always been governed according a particular system. The city governor is appointed by the High King for ten years among local nobles, and is styled Warden of the Garth of the Royal Ships, mirroring the Sindarin name of Pelargir. The Warden is assisted by the Council of the Garth, consisting of prominent local patrician families (sometimes present in the city even before than Elendil) and of the six magistrates of its boroughs.

The City Watch of Pelargir (Garost Pelargir), also known as the blue cloaks, are the defenders of the city and the enforcers of the law, sworn only to the High King. They are not as well trained as the City Watch of Minas Anor. There are three sets of barracks for the City Watch: the East Barracks in Arceleth, the West Barracks in Bostharn, and one in Iaurost. The City Watch wear cloaks, usually made of heavy wool, dyed blue. They are equipped with mail armor, iron cudgels, iron spears, dirks, and occasionally arming swords. Their armour, boots, and gloves are traditionally black. Officers (such as the Captains of the gates of the city) wear black breastplates ornamented with four golden disks. They can be used as guards, foot soldiers, or in some cases, as mounted lancers. Nonetheless, the watchmen are not true soldiers, and their discipline in a pitched battle shows this fact Of the six thousand watchmen, usually only a quarter of them are reliable as actual soldiers, meaning that the City Watch is ordinarily considered as being a single heavy infantry Company.
The Commander of the City Watch is a Senior Captain (Autherdir), and commands six 1,000 troops-strong Companies, each of them led by a Second Captain (Condir). Each Company contains a Battle Band and three Watchmen Bands. In battle, the six Battle Bands (which train together) form the Company of the City Watch, commanded by a separate Second Captain. However, all the City Watch is sworn and trained to defend the city, which in turn is also garrisoned by other military forces.

Culture

The common livelihoods of Gondorians of Pelargir are a water-faring folk, whether river boats, barges, sea-faring vessels as shiphands, fishermen, traders, and movers of products and men. Service to the Royal Navy is very common and, in times of war, often merchant galleys and high seas ships are mustered in the defence of the Kingdom. Other pursuits of those of Pelargir are farmers in the countryside of Lebennin. The pastoral fields north and east of Pelargir in Lebennin are well known for being farmland for many crops and herds of livestock.

Boxing and fighting is a common sport as well as a means to settle many arguments in Pelargir and used readily in both common and nobility classes; while boxing for settlement is highly respected, arranged bouts of boxing for sport or entertainment is acceptable means for wasting money. Also card, dice, and board games, in general, are a much-loved sport of those in Pelargir and are used as ways to pass the time.

The veneration of Valar has always remained strong in Pelargir, and in recent centuries (Fo.A. II-III Centuries) a steep and strange increase has taken place. In elargir, even commoners have a working knowledge of the Valar, including former Dark Lord Sauron. Given their livelihood attached to the sea and the waters, Men of Pelargir often focus on their attention on Uinen, Lady of the Seas much as the mariners of Númenór did in Ages of old. They pray for her assistance and mercy in calming the rages of her husband Ossë and their master Ulmo, Lord of Waters. Mariners tend to wear or at least keep trinkets and tokens in her image and offer veneration and remembrance.

Osgiliath

Osgiliath is the southern capital city of the whole Reunited Kingdom and, as such, it is traditionally included within the Kingdom of Gondor, but it is directly governed and ruled by the King. Due to its sheer importance, the city is not part of any province. Instead, it is governed by an Ostoher (Sindarin for "Lord of the Citadel") who is invariably a King's younger son or brother.

See also

• Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor
• Royal Army of Arnor and Gondor