A question about the Kings of Gondor

[Snowdog]

Well, Aranarth certainly had more of a claim than the Stewards ever did, so why he didn't take the throne of Gondor after Earnur died is still a mystery to me.

Again I say: The strength in the North and the Dúnedain was little in comparison to Gondor, even in their declining state. Also, note that Gondor went through a bloody civil war, called the Kin-strife, and the Stewards were not wishing to cause even more grief in the kingdom by just turning over the crown to one who wasn't even called King in the North, when they wouldn't turn it over to Arvedui, whom was a King in the North, and married to the daughter of King Ondoher who was the only surviving child of the King. In my opinion, the claim Arvedui was more valid than any of his descendantsd save Aragorn after he proved himself to the people of Gondor in battle. Making a claim of the crown, and actually being respected as King by the people are two different things, and was the chief problem when King Valacar grew old, having taken a wife from the Northmen (the whose descendants were the people of Rohan). At the death of Valacar, the son of Valacar and Vidumavi, Eldacar, was not recognized as King as there was rebellion in the southern provinces of Gondor, and there was civil war. After much bloodshed, Castamir, the captain of the ships, took the crown and Eldacar was driven into exile to the lands of his mother's kin. But Castamir cared not for Gondor save its harbors and fleet, and after 10 years, Eldacar came again south with a great army of Northmen. The people of Anórien, Ithilien, and Calenardhon flocked the the former King and there was battle in Lebennin at the Crossings of Euri. Eldacar slew Castamir, and Castamir's sons retreated upon their ships to Pelegir and there they withstood and contested with Gondor until the time of the Woar of the Ring and their overthrow by Aragorn and the Grey Company, and the Oathbreakers, the Army of the Dead whom Aragorn summoned at the Stone of Erech.

So, Aragorn in his claim to the Crown of Gondor, would not stand muster with Steward Denethor II, but did with Steward Faramir after the war and his battle victory over the Corsairs of Umbar, the longstanding enemy of Gondor.