The period following the War of the Ring, Fourth Age began when Sauron was defeated. It was a period of peace and was also called the ‘Age of Men’.
Description
The last of the four ages described by Tolkien in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Fourth Age is believed to have started when the Ruling Ring of Sauron was destroyed, and the Ring Bearers left Middle Earth and headed towards the West. It began when the Third Age ended in 3021.
History
Nothing concrete is known about the history of the Fourth Age. All we have are little hints, and they are associated with the Shire and the Reunited Kingdom. This is quite obvious because these two regions were the center of the histories of the earlier Ages. The Shire had remained an essential part of the politics of Middle Earth during this time. King Elessar had banned Men from entering the kingdom. When Sauron was finally defeated, and his One Ring destroyed, it marked the beginning of the Fourth Age. The Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor were restored, and the Shire and Hobbits flourished. The Men got complete dominion over the Elves. Most of the Elves had left Middle Earth and sailed towards the Undying Lands.
Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond had also sailed. Sauron’s allies had been defeated. Harad had accepted defeat and established peace with King Aragorn II, and Umbar was returned to Gondor as its forces were destroyed. The Orc allies of Rhun had fled away in fear, so it suffered a defeat. But King Elessar and his allied forces like Rohan declared wars over regions like the Sea of Rhun. The King died in 120 of the Fourth Age, and his son Eldarion succeeded the throne. Nothing much is known after him. [1] As time passed by, Sauron became a memory, and strange troops started making colonies in Gondor. Tolkien has described these subjects in the sequel to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ titled ‘The New Shadow’.
Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond had also sailed. Sauron’s allies had been defeated. Harad had accepted defeat and established peace with King Aragorn II, and Umbar was returned to Gondor as its forces were destroyed. The Orc allies of Rhun had fled away in fear, so it suffered a defeat. But King Elessar and his allied forces like Rohan declared wars over regions like the Sea of Rhun. The King died in 120 of the Fourth Age, and his son Eldarion succeeded the throne. Nothing much is known after him. [1] As time passed by, Sauron became a memory, and strange troops started making colonies in Gondor. Tolkien has described these subjects in the sequel to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ titled ‘The New Shadow’.
Notes
According to Tolkien, the gap between the end of the Third Age and the 20th century was close to 6000 years. Considering the length of the Fourth and Fifth Ages to be the same as the Second and Third Ages, it should have been the end of the Fifth Age in 1958. But he has made a note that Ages were shorter and it was the end of the Sixth Age. [2]
