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| Kingdom of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 | |
|---|---|
| c. 2040 BCE–c. 1782 BCE | |
 Egypt (yellow) and neighboring countries in 2000 BCE | |
| Capital | Waset |
| Common languages | Middle Egyptian |
| Dominant mode of production | Slavery |
| Government | Theocratic absolute monarchy |
The Kingdom of Egypt, now known as the Middle Kingdom to distinguish it from the Old and New Kingdoms, was a Bronze Age civilization that existed from the 21st to 18th centuries BCE and was ruled by the Eleventh and Twelfth dynasties of Egypt. It conquered Kush and had an active foreign policy in Syria and Palestine.[1]
First Intermediate Period[edit | edit source]
The construction of the pyramids strained the economy of the Old Kingdom and reduced the pharaoh's power. At the end of the Sixth Dynasty, governors of different districts (nomes) broke away from the king and began ruling independently. The breakdown of the irrigation system caused a famine.[1]
The rulers of the cities of Nen-nesut and Waset both claimed the throne. Kheti, the ruler of Nen-nesut, began conquering other cities around 2160 BCE and went to war with Waset. Mentjuhotep, the ruler of Waset, eventually won and founded the Eleventh Dynasty.[1]
Collapse[edit | edit source]
In the 18th century BCE, a large popular rebellion broke out and redistributed property, giving treasure to poor people and slaves. The rebellion destroyed royal power and enabled the Heqaukhaset (Hyksos), a nomadic tribe from Palestine, to conquer Egypt.[1]
Government[edit | edit source]
Egypt raised an army by drafting young men. The king had his own army in addition to armies run by nomarchs (governors). Some officials were not from noble families and relied on the king for their positions.[1]
Economy[edit | edit source]
The estates of the Middle Kingdom were smaller than during the Old Kingdom, and many commoners owned slaves. The king and high nobles' estates relied on dependent landowners who were not enslaved. While some commodities had shortages, others were available in excess. Commodity-money relations grew, and the use of copper as money grew and surpassed grain. Silver was initially more valuable than gold but dropped to less than half of gold's value by the end of the kingdom.[1]
A canal connected the Nile to the Atef-pehu (now Fayyum) oasis so it could be irrigated.[1]
Crafts[edit | edit source]
Tools were made of stone, copper, and bronze. The Egyptians mined copper in the Sinai and Kush. Glassblowing appeared for the first time.[1]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Grigory Bongard-Levin, Boris Piotrovsky (1988). Ancient Civilisations of East and West. https://archive.org/details/ancientciveastwest/mode/1up.