The people of Harad have long endured a life of instability and uncertainty, a weakness exploited by Sauron to bend the Haradrim to his will in his quest to conquer Middle-earth.
The land known to most as Harad lies upon the southern border of
Gondor, past the Harnen River. It is an arid place, a stark contrast to the green and fertile fields of Gondor's southern fiefs, but one which has played its part in the great events of Middle-earth.
The early history of Harad is largely unknown, for it was shunned by the
Elves when the world was young. Of those few Haradrim legends that have come to the ears of the Wise, some tell that Harad was once a great and verdant kingdom before tragedy befell it, scattering its people and leaving much of the land barren and wild.
Life in Harad has remained unchanged for centuries, for even the will of kings and princes finds difficult purchase upon those who live amongst desert and rock. Before the arrival of the
Númenóreans, Harad was an anarchic and fractious land.
THE THIRD AGE BEGINS
From the fortress of Dol Guldur the
Dark Lord, now returned following his defeat at the hands of
Isildur during the
Last Alliance, sent his emissaries to those he would bend to his will. Some journeyed to Harad, offering his friendship to the remaining descendants of the Black Númenóreans. Hidden from the sight of Gondor's vassal rulers, these hidden renegades began to encourage the worship of Sauron as a deity, whose power and wisdom would free the people of Harad. This worship spread rapidly throughout the Haradrim, though the kings tried to suppress it as best they could for they still feared the retribution of Gondor's armies. In truth, their fears were unfounded – Gondor's gaze was now fixed upon itself. Civil war had broken out in the north, fanned by Sauron's guile as he set his mind upon the division of his enemies.
THE DEEDS OF ARAGORN
In the late Third Age, the realms of Gondor and Umbar continued their rivalry. As Sauron's malice grew in the north, Gondor weakened, its cities beset by plague and its armies stretched by conflicts on other fronts. Once during the late Third Age was a great blow struck against the fallen haven; a captain of Gondor deemed the Corsairs about to strike and so led a fleet south into the very harbours of Umbar. His forces cast down the Master of the haven in a battle upon the quayside, before setting much of the Corsair fleet aflame. This captain was known to his followers and to the Steward of Gondor by a different name, but his true name was
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and his actions spared Gondor a great hurt.
THE GATHERING STORM
Time passed and, as
the War of the Ring drew on, a noticeable change came over Harad. Spurred on by Sauron, the Lords of Umbar tightened their control over the tribesmen, demanding ever-increasing tribute from them. Even though this drove many to the brink of starvation, these fractured tribes had no choice but to accede to the demands. Indeed some – those who had maintained the worship of Sauron – welcomed the chance to fight his enemies. Great armies were assembled and trained in the lands below the Harnen River, awaiting the onset of Sauron's great war. The mighty
Mûmakil were assembled in their scores, mercenaries from the lands below Harad were drawn in by the lure of gold, and the ships of the Corsairs made ready for battle. As these armies assembled, the Lords realised that by bringing their forces into one place they invited the repressed Haradrim to revolt against their decrees. To guard against such a rebellion, the
Hâsharii were given greater power and sent out to maintain control over the tribes. The Hâsharii became the emissaries of the Lords of Umbar, the arbiters and implementers of their will. Some chieftains who refused the Lords' demands simply vanished. Others were seized and executed, the better to set an example. Slowly, the disparate tribes came tightly under the control of the Lords of Umbar, and the Hâsharii, once more.
To appease Sauron their armies would march north on Gondor, but each would be divided into smaller forces under the constant scrutiny of the Hâsharii. If Sauron won the war, he would likely allow the Lords to keep the land they had taken in exchange. Should Sauron be defeated, the forces of Gondor would be so reduced that it would be many years before they could reclaim their lost fiefs.
