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Which were the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, before Aegon's Conquest? I don't recall it ever being spelled out.

Only three come to my mind:

  1. The North
  2. Dorne
  3. The Iron Islands

Edit: Bonus points for naming their ruling houses and seats.

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  • The Iron Islands were not a kingdom before Aegon's conquest.
    – greuze
    Feb 28, 2013 at 9:12
  • @greuze - Actually they were. They were a large kingdom that also ruled over the Riverlands. In fact, Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black, an Ironman king. It was destroyed (along with Harren and his line) by Aegon and his dragons, freeing the Riverlands from the Iron Islands. Apr 4, 2013 at 20:24

1 Answer 1

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Prior to Aegon I Targaryen's conquest, the seven kingdoms of Westeros were:

  1. The Kingdom of the North - Ruled by the Starks from their seat at Winterfell who styled themselves the Winter Kings. King Torrehn Stark bent the knee to Aegon I, not wanting to plunge his people into a hopeless war. In return, the Starks were named Wardens of the North.
  2. The Kingdom of the Rock - Ruled by the Lannisters from their seat at Casterly Rock. King Loren Lannister bent the knee to Aegon I after he was defeated at the battle known as the Field of Fire. The Lannisters were then given the title of Wardens of the West.
  3. The Kingdom of the Stormlands - Ruled by the Storm Kings of House Durrendon. The last of the Storm Kings was killed by the Baratheons on the behest of Aegon I. The Stormlands are now ruled by the Baratheons from their seat at Storm's End.
  4. The Kingdom of Dorne - Ruled by the Martells (who style themselves princes, rather than kings) from their seat at Sunspear. The Dornish resisted the Targaryen conquest for 200 years, and were later peacefully joined into the kingdom of Westeros when King Daeron II Targaryen married Princess Myriah Martell.
  5. The Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers- Ruled by House Hoare. Aegon I's dragons burned the last of the High Kings of the Iron Isles with all his issue at Harrenhal. The kingdom was then split into two regions: the Iron Islands ruled by the Greyjoys from their seat at Pyke, with the Riverlands given to house Tully who rule it from their seat at Riverrun.
  6. The Kingdom of the Reach - Ruled by House Gardener. The Gardeners were extinguished when King Mern IX Gardener perished at the Field of Fire. Aegon I gave the Reach to the Gardeners' stewards, the Tyrells, who rule it from their seat at Highgarden as the Wardens of the South.
  7. The Kingdom of Mountain and Vale - Ruled by the Arryns, from their seat at The Eyrie. Ronnel Arryn (just a young boy at the time) bent the knee to Aegon I when he was impressed by their dragons and decided he wanted to ride one. The Arryns continued to rule the Vale as the Wardens of the East.
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  • How come the Iron Islands and the Riverlands are part of one kingdom? They don't have shared culture or religion. I'm not even sure the Iron Islanders are Andals at all. Wasn't it just some temporary occupation by what's-his-name, king Harren?
    – einpoklum
    Jul 16, 2015 at 21:15
  • @einpoklum The people of the Riverlands were always too busy fighting each other, and never formed a unified kingdom of their own. They were eventually conquered by the Ironmen and became part of their domain. So they were one kingdom by right of conquest. Jul 16, 2015 at 23:19
  • If the leaders of Dorne style themselves princes rather than kings, then isn't Dorne a principality rather than a kingdom? Nov 4, 2016 at 12:48
  • Is there a map anywhere? May 10, 2019 at 10:58

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