Download The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: Age of Empire

The Middle & New
Kingdom of Ancient
Egypt
WHI Ch. 2
pp. 49-51
Middle and New Kingdom
 Ahmose I
 Hatshepsut
 Akhenaton
 Nefertiti
 Tutankhamun
 Ramses II
Divide your paper
1. Ahmose
2. Hatshepsut
3. Akhenaton
4. Nefertiti
5. Tutankhamun 6. Ramses II
Middle Kingdom
 After collapse of Old Kingdom chaos
ensued for 150 yrs.
 Eventually a new dynasty gained control.
 Middle Kingdom 2050-1652 B.C.
Middle Kingdom (cont.)
 During this period Egypt
expanded their borders, and
furthered areas of trade.
 Pharaoh took a more active
role in helping his people.
 It ended when a group of
people called the Hyksos
invaded with their bronze
chariots and weapons and
ruled for 150 years.
The New Kingdom: Egypt’s Age
of Empire and Greatness
 Was Egypt’s Age of
Empire
 Started by Ahmose I
– Who threw out the
Hyksos
 Had the capital city of
Thebes
 Was an era of great
individuals and
Pharaohs
 Was a time of building
of many monuments
MAPS OF NEW
KINGDOM
EGYPT
The New Kingdom Origins
 *Ahmose I--1570 BCE—was
of the 18th dynasty; drove out
the Hyksos; reasserted central
control, bureaucracy
 Thutmose I—(1526-1508
BCE)—established a strong
military; pushed Egypt’s
southern boundary to the 4th
cataract and to the Euphrates
river; established an
EMPIRE!
 Thutmose III—Egypt’s great
warrior-king; greatest
conqueror. Launched 17
military campaigns in the
east, solidified Egyptian
holdings in Near East by
defeating enemies, cleared out
most opposition in
Mesopotamia; ruled the
Middle East as part of an
empire
*Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC)
 Was a woman and a
pharaoh by her own right
(daughter of Thutmose I).
 May be the first woman
ruler in history
 Wore a beard
 Remains have been
recently found (June
2007)
Amenhotep III (1417-1379):
Golden Age of New Kingdom Egypt
 Golden Age of New Kingdom
– Age of greatest prestige
– Due to self promotion of
pharaohs
 Egyptian Empire
– Egypt held Nubia and Sudan in
the south, Palestine and Syria in
the north and part of
Mesopotamia to the east
 Economy
– Egypt had the wealthiest
economy of the era
– Trade with peoples of the
Mediterranean and tribute from
Kassites, Hittites, Assyrians and
Mitanni
*Akhenaton: Religious Reformer
 Akhenaton
(Amenhotep IV)
 Amarna Revolution–
Akhenaton decreed
worship of one
god,Aton,establishing
monotheism for the
first time
 Nefertiti—was his
wife
Nefertiti
(D. 1336 BC)
 *Nefertiti (Berlin
Altes Museum)
 “The beautiful has
arrived”
 May have ruled Egypt
 Probably was the
mother-in-law and
step-mother of
Tutenkhamon
Akhenaton: Pharaoh of the Sun
 Akhenaton opened up Egyptian
society:
– Art—became more
expressive, less tied to
religion
– Art—became more
indiviudalistic and lifelike;
scenes of everyday life
became popular
– Art—displayed emotion and
close families
Depictions of Akhenaton
 Akhenaton was often portrayed
with feminine features
 Full lips, curves, nose
 Poses are often non-aggressive
and curiously passive; softer
image
 Facial Expressions show
complex emotions
 Meaning: Akhenaton was
portrayed as a cross between
man and woman; both father
and mother to the nation!
Impact of Akhenaton’s Reign
 Revolution and Rebellion
– Akhenaton’s reforms clashed with traditional
Egyptian values and religion; the people rebelled;
he was extremely unpopular!
 Military
– Akhenaton allowed the military to grow weak and
did not support his commanders in the field; he
was preoccupied with his religion.
