Umbarean Economy

By Alberto Gonzlez Garca

(Reviews, suggestions y comments to fredogonzal@teleline.es)
Translated by Santiago Barreiro (barreirosantiago@yahoo.com.ar)
(A note from the translator: the translation is as matching as possible in two so different tonguesand made
by a non-professional translatorthe text has a very charged style, very common in formal Spanish, but
maybe it sounds a little victorian in English.)
- Oh Umbar, princess of the ports, market of countless coastal peoples!
- Ernil I, king of Gondor.
Umbar offers a typical image of what it has been during the centuries. It is essentially a commercial
city, with the un-evitable troubles -tendency to speculation, social unrest, dominance of currency issues,
immorality- determined by that condition, but also with the advantages surging from that: material riches,
innovation, cultural exchange and growing of new ideas. In this city, where all prosperity comes from the sea,
everyones attention is turned to it. Starting at its foundation by elder numenoreans, Umbar has been the
greatest maritime potency of Middle Earth, queen of Belegaer, lady of western seas, prodigious in riches and
prosperous, site of an aristocratic republic of Great Power and influence. Many causes contributed to build
this wondrous greatness. Of them, one over all imposes itself in first place to the eye of History: the magnific
development of economical life, the splendor of umbarean commerce.

Maritime commerce
The organization of maritime commerce.Numenoreans started the building of the city giving it with its most important structure: a maritime
arsenal, progresssively greatened over the course of the centuries, where were built the most varied kind of
ships, from powerful war drummonds and monumental palastiri to humble merchant ships, with a smart
science always in progress, ready to introduce the necessary innovations.
The council of captains traditionally has ruled the city, and always has kept away from losing interest
in the merchant fleet; it has controlled very carefully even the construction by private shipbuilders. Every ship
built in umbarean territory must have some specific dimensions, stored in text form. This way, they obtained a
unity in ship-types that allowed, in a conflict situation, to transform into warship the commercial vessels and
constitute, for the bigger benefit of Umbar, a numerous and perfectly homogeneous navy units.
The merchant ships that travel the commercial routes of Belegaer are mostly charge ships, used to the
transport of big quantities mainly primary goods, such as grain, wood, salt, wine and fish. Umbar dominates
this kind of trade thanks to its privileged geographical location and their experts traders coming from all
places of Endor, roads, stores and vessels network, and a mercantile fleet equipped with the fantastic
umbarean merchant ship. This kind of ship is slow, lightly built, mostly unarmed, long and flat, that only
needs 12 seamen to conduct its relatively scarce sailing equipment, a fact that converts it in the ideal cargo
ship, with a capacity equal or higher than 200 tons. Beside they are not at the same level of the palanrisiti,
their low cost of production and preservation supposes a more economic freight service, that secures
umbarean supremacy in maritime trade in a way that even in Gondor is recognised, not without some envy,
that umbarean merchants fleet triplies in number and load Gondors one. In the middle of the XVII century,
the city state fleet is something amazing: 800 ships dedicated to commerce in Far harad, Anbalukkhr,
Tulwang and Hyarn, with a standard load of 1000 ton, 300 (120 to 150 tons. Each) ships on the Seven
dominions and the Mumakanian subcontinent, 450 ships on the bay of belfalas (20 to 40 tons each), 2000
fisher-ships and 250 ships to trade with ormal bay and eastern middle earth. This supposes nearly 3800 ships

