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The Egyptian Empire
2-3 Notes
I.
The Middle Kingdom
1. Pharaohs lost control c.2300 B.C. Nobles battled one another for power.
2. A new dynasty came to power and moved the capital to Thebes. It was a
golden age.
A. The Drive for More Land
1. Egypt took control of other lands and made them send tribute
payments.
2. New architecture in the Valley of the Kings.
B. The Arts Blossom
1. During the Middle Kingdom, the arts, literature, and
architecture blossomed.
C. Who Were the Hyksos?
1. Hyksos were warriors from W. Asia. They used bronze and
iron weapons and invaded Egypt. Ruled for 150 years.
2. C.1550 B.C., an Egyptian prince named Ahmose led an
uprising that drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.
II.
The New Kingdom
1. During the period of 1550 to 1080 B.C. Egypt became even richer and more
powerful.
2.
Most pharaohs made empire building a priority. During the New Kingdom,
Egypt reached the height of its glory.
A. A Woman Ruler
1.
Hatshepsut was the first woman to rule Egypt.
2.
Hatshepsut was more interested in trade than conquest. Trade
grew.
B. Expanding the Empire
1. Thutmose III became pharaoh after Hatshepsut. Thutmose III
conquered more lands and Egypt grew richer from tribute
payments.
2. Slavery became widespread in Egypt during Thutmose’s reign.
Slave did have some rights.
III.
The Legacies of Two Pharaohs
1. Akhenaton tried to change Egypt’s religion, while Tutankhamen is famous for
the treasures found in his tomb.
A. A Religious Reformer
1.
Amenhotep thought priests were getting too much power
2. He introduced a new religion with only one god, Aton, and
closed many temples. Changed his name to Akhenaton.
3. He focused too much on his religion and neglected his duties as
pharaoh. Hittites attacked Egypt and the empire shrank.
3.
B. The Boy King
1.
2.
IV.
The End of the New Kingdom
1.
2.
A. Why Were Temples Built?
1. Under Ramses and New Kingdom pharaohs, new temples were
built by enslaved people.
2. Temples served as banks. They didn’t have regular services.
They were houses for gods and goddesses.
B. Egypt’s Decline and Fall
1. After Ramses’s rule, Egypt began to decline. Pharaohs
couldn’t keep neighboring countries under control.
2. By 1150 B.C., Egyptians only controlled the Nile Delta.
Beginning in 900 B.C. Egypt was controlled by the Libyans,
the people of Kush, and the Assyrians.