 Reduced Empire
– Due to neglect, Egypt lost most of her foreign
territories and power by the time Akhenaton died
in 1362 BCE.
 Fracturing of Egyptian Society; Instability
– Egypt was almost destroyed, the social order was
in shambles, loss of empire, power vacuum.
The End of Akhenaton
 Akhenaton died
suddenly in 1362 BCE.
 His mummy has never
been found; his tomb
was destroyed
completely.
 All statutes of
Akhenaton were
smashed by the people.
 Egypt reverted back to
the old gods and the
traditional concept of
pharaoh.
*Tutenkamun(1369-1350 BC):
The Boy-King
 Was the Son-in-Law of
Akhenaton.
 Ascended the throne at age 9;
helped by priests.
 Restored temple at Karnak to
glory; restored the gods and the
priests to power; returned Egypt
to the way it was before
Akhenaton.
 Died suddenly at age 18;
probably murdered.
*The Tomb of Tutankhamen
 Tutankhamen's tomb
was the only pharoah’s
tomb found intact.
 It was discovered by
Howard Carter in
November of 1922 under
the patronage of Lord
Canarvon.
 “I see wonderful
things”—Howard
Carter
The Murder of Tutankhamen
 Tutankhamen died suddenly, before a
tomb could be built; he was buried in
the tomb of a minor official.
 X-rays revealed a fracture on the back
of his skull.
 He may also have been poisoned.
 His wife wrote to the King of the
Hittites begging for marriage with one
of his sons to protect her from the
Vizier Aye.
 Aye eventually married her and
became pharaoh; had a motive to plot
to kill Tutenkamen.
Seti I: Restorer of New Kingdom
Power and Prestige
 Seti I reconquered Palestine and fought the Hittites
in Asia Minor
 Seti I restored Egyptian Power and prestige; other
nations paid homage
 Seti I restored desecrated temples and immersed
himself in new construction projects
 Military/Economy- Seti made the Egyptian military
strong again and the Egyptian economy the richest
in the ancient world
*Ramses II(1304-1237 BCE):
Egypt’s Greatest Pharaoh
 Ramses II reign represents
Egypt’s last period of greatness.
 Ramses II built 50% of all
monuments in Egypt.
 Ramses held on to Palestine, but
was unable to permanently
defeat the Hittites (Sea Peoples).
 Ramses signed the world’s first
peace treaty with the Hittites in
1284 BCE.
 Ramses was the pharaoh that
Moses confronted in the Bible.
 Ramses was the last great
Egyptian leader.
Reign of Ramses II
 Ramses took the throne at 20 and
ruled for 67 years.
 Ramses had at least 4 wives and
spawned over 100 children.
 Favorite queen was Nefertiti
 50 of Ramses II sons were buried in
the tomb KV5 in the Valley of the
Kings.
 Periodically, there was a jubilee held
where the Pharaoh would
demonstrate his fitness to rule; had to
run around a track in front of the
people. Ramses was carried around
when he became elderly!
Fall of the Egyptian Empire
 Invasion of the Nile Delta by sea
peoples and barbarians from Asia
 Political division between pharaohs,
priests and nomarchs
 Loss of economic status
 1085 BCE—Egypt redivided into
Upper and Lower Egypt
 Invasion and Occupation:
– Libyans 940 BCE
– Nubians 745 BCE
– Assyrians 671 BCE
– Persians 525 BCE
– Greeks 332 BCE
Why Did the Egyptian Empire Fall?
 All Empires in history have eventually fallen
 Great Power Thesis (Paul Kennedy, 1987)
– Military Power is needed to acquire and maintain empires
– Economic Power pays for military expenditures
– Military expenditures are non-productive; drains the economy
– Nations expand to the limit of their capacity to afford
– Empires fall under the weight of their military expenditures
-IMPERIAL OVERSTRETCH!
-Lifecycle of Empires is getting shorter:
(1) Roman Empire 1000 years
(2) British Empire- 100 years
(3) United States– how long?