with an aproximed load of 215.000 tons. It is not a strange fact that Umbar is expanding, and than it is capable
of getting big benefits, nearly against the dominant international economic tendencies, a fact that is an
important achievement by itself.
This principal position is caused, in part, by the twilight of the economic and naval capacity of
Gondor. Near 1600 they have 1200 merchant ships that count on near 80.000 tons, in which a 33% are owned
by the prince of Lond Ernil. The reply to umbar by Gondor has been war.
The gondorian shipbuilders never tried to imitate the model of umbars merchant. The classical
sailing merchant unit of Gondor is a defendable ship, of 100 or more tons. , solid construction, more
aerodynamic, faster that needs more seamen than umbarean vessels y usually carries a military force for
security reasons, being those soldiers or mercenaries. Those ships are very adapted to the troublesome waters
of Belfalas Bay, to confront Corsairs, but in many other routes they are no match for umbareans in peaceful
times.
Relations Between both states have always been hostile since the end of the Kin-Strife. Apart from
the fact that Umbars resources for shipbuilding are very superior to their enemysones, their capacity to turn
them into efficient warships is limited, and the maintenance in permanent service of the entire warfleet
impossible keeping only a drummond active costs 400 electrum coins anually-. The biggest umbarean
disadvantage has to protect a big commercial volume that balances with the effective block that makes
umbars navy make with all of Gondors trade south of Belfalas Bay. The Umbar naval administration has the
inconvenient of decentralization and dispersion into six captains and an almirantazgo (TN: English word???),
and the friction between the provinces. The gondorian ships carry a very bigger number of soldiers, but are
confronting ships more navigable and with better artillery. All this factors contribute to keep matched as a
whole the battles realized between umbareans and gondorians.
State carefully watches and determines the employment of that admirable instrument that is
commerce. A Severe law stated from the beginning the rules of trade in the city-state. It forbids the republic
citizens to buy or sell to certain countries (like Gondor when it is time of war). Forbids umbarean vessels to
load goods to any destination not Being Umbar, under the penance of monetary or expropiation penalty,
unless they acquire the expensive and necessary permissions, and puts a heavy tax on entering foreign ships, a
fact that does not stop them from coming each time in bigger numbers. An exact fiscalization represses illegal
activities (unless oriented to Umbars enemies: in this case it supports them), and the care taken by the state in
the matters of sea is reflected in the quantity and diversity of functionaries arsenal providers, government
representants, general providers of sea, bay captains, and so on- that were sucesivelly created to assure y
defend Umbars power and riches on the sea.
Commerce with the enemy, however, is still a basic element in umbarean economy. After the big
invasion of 1634 umbareans no only kept trading with Gondor, and even probably trade increased because on
the years prior to the truce expiration, Umbar had became a center for trade in artillery missiles and weapons.
It is ironic that even the hated bucaneers on Gondors service, that harass relentlessly umbareans, find weapon
providers on umbar, normally linked with some of the ship captains, beside the strict prohibition of the
council. More than an umbar rich contributed to finance the activities of pirates on the Harad coasts.
The council watches the same way the organization of trade. War ships escort the convoys and patrol
the main routes of trade to discourage pirates. Two times a year, on fixed dates, big commercial fleets,
grouped around the orders of a state representant and supported by the council of captains leave Umbar with
destination to the diverse countries where the city realizes its business. This caravans suppose, there where
they stop, a bunch of activity in trade, and their return to the Bay is not less impatiently waited. It pairs with
the moment of big markets that are celebrated on the beginning of Bay and last days of October by all the
great cities in Belfalas Bay. The most important Convoys are:
-

The northern convoy (in times of truce only!!!), ascending till Ethir Anduin y then divides into two
groups: one goes to Pelargir, Harlond and Osgiliath, and other goes to Linhir, Lond Ernil, Lond
Galen and up to Tharagrondost, and sometimes even turns in Andrast Cape and, making a stop y
Lond Angren, it reaches Lond Gwathl (Sduri) and Tharbad.
The Far Harad one, that descends coasting the occidental border of this land till the markets of Raj,
Anbalukkhr and Hyarn (Bozisha-Dar and Kadar an-Khradn, mainly.)

The Seven Dominions one, that advances without nearly any stop to the populous cities of Mispr,
Ostelor, R-Moll and Arpel.
The Far South convoy, that accompanies the prior, and continues to the bays of sakan and Koros,
(Sarl y Korlan), reaching E-Sorul Sare before returning.
The Ormal Bay one, which goes with the previous two and continues to Tul Hara and the
commercial cities of the Bays coasts, many of them being ancient numenorean colonies in
Bulchyades, Chy, Olyas Kriis and Codya. Some of the convoy ships sometimes adventure farther, to
Shay and Lochas Drus, or even the big Womawas Drus Empire.

Leading this chosen teams were the active captains, experimented and bold. They promise, when leaving
Umbar, not only to keep their own ships in good shape, give their men good trait, and work with dilligency in
benefit of the city state, but also promise to think in every moment in the honor of the council and of
Umbar. In fact, wherever in the world their fate conducts them, every umbarean, from the most humble to
the greatest, modest merchants or proud aristocrats, everyone, trader or warrior, politics, travelers or writers,
have a common care not without beauty: to collect useful reports, compile useful observations about the
culture, tongue, commerce and geography from the countries they visit; in a word, everything that could,
anyway, enhance Umbar prosperity and glory. These convoys represent a very considerable amount of the
commercial volume. For example, when the Harad coasts leaves Bozisha-Dar in return to Umbar, leaves in
that city stored goods for 100.000 tin coins (TN: or electrum? Same initials in Spanish) and coinage for a
similar sum, and there are always at least 15 representants of the council that deal personally with the issues.
Beside this, private navigators is the one that reaches the farthest and more exotic points and the one
that trades in a more dynamic way, not being affected by festivals and season.
The umbarean traders appear settled everywhere, in the vast majority of Middle Earth ports in colonies
or small trading settlements (factorias) that make a city inside a city. For example in Arpel, the umbarean
district ocuppies, (and causes big reaction on the citizens) one of the better locations in the port. The
umbarean merchants posses there tents, a bazaar, unloading docks all a small city constantly growing with the
passage of time. The same thing happens in Harad ports. In each, Umbar has a wide district with a
marketplace, some houses buildings for the council representants, storages for their traders shops, mills,
baths and one ore more unload docks.
In other way, umbarean colonists posses sometimes properties, outside the city, labored by local
peasant, and have the privilege of princes in enjoying some rents, lake port tolls or so.
All these colonies have an organization, copied from the metropolitan one. All effort is made by the
city-state to get a privileged position, to have more advantages and assure their citizens, in the countries they
settle, an exceptional situation, in a way that they dont have to recive any order or claim justice to anybody
except the council representants. For example, the colonial leaders in Bozisha-Dar and Arpel have authority
over all the colonies in their respective zones. Umbareans have their special courts, which judge even the
conflicts with native population in the case that the umbarean was the accused. For all the other issues of
trade, governors tend to concede them the privilege of a special district or another favor. The umbarean
district of Bozisha-Dar is composed of two pubs, a bathhouse, a bakery, the embassy, half dozen shops and a
dock in the port, and the Regent Council tolerance even tolerates silently drug and poison dealings.
This prodigious fortune is not free from perils. Somewhat exalted by the wonderful success of their
business proud of their riches, traditions and privileges umbareans fail to conceal their arrogancy and
disrespect and gondorians always complain about umbarean greed and cheating.
The material of commerce: - The city and the State of Umbar have a complex and shaken crafting and
industrial activity. Beside shipbuilding, logically very active, there is wood and metal industry ( jewelers,
melters, goldsmiths, weaponsmiths), textile craft (damascos, linem, silver and gold clothing), clothing inks,
chinas, glass, leathercraft and furs, the famous umbarean bricks that appear in the constructions in a great part
of Harad, etc Natural products like grain, fresh or conserves of fish, salt, iron, copper and steel also have
big importance. Exportations for a total value of 4 million electrum coins report a benefit of 20 to 40%.
From the north they import the refined and countless products of civilization (from minas Anors books to
Esgaroth woodworks). And natural products like granite, lebethrom wood, wool and pearls from Lebennin
and Belfalas, wine and wool form Ithilien, furs,wool and amber from Eriador, lead and other metals from

