The Shire was a large agriculture based community and home to most of the Hobbits of Middle Earth. The land was originally a large fertile part of the Kingdom of Arnor but remained undeveloped. The land was given to the Hobbits who had migrated from the Vale of Anduin and other parts along the Great River. This marks the Year 1 in “Shire Reckoning”. Hobbits lived in large holes dug within the hills, which were useful because they did not have to be very large and were small and cozy. They were loyal to the King of Arnor and even sent hobbits to fight in the ill-fated Battle of Fornost. Following Arnor’s collapse the Shire remained untouched and safe. This peace remained for much of the Third Age thanks to the watchful eye of the Dunedain Rangers. The administration and military of the Shire was extremely simplistic, where the Mayor served as acting governor, laws were enforced by the Shirrifs, and a Thain acted as the representative to the King (usually of the Took family). A most famous produce from the Shire was pipe-weed, The hobbits’ pipe-weed was renowned and almost exclusive to that region. This peace would define the Shire, though there were two instances of conflict prior to the adventures of The Hobbit. The Battle of Greenfields where the Hobbits under Brandobras “Bullroar” Took defeated the invading goblins of Golfimbul. Bullroar knocked Golfimbul’s head clean off during the battle and it rolled into a rabbit hole, inventing the game of golf! The Fell Winter saw the Shire be attacked by White Wolves during a famine, the Rangers were swift in protecting the Shire. The Third Age saw Bilbo Baggins bring the One Ring to the Shire and into global affairs. The Nazgul came to the Shire spreading fear in search of the Ring, and with this came more strict laws of who may enter and leave the Shire. The War of the Ring saw the Rangers leave to help fight, and the helpless Shire was occupied by ruffians lead by Sharkey, who was Saruman in disguise. Under Sharkey the Shire was industrialized and supplies were sent South to help the war effort and to fund brigands. This ended when Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin returned to the shire and lead the revolt leading to the Battle of Bywater. The Shire was saved, Ruffians banished, and Saruman defeated. Elvish dirt helped fertilize the land after what Sharkey had done to it, and ultimately it became again a simple and peaceful region. The Reunited Kingdom gave the Shire legal independence which was purely symbolic. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some of that pipe-weed.
“At first they passed through hobbit-lands, a wide respectable country inhabited by decent folk, with good roads, an inn or two, and now and then a dwarf or farmer ambling by on business. Then they came to land where people spoke strangely, and sang songs Bilbo had never heard before. Now they had gone far into the Lone-Lands, where there were no people left, no inns, and the roads grew steadily worse.” - Bilbo leaving the Shire with the Company of Thorin, The Hobbit, Roast Mutton.
