Did the Silvan Elves Need Sindarin Rulers?

askmiddlearth:

Hmmmm, an interesting question. Obviously, this issue could be argued in two different directions. So I’ll summarize both sides first:
Pro-Sindarin Rulers
Tolkien states himself that, under the leadership of the more advanced Sindar, the Silvan elves of Lorien and Mirkwood became more organized, more skilled, and more wise (wiser?) So this alone seems like a lot of support for the “the Silvan were better off with Sindarin leaders” argument. And it’s true that, when things go badly (like the awakening of the balrog in Moria, or the growing presence of Sauron in MIrkwood), it’s the Sindarin (or, in Galadriel’s case, Noldorin) leaders that step in to fix things.
Anti-Sindarin Rulers
There was at least one Silvan elf, however, who didn’t believe her people were better off under Sindarin rule. Nimrodel, an elf of Lorien, strongly resented the Sindar and the effect they were having on the Silvan elves. She refused to speak Sindarin, since she was worried that it was replacing the Silvan language. And she blamed the Sindar for bringing their drama and violence to the Silvan lands.
And she has a fair point. By the end of the Third Age, Tolkien tells us that the Silvan language had been almost completely abandoned in favor of Sindarin, and that the Silvan elves were “Sindarized” (whether on purpose or not) by their Sindarin and Noldorin leaders. Furthermore, it was largely due to the presence of the Sindar that the Silvan elves became involved in the War of the Last Alliance, which led to the death of about two-thirds of the Silvan armies (and many of these deaths are attributed to the fact that the Sindarin rulers were very bad at taking orders from their Noldorin commander, Gil-galad.)
Both sides are hard to argue conclusively since there are so many variables. While the Avari that stayed in Cuivienen mostly died out, the Silvan communities existed in peace for thousands of years without any contact with the Sindar. But who’s to say how they would have survived the Second or Third Ages without the greater organization and wisdom that their Sindarin rulers brought to their communities?
In a lot of ways, the story of the Silvan elves reminds me of “real world” examples of the impact exploration/colonization had on many cultures. I’ve spent many a class period debating with fellow students about whether or not advanced technology/medicine/etc outweighs the loss of independence/culture. As far as I know, there’s no single right answer to this, so you’re free to believe whatever you’d like.
SOURCES: The Silmarillion, LOTR Appendices, The Unfinished Tales (“History of Galadriel and Celeborn”)