Download Egyptian & Nubian Empires

Egyptian and Nubian Empires
(Chapter 4, Section 1)
• Several weak pharaohs and power struggles
between rival nobles caused a decline in the
prosperity of the Middle Kingdom, Egypt
descended into war and violence.
• Because Egypt was weak (at the end of the
Middle Kingdom), the northern and central
regions fell to Hyksos invaders. The Hyksos
were from the land at the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea and were probably of
mixed heritage.
The Hyksos used
chariots in their
warfare (War chariots
were unknown to the
Egyptians.)
• Around 1600 B.C.E. a series of warlike
Pharaohs began to restore Egypt’s power.
These rulers forced the Hyksos out of Egypt
and pursued them across the Sinai peninsula
into modern day Palestine.
• After the chaos, New Kingdom Pharaohs
became conquerors using an army of infantry
soldiers, charioteers using two-wheeled
chariots, and archers.
The New Kingdom of Egypt
• Unlike other pharaohs of the
period, Hatshepsut
encouraged trade instead of
war.
– She sent a trading expedition
to Punt (Somalia) that
brought back myrrh,
frankincense, fragrant oil,
gold, ivory, and unusual
plants and animals.
• Hatshepsut’s stepson, Thutmose III, led a
number of victorious invasions into Palestine
and Syria, and his armies pushed south into
Nubia (south of Egypt along the Nile River).
• Egypt became incredibly powerful and rich
during the New Kingdom.
• The Egyptian incursion into Palestine
brought them into conflict with the Hittites
• The Hittites had moved into Asia Minor
around 1900 BCE and had expanded south
into Palestine.
• After several
battles the
Egypt Pharaoh
Ramses II and
the Hittite king
signed a peace
treaty.
• Pharaohs of the New Kingdom built grand
buildings.
• In fear of grave robbers, these Pharaohs dug
their splendid tombs beneath cliffs in the
Valley of the Kings.
• Shortly after the death of Ramses II, strong
civilizations arose and the entire eastern
Mediterranean suffered a wave of invasions.
• Both the Egyptian empire and the Hittites
were attacked by invaders referred to as the
“Sea Peoples” that caused great destruction.
• The Sahara to the west no longer protected
Egypt and it was repeated raided by Libyans.
• The Libyan invaders established independent
dynasties. Libyan Pharaohs ruled Egypt and
erected cities, but instead of imposing their
own culture, they adopted the Egyptian way
of life.
• For centuries, Egypt had traded with and
dominated Nubia and the Nubian kingdom of
Kush which was located less than 600 miles
south of the Egyptian city of Thebes. During
this time Egyptian armies had invaded and even
occupied Kush for brief periods. During these
periods Egyptian governors, priests, soldiers, and
artists greatly influenced the Nubians.
• The Nubian kingdom of Kush became the center
for the spread of Egyptian culture into to Kush’s
African trading partners.
• Kushite princes were sent to Egypt
where they learned Egyptian
language, adopted Egyptian
culture, and worshiped Egyptian
gods. When they returned home
they brought back Egyptian
culture.
• As Egypt fell into a decline, Kush
began to emerge as a regional
power.
• The Kush saw themselves as better guardians
of Egyptian values than the Libyans.
• In 751 BCE a Kushite king, Piankhi,
overthrew the Libyan dynasty that that had
ruled Egypt for over 200 years.
• He united the entire Nile Valley from the Nile
delta in the north to Napata in the south and
founded Egypt’s 25th Dynasty
The Golden Age of Meroe
• In 671 BCE, the Assyrians from SW Asia
conquered Egypt and forced the Kushites to
retreat south along