King of Durin's Folk

The royal line of the Longbeards.
Title given to Durin the Deathless and his descendants who ruled the Dwarves of Durin's Folk. Famous among these were Thorin II Oakenshield, who reclaimed Erebor from Smaug, and Dáin II Ironfoot, who fought in the War of the Ring.
No complete list of the Kings is known. The table below shows the names of those Kings who have been recorded, or whose existence can be deduced. As the descendants of Durin were forced by circumstance to travel widely in Middle-earth, the main seat(s) of their Kingship is shown alongside each King.

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- Durin I (Khazad-dûm): One of the seven Fathers of the Dwarves, and the founder of the Longbeards, Durin's Folk. He ruled his people for centuries - so long, in fact, that he became known as the 'Durin the Deathless' - but eventually he passed away. From time to time over the millennia, one among Durin's descendants would arise so similar in bearing to his ancient ancestor that he, too, would be given the name 'Durin'.
- Durin II (Khazad-dûm): We know nothing of this King, except that the appearance of his descendant Durin III in the middle years of the Second Age shows that he must have ruled in Khazad-dûm at some time before that.
- Durin III (Khazad-dûm): The ruler of Khazad-dûm at the time of the forging of the Rings of Power, Durin III was a great friend of Celebrimbor the Lord of Eregion to the west. He received one of the Rings (later known as the Ring of Thrór) as a gift from his friend.
- Durin IV, Durin V (Khazad-dûm): Like Durin II, we know nothing of the reigns of these two Kings, except that they must have ruled during the late Second Age or earlier Third Age. We can safely deduce their existence because we know that Durin VI took the throne in the late second millennium of the Third Age.
- Durin VI (Khazad-dûm): (Ruled to III 1980) The first King of Durin's Folk for whom we have specific dates was Durin VI, who ruled in Khazad-dûm at the time the Balrog was awoken. It slew Durin, for which reason it became known as Durin's Bane. Durin was succeeded briefly by his son.
- Náin I (Khazad-dûm): (Ruled 1 year to III 1981) He ruled for just a year in Khazad-dûm before he too was slain by the Balrog. He was succeeded by his son.
- Thráin I (Erebor): (Ruled 209 years to III 2190) He led a great part of his people away from Khazad-dûm into the north and east of Middle-earth. It was Thráin who founded the great Dwarf-kingdom of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain above the Long Lake. He was succeeded by his son.
- Thorin I (Grey Mountains): (Ruled 99 years to III 2289) Discerning that the great host of his people were gathering in the northern range of the Grey Mountains, Thorin I abandoned Erebor and removed there. He was succeeded by his son.
- Glóin (Grey Mountains): (Ruled 96 years to III 2385) He continued the rule of Durin's Folk in the Grey Mountains, was succeeded by his son.
- Óin (Grey Mountains): (Ruled 103 years to III 2488) He was succeeded by his son.
- Náin II (Grey Mountains): (Ruled 97 years to III 2585) In his time, the prosperous Dwarves began to suffer attacks by the dragons of the north. He was succeeded by his son.
- Dáin I (Grey Mountains): (Ruled 4 years to III 2589) His short reign came to a swift end when he was slain by a cold-drake before his own doors. He was succeeded by the eldest of his three sons.

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(Continued in King of Durin's Folk 2 - next entry).