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| Kingdom of Kush 𐦳𐦡𐦯 | |
|---|---|
| c. 780 BCE–350 CE | |
 Map of Kush after it conquered Egypt in the 8th century BCE | |
| Capital | Napata (earlier) Meroë (later) |
| Common languages | Meroitic |
| Government | Monarchy |
The Kingdom of Kush was an ancient kingdom in northeastern Africa located south of Egypt.
History
Background
The Egyptians first conquered the region of Kush around 2000 BCE and used it as a source of slaves, wood, ivory, and gold.[1]
Around 1000 BCE, an Egyptian dynasty fled to Kush after being overthrown and established a state at Napata. In the 9th and 8th centuries BCE, the Kushites conquered Egypt and ruled until the Assyrians drove them out in 688. An independent Kush continued to exist with its capital moved south to Meroë. The Persians invaded the northern part of Kush in the 6th century BCE after they conquered Egypt.[1]
After the Persian invasion, Kush continued to exist until it split into two kingdoms, Nubia and Aksum, around the beginning of the common era.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sík Endre (1970). The History of Black Africa, vol. 1: 'The Peoples of Black Africa before the End of the 15th Century; The Hamito-Semitic Peoples of Africa'. [PDF] Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó.