More languages
More actions
| Kingdom of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 | |
|---|---|
| 1570 BCE–1069 BCE | |
 Egypt in the 15th century BCE | |
| Capital | Waset (1570–1352 BCE) Akhetiten (1352–1336 BCE) Nen-nesut (1336–1279 BCE) Perramessu (1279–1213 BCE) Men-nefer (1213–1069 BCE) |
| Official languages | Middle Egyptian |
| Common languages | Late Egyptian |
| Dominant mode of production | Slavery |
| Government | Theocratic absolute monarchy |
| Population | |
• 1250 BCE estimate | 4,000,000 |
The Kingdom of Egypt, now known as the New Kingdom to distinguish it from earlier kingdoms, was a Bronze Age kingdom in northeast Africa and southwest Asia ruled by the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. At its time, It was the most powerful country in the region.[1]
Second Intermediate Period[edit | edit source]
A rebellion in the 18th century BCE destabilized the Middle Kingdom and allowed the Heqaukhaset (Hyksos) people to invade Egypt from Palestine. The invaders occupied the city of Men-nefer, but native Egyptian rulers continued to rule in Waset. The Heqaukhaset were divided against each other and failed to form a strong state. They ruled for about 100 years until Iahmes, the ruler of Waset, conquered the northern fortress of Hut-waret and reunified Egypt.[1]
Eighteenth Dynasty[edit | edit source]
In the late 16th century BCE, Djehutimesu I expanded Egyptian power south of the Nile's Third Cataract and conquered the northern Mesopotamian state of Mitanni. He was succeeded by Djehutimesu II. When Djehutimesu II died, his widow Hatshepsut took power as the regent of her stepson Djehutimesu III and later ruled as a monarch in her own right. When Hatshepsut died, Djehutimesu III returned to power and destroyed portraits of his stepmother. He also conquered Syria and Palestine and expanded his realm to the Nile's Fourth Cataract in the south.[1]
Reforms of Akheniten[edit | edit source]
In the fifth year of his reign, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV renamed himself Akheniten and began a series of reforms that weakened the priesthood. He moved the capital from the aristocratic stronghold of Waset to the newly built city of Akhetiten. He also established a monotheistic religion based around the Sun disk Iten while defunding the temples of other gods.[1]
Return to polytheism[edit | edit source]
Akheniten's heir Semenekhkara reestablished the cult of Amen. His successor Tutankhamen fully reversed Akheniten's reforms and ended state support for the cult of Iten.[1]
Nineteenth Dynasty[edit | edit source]
Ramessu I, the founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty, began a series of wars against the Hittites over control of Syria. Ramessu II fought against the Hittites at Kadesh with a force of about 20,000 soldiers on each side. The Egyptians failed to take the city, and Ramessu signed a treaty with Hattusili III around 17 years into the war. Afterwards, the pharaoh's power began to decline, and the high priests of Waset took over the south of the country.[1]
The Turin King List, which listed the exact dates of pharaohs' reigns, was written during the Nineteenth Dynasty.[1]
Twentieth Dynasty[edit | edit source]
Ramessu III continued Egypt's aggressive foreign policy and enslaved more than 100,000 prisoners from Kush, Palestine, and Syria. He gave these prisoners, 500,000 cattle, and over 200,000 hectares of land to the temples. Craftsmen began the first known strike in history when the state repeatedly delayed their payments of food.[1]
Economy[edit | edit source]
Egyptians made tools out of stone and bronze and used gold and silver as money. Trade was widespread, and merchants served the state, temples, and private individuals. Iron was considered a precious metal and not used for tools. Glassblowing, which already existed in the Middle Kingdom, further improved.[1]
For taxation purposes, the state took censuses and kept detailed records of craftsmen who built tombs.[1]
Class system[edit | edit source]
Slavery peaked during the New Kingdom, and the majority of slaves were on royal and temple estates. The pharaohs made hundreds of thousands of war prisoners into temple slaves. However, many artisans and small farmers also owned slaves. Pharaohs backed larger sections free population against the nobility in their power struggles. The state paid free craftsmen with food, and they went on strike when payments were delayed.[1]
Agriculture[edit | edit source]
Sweeps raised water to irrigate trees and high-elevation fields not reached by floods. Apples, myrrh, and pomegranate appeared as crops. Horses and camels were widely used for the first time.[1]