- """For Sauron will have dominion over all life on this Earth, even unto the ending of the world." :-Galadriel
- "first taking oaths never again to assail Sauron the Great in arms, open or secret. All lands east of Anduin shall be Sauron's for ever, solely. West of the Anduin as far as the Misty Mountains and the Gap of Rohan shall be tributary to Mordor, and men there shall bear no weapons, but shall have leave to govern their own affairs. But they shall help to rebuild Isengard which they have wantonly destroyed, and that shall be Sauron's, and there his lieutenant shall dwell: not Saruman, but one more worthy of trust." :-the Mouth of Sauron
Sauron's dominion comprised a vast network of territories and peoples extending far beyond Mordor's borders. This system combined military control, administrative organization, and religious authority to establish comprehensive rule across much of eastern and southern Middle-earth. The dominion was structured not merely for territorial conquest but for complete transformation of society, culture, and belief.
Administrative Structure[]
Sauron's government operated through three distinct levels of authority: The highest tier consisted of the Lieutenant of Morgûl and the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dûr, who governed through agents and legates possessing both religious and civil authority. These officials enforced doctrine, collected tribute, and supervised regional administration. The Mouth of Sauron served as the most prominent example of this rank. They answered directly to Sauron himself.
Regional Tyrants and Lieutenants formed the second tier, exercising control over specific provinces. These officials maintained order and ensured that local rulers fulfilled their obligations to Mordor. They functioned essentially as governors or provincial overseers.
Client Kings and High-Kings comprised the third tier—traditional rulers of conquered peoples who retained limited autonomy under Mordorian oversight. These included overlords of major realms such as the Black Serpent of Harad. They administered regional forces drawn from their vassal lords but remained subject to supervision from higher authorities.
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Territorial Organization[]
The dominion incorporated multiple provinces arranged according to natural boundaries such as rivers and mountain ranges, based upon the ancient Nine Realms: Near Harad, Western Harad (also called Southwestern Harad), Greater Harad (or East Harad), the Utter South, Khand and Western Rhûn around Rhûnaer, Endon and the Inner Sea (or Bay of Ormal), the East of East (or Eastern coastlands), the Southeastlands and Southern Archipelago, the Northern Peninsula, and eastern Forodwaith.
Each province was overseen by one or more Nazgûl. Four of the Nine are believed to have originated from Harad, while five came from Rhûn the Great. Each region also maintained its own mortal or immortal lieutenant of the Eye.
Economic and Logistical Systems[]
Two primary tribute routes connected the outer provinces to Mordor: The Great Eastern Route passed through Rhûn and its satellite territories. The Great Southern Route extended through Harad and surrounding regions. These routes ensured continuous flow of goods, slaves, tribute, and military forces to Barad-dûr, which also served as a pilgrimage destination. Sauron maintained control over these roads, the cities along them, and the logistical centres necessary for imperial cohesion.
Religious Organization[]
Sauron's rule incorporated systematic religious control through the Cult of the Eye. Regional practices included funerary cults involving ritual self-immolation, family sacrifice, and human sacrifice. A priesthood of scribes, Sorcerers, and loremasters disseminated doctrine and maintained records. The use of Black Speech in both ritual and administrative contexts indicates unified ideological coordination. Temples dedicated to Melkor or Sauron were established in major cities, particularly throughout Harad and Rhûn.
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Educational and Administrative Control[]
Evidence indicates the existence of a trained literate class consisting of Scribes and Scholars of the Shadow, educated in Black Speech and responsible for documenting military victories, royal decrees, and revised mythological accounts. These officials also recorded tribute, controlled local histories, and instructed the young. The use of ritual language and controlled mythology suggests an educational system integrated with ideological indoctrination.
Historical precedents, such as Uldor the Accursed's people learning from Orcs, demonstrate cultural transformation under Mordor's influence.
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Military System[]
Civilian populations were generally disarmed, with only Sauron's forces and authorized auxiliaries permitted to bear weapons. Regional kings and high chiefs administered conscription-based armies under Mordor's supervision. Mannish troops served alongside Orcs and Trolls in integrated formations.
Doctrinal narratives reinterpreted Orcs and Trolls not as monstrous aberrations but as subterranean peoples comparable to Dwarves or other ancient races. This facilitated their integration into Sauronic society. Certain mannish populations developed regular interaction with Orcish forces and adapted culturally to their presence.
Groups such as Uldor the Accursed's followers and Brodda's Wolf-Folk learned from Orcs. Under Mordorian ideology, Orcs were not universally regarded as monstrous but functionally as fellow instruments of dominion. In such environments, racial distinctions blurred under shared allegiance, and practices formerly associated solely with Orcs were adopted by Men loyal to the Dark Lord.
This integration allowed Sauron to unify diverse peoples not only through fear but through systematic coexistence based on conquest and necessity. Mortal men who came under the dominion of Dark Lords or other powerful wills, or who were extensively exposed to the shadow or potent Sorcery, were within a few generations reduced to savage conditions comparable to Orcs in mind and habits. These populations could even be made to interbreed with Orcs, producing new strains that were often larger and more cunning than either parent stock.
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- Army of the Southern Dragon
- Golden Army
- Military traditions under the Dark Lords
- Serpent Horde
- Thaurrim
Saruman's Application[]
Saruman later applied elements of this system in the Shire, establishing local militias under loyal leaders, redistributing wealth and harvests, manipulating families and clans for social control, and constructing administrative centres based on Eastern and Mordorian models. His methods directly imitated practices employed in Sauron's provinces, demonstrating how the dominion's techniques could be implemented on a smaller scale.
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Scope and Objectives[]
Sauron's dominion extended beyond mere political control of territory. His objective was the transformation of Middle-earth into a unified system defined entirely by his will. Through control of language, ritual, and narrative, he sought to establish ideological dominion over all forms of life and culture.
The terms outlined by the Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate describe this vision: a reordered world with fixed borders, disarmed populations, tributary kingdoms, and rulers appointed by Mordor. His conception of dominion represented a world under complete centralized authority—not merely ruled by him, but comprehended through him.
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Main overview: Domain of the Lidless Eye Portal
Editorial Note: This entry contains speculative or fan-based material — such as fanon, fanfiction, or theory constructs — that may not be directly supported by canonical texts. Interpretations offered here are part of the NNCA’s speculative corpus and should not be mistaken for primary Tolkien sources.