Khandari

Khand is located south of Morder and east of Harad.

The Khandari are the people of Khand, a land lying southeast of Mordor and east of Harad. They were close allies of Mordor throughout much of the Third Age, and their warriors were known to serve in Sauron’s armies alongside in the form of Variags.

History

The Khandari were among the greatest rivals of the Shârate of Hamât. In the days of Aragín the Queller, three champions — one of Khand, one of Gondor, and one of a southern realm — were slain by Aragín, who later raised great tombs in their memory at the Tombs of Esh-kimâkhi. During the civil war known as the Madâr, the Khandari openly supported the eastern rebels, setting themselves against Queen Luzími and the loyalists of the Ikorbân Valley. This involvement led Gondor to abandon neutrality and lend its strength to Luzími’s cause, less out of friendship than from fear of Khandari ascendancy. Their support prolonged the war and hardened divisions within Shagâna, leaving wounds that never fully healed.

The Khandari continued to war intermittently with Gondor and its southern allies, and their horsemen were frequently seen in the service of Mordor. They were feared for their mobility and their ability to sustain long campaigns across the dry steppe and desert regions that marked their homeland.

By the time of the War of the Ring, the Khandari are believed to have furnished both men and horses for the hosts of Mordor. While they are rarely singled out in chronicles, their long alliance with the Dark Lord ensured their presence among his legions in the great wars against Gondor and its allies.