Ered Luin, wood, leather, honey, beer, milk derived goods and powerful horses from Rhvanion and the
valley of Anduin, wines, inks and seafood form Dorwinion, and mithril from Moria.
From harad and far south, sugar from sugarcanes, and over all spices (ruibarbo, yellow mountains
mold, pepper, canela, nuez moscada, clavo, alcanfor, acbar, incienso, nantarb, charbis, rosan y sinabaud of
Sirayn.), beautiful textiles of purple and woven with gold and silver, incense, aloe, parfum, dtiles, desert
amber, precious woods form far souths jungles, anoitments, sandal, rubber, exotic gems, ivory, glass and clay
items, alumbre, purple, cochinilla, slaves, cotton and silk.
From East, weapons and exotic manufactures, herbs, spices and poinons like coveted blue mint, cattle,
horses, minerals and product form ered Harmals dwarves, curious item form esatern peoples, etc
.
The Crops: The disasters that progressively fall over Endor in the second half of the Third Age enhance the
demand of a population hungry by the descent of agricole production. This leads to the unbelivable rising of
price of the products of agriculture. Till the end of TA, the agricole sector enojyed a proviliged position,
thanks to the price of grain and the attractive it supposes to the inversion of capital and the exploitation of
marginal lands in the city-state. Harad always has depended more or less in the importation of grain from
Umbar.
The crop loads that passed by the mouths of Umbar Bay confirm the impression, early pointed, of
agricole prosperity. The record on passage rights confirms that annual exportation is about round near 55.000
tons of centeno and 10.000 tons of trigo. From this, we can conclude that the centeno is five times more
importatn than trigo, but this irregularity is explained by the fact that taxes on the centeno are very
inferior to those on trigo and this way, trigo is declared centeno by the tax collectors.
Such a big commerce requires transport, storages and ships.It needs traders ready to run risks in the
markets. Umbar has all of this and the big latifunds in the vast crop-growing zones of the bay offer fertile
lands and abundant workforce in many times, slaves- are the symbols of prosperity in this commerce.
Mining and Metallurgy
The mining-metallurgy sector is one of the moste important in the economy of the corsairs city. With their
rich mines of iron and copper, under really strong control, Umbar dominates the commerce of these metals in
a big part of Harad. From 1619, the strong demand of copper by the near harad kingdoms has multiplied the
mining activity. Ceasing this in 1626, the council was forced to search another ways and part of the
production was destinated to minting coins. Beside this, production duplicated during the war with Gondor,
reaching his highest in 1640, with 2941 mt. tons. That was the highest production level reached during the
XVII century, because truces in the following years meant recession to this sector. Butm at the beginning of
XVIII century umbarean copper has a better situation than that produced in Gondor or Moria, beside the
efforts of the winged crown to promote their produciton de stinated to the markets of Rhvanion, Rhn y
Amrn and ocuppies a place of privilege on the international markets.
Iron is also very important to Umbar. During XVI the production grew thanks to the direct promotion
of the Council, that made a contract with dwarven technologists. Umbarean steel, of high quality, has been
always very demanded, and after 1600, it surapasses iron in the value of exportations, beside being to times
more expensive. Year standard exportation passes from 1179 mt. tons. In the period 1620-1624 to 3747 in
1630-49 to stabiliza in the later centuries around 2600.
Umbar supplies more than 40% of the demand of all Harad. As long the conflicts in middle earth
become harder by the rising animosity between Umbar and Gondor, openly engaged since 1634 and the
miriad of conflicts that were born in other places, in the middle of the storm provoked by the dark lord, the
construction and equping of the army, the making of weapons and ammunition, fortifications and the
movilization of soldiers offer good oportunities. The umbarean financers did not took too long to give signs of
life. An umbarean commercial asociation finances a foundry and weaponsmiths in Ramlond since the first
third of XVII century and makes strong inversions on the mines.
In 1627, the council concedes them with monopoly to the fundition of a part of the iron, that is kept till
1648. Umbarean steel weapons dominate the market and, with their equivalent price, are preferred to the
gondorean. The big operations on the metallurgic commerce are common things in Umbar, having siege
engine producing manufactures and ammunitions and weapon-smiths in the city and their surroundings. That
Supply different armies and attract buyers from all harad including agents of Akhrahil y Adnaphel. This
easy market ceased not to expand with the each time most violent circunastances of third agess second half.