What is Khazad-Dûm In Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power?

The Rings of Power has finally made its way to our screens, fans can’t seem to get enough of it. Episode 1 of the Rings

By Rishabh Shandilya
September 6,2022
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The Rings of Power has finally made its way to our screens, fans can’t seem to get enough of it. Episode 1 of the Rings of Power has finally given fans their much-awaited glimpse of Khazad-dûm and the Dwarfs that dwells within them when the Master Forger Calebrimbor along with Elrond made their way to the mountain to greet an old friend, and Dwarven King.

Durin’s Search Brought Him To Misty Mountains

Dwarves
Dwarves In RIngs of Power

Durin the Deathless was the first ruler of the Dwarves. Once a simple dwarf, he rose to power as the first monarch of a race of beings fashioned by the all-powerful god Aule. He set off on a long journey across Middle-earth in pursuit of excitement and a brighter future, and he finally arrived in the Misty Mountains.

Amidst the summits of the mountains, a magnificent lake glistened in the sunlight. This dwarf found its mirror in the still waves of the lake. And in this lake, Durin beheld the message from up high. In one depiction, the stars in the night sky sang a medley over his head. This enlightened foresight ultimately evolved into the Khazad-dum coat of arms. Thus, under the auspices of the Supreme Beings who decide who lives and who dies, the legendary Durin’s People and Longbeard dynasties had their starts.

Khazad-Dum Grew Wealthy and Sauron Hated It

MInes of Moria
MInes of Moria in Rings of Power

During the Deathless’ offspring and soldiers were talented workers and craftspeople; their king would’ve been proud of them. The dwarves had a safe haven in the hills, and the hills themselves were rich in materials. The Dwarves and the Elves developed cordial ties, allowing for the safe and lucrative exchange of resources and the products of the Dwarves’ world-famous craftsmanship. Khazad-Dum flourished after decades of truce, and the numbers rises. However, with each passing year, this empire grew even wealthier.

The malevolent and eternal Mordor has always been envious of the dwarves’ success and fortune. As he prepared the Elves for battle against Khazad-dum, he devised the Ring of Power. The Elves, nevertheless, are a shrewd and intelligent race who have cracked Sauron’s evil plans. Because of this, they kept working with the Dwarves.

Sauron Face
Sauron Face In LOTR Movies

Khazad-dum’s collapse might be linked to the same factors that brought them their previous success. The Orcs tried to overpower the Elves once, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. The first big fight ended badly for them, and as they started to escape, they encountered a Dwarven troop on their way to aid the Elves.

Thereafter, Sauron laid the groundwork for suspicion among these communities, leading to widespread conflict. This was the start of the Second Age.

The Blessing Of Mithril

Prince Durin
Prince Durin Holding Mithril

The Dwarves discovered Mithril, a scarce and valuable substance that is more robust than diamond and valued significantly greater than any form of currency in the Middle-Earth, in the bowels of the hill where the cluster of settlements of Khazad-dum was situated. But sadly, supplies from Mithril dwindled throughout the ages.

Mountain dwellers skilled in the arts started digging into the stone’s depths soon after. A powerful and malevolent monster known as the Balrog was dwelling there, and it was there that he encountered the Dwarves and ultimately doomed them to extinction. History has it that Sauron roused the Balrog from a deep-deep slumber, still enraged by the Dwarves of Khazad dum’s destruction of him.

The Final Stand 

Smaug The Dragon
Smaug The Dragon in Hobbit Movies

The old dragon’s scorching wrath was too much for the Dwarves to bear. Balrog, following Sauron’s command, smashed the Dwarven towns and riches beneath the earth. Dwarves have abandoned the once-beautiful land of Khazad-dum. In addition, in their replacement emerged the furious and ferocious goblins, and the once magnificent peaks quickly turned so unlivable that the dwarves started to refer to it as Black Chasm.

Afterward, the majority of Durin’s Men relocated to Gray Mountain. Those who weren’t killed or captured followed their new commander to Erebor. The dwarfs in the Gray Mountains had long and prosperous life. But eventually, monsters started venturing into the far north, driving the Dwarves from their dwellings and into the Dwarven metropolis under the ground. For several centuries until Smaug showed up, they dwelt peacefully therein.

Thráin
Thráin In Hobbit Movies

In retaliation for the death of the previous king at the hands of the Orcs, Thráin declared war. When the Dwarves banded forces, they were able to decimate the Orc strongholds and reclaim the Misty Mountains. However, the win did not come without a price.