Jedi Lore Keeper: Warden of Wisdom: Tatooine

Tatooine: The Forgotten World

Ancient History: The Kumumgah and the Lost War

Long before the suns of Tatooine bathed its surface in harsh light, the planet was a thriving world, lush with forests, rivers, and life. Its native species, the Kumumgah, were an advanced, technologically sophisticated people who harnessed the natural energies of their planet. Their cities rose like monuments to their intellect, and their civilization flourished in a golden age. But as with all great societies, their downfall was as swift as it was tragic.

Thirty thousand years ago, a great war consumed the Kumumgah. The details of this conflict remain lost to the sands of time, hidden behind the veil of forgotten history. What is known is that one faction—or perhaps a combination of them—waged a war so devastating that it scarred not only the Kumumgah people but the very planet they called home. When the war ended, Tatooine was no longer the vibrant world it once had been. It was transformed into a desert wasteland, where the only remnants of the Kumumgah were their ruined cities, now buried beneath endless dunes.

Some scholars believe that the Kumumgah were utterly wiped out in the conflict, their civilization collapsing along with the destruction of their homeworld. However, the true fate of the Kumumgah remains a mystery, leaving the planet haunted by their loss. Did they perish completely, or did some survivors retreat into the wilderness, their descendants hidden from history?

The Jawas and Sand People: A Legacy Shrouded in Mystery

In the centuries that followed the Kumumgah’s fall, new inhabitants emerged on Tatooine—nomadic tribes that adapted to the harsh desert conditions. The Jawas, scavengers and traders, roamed the wastes, salvaging what they could from the remnants of the Kumumgah civilization. The Sand People, or Tusken Raiders, with their fearsome presence and mysterious culture, also made their home in the dunes, living in harsh isolation from the rest of the galaxy.

There are those who believe that the Jawas and Sand People are the descendants of the Kumumgah, transformed by the desert’s harshness and time. Some xenosociologists speculate that the Kumumgah, in their final days, retreated into the desert to escape the ravages of war, and over millennia, their descendants evolved into these disparate tribes. However, these theories are fraught with contradictions. The Jawas’ scavenger society and the Sand People’s brutal warrior culture seem far removed from the advanced civilization of the Kumumgah. Yet, certain remnants of Kumumgah technology can still be found in the possessions of the Jawas, and the Sand People’s knowledge of Tatooine’s ancient sites hints at a deeper connection to the lost history of the planet.

The legends and stories of these tribes are tangled and contradictory, with few outside of Tatooine daring to delve too deeply into their origins. Many believe that the Jawas and Sand People are nothing more than simple desert dwellers, but a Jedi Lore Keeper would know that these creatures are more than they seem—they are the keepers of a long-buried secret, the living echoes of a lost civilization.

Colonization and Conflict: The Failed Attempts to Tame Tatooine

The human settlement of Tatooine came much later, during a time when the galaxy was expanding outward into the Outer Rim. The Republic, ever eager to expand its influence, made several attempts to colonize the planet. Yet each effort met with failure. The people of Tatooine were fiercely independent, resistant to foreign control, and their harsh desert environment made settlement difficult.

For a brief time, Tatooine was considered a Republic protectorate, but the Republic’s influence never truly took root. The native population had little interest in outsiders, and the planet’s lack of resources—save for moisture farming—made it an unattractive destination for most settlers. Even the Czerka Corporation’s attempt to mine the planet's deserts ended in failure, as the locals fiercely resisted the corporation’s operations.

Despite these failures, Tatooine’s desolate nature and its lack of centralized government made it a haven for those seeking to escape the law. Pirates, smugglers, bounty hunters, and criminals of all kinds found refuge on the planet, where the unforgiving landscape and lack of regulation allowed them to disappear into the shadows. In this way, Tatooine became a place of refuge for the scum and villainy of the galaxy, a far cry from its once-glorious past.

Tatooine's Obscurity: A Hidden World of Secrets

Today, Tatooine remains a forgotten world, known only for its unrelenting heat, its endless sandstorms, and its dangerous wildlife. The few settlements on the planet, such as Mos Eisley and Mos Espa, are small, isolated, and sparsely populated. Most of the population is made up of moisture farmers and traders eking out a living in the harsh environment.

However, Tatooine’s obscurity has also attracted a darker element. Criminals, fugitive Jedi, and those seeking to hide from galactic authorities have long made the planet their home. The rumors of an Imperial occupation in one of Tatooine's frontier settlements remain unconfirmed, and despite the occasional attempt by the Empire to exert control over the planet, Tatooine remains independent, free from the grasp of both Republic and Empire.

The Jedi Lore Keeper's Perspective: Preserving the Truth

For the Jedi Lore Keeper, Tatooine represents more than just a barren world in the Outer Rim—it is a place of lost history, a testament to the cycles of rise and fall that define the galaxy. The Kumumgah, once a great civilization, left behind only ruins and secrets, their story fading into myth. The Jawas and Sand People, seemingly primitive, may hold the key to understanding Tatooine's ancient past. And the planet's continued status as a haven for those seeking to hide from the galaxy’s eyes makes it a place where secrets, both dark and light, are kept.

A Jedi Lore Keeper might seek to uncover the truth of Tatooine’s past, to preserve its history for future generations. But in doing so, they would face the dangers of the desert—both the hostile environment and the enigmatic tribes that call it home. The desert hides many secrets, and some may be best left buried.

A harsh desert planet off all the major trade routes, Tatooine is known for its heat, its sand, its dangerous wildlife--and little else. Only a few settlements dot Tatooine's endless wastes, inhabited by handfuls of traders and moisture farmers. Tatooine's obscurity has also attracted a small but significant criminal population, here to hide from galactic authorities.

Tatooine lacks any central government or allegiance to Republic or Empire. There are rumors of an Imperial occupation taking place in one of the frontier settlements, but nothing has been confirmed. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)

History of Tatooine

Thirty thousand years ago, Tatooine was the lush, vibrant homeworld of the Kumumgah–a technologically advanced species believed to have been wiped out in a forgotten war. Ultimately, the war ended with Tatooine’s devastation by one faction or another–the details are long since lost.

Most researchers aware of the story believe the Kumumgah were wiped out in the attack that transformed their planet into a desert wasteland. However, some xenosociologists believe the Jawas and Sand People who dwell in the dunes may be descended from the world’s original rulers. The stories of the Jawas and Sand People themselves, however, are largely confused and contradictory.

Human settlement of Tatooine came much later, but colonization never truly took hold despite several efforts by the Republic (including a brief period during which Tatooine was considered a Republic protectorate, and a failed attempt by Czerka Corporation to set up planetary mining operations). The native population had little use for outsiders, and so the world became a haven for pirates, smugglers and general scum seeking a place to disappear. (Codex Text - Star Wars the Old Republic / SWTOR)