‘The Lord of the Rings’: Exploring The History of The Shire 

The Shire, a central setting in J.R.R. Tolkien's ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and Peter Jackson's film adaptations, plays a pivotal role in Middle-earth's history. Initially appearing insignificant, this rural, remote region becomes the birthplace of key heroes, including Frodo Baggins, who ultimately saves the world by destroying the One Ring. The Shire is synonymous with hobbits, who predominantly resided there by the time of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’, alongside a few in Bree.

Historically, the Shire wasn't always the hobbits' homeland. In ‘Three is Company’ from ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, an Elf explains to Frodo that the Shire was inhabited by other beings before and will be again after the hobbits. Hobbits migrated from the eastern regions of Middle-earth, crossing the Anduin and Misty Mountains to settle in the Shire, which was once part of the Dúnedain kingdom of Arthedain.

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In 1601 of the Third Age, hobbits Marcho and Blanco gained permission from King Argeleb II to settle the fertile land of the Shire, provided they followed certain conditions. Over time, the hobbits developed their customs, eventually forgetting their origins and creating their own calendar system. Despite wars, such as the Angmar War, which devastated Arthedain, the Shire remained relatively untouched, protected by the Rangers of the North.

The Shire's peace was briefly disrupted when Saruman industrialized it, but Frodo and his friends restored it. After the War of the Ring, Aragorn reformed Arnor, declared the Shire independent, and expanded its boundaries, ensuring its protection and preserving its peaceful existence. The Shire remained one of Middle-earth's most enduring and unchanged regions, serving as a fitting starting point for the adventures in ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

–Farheen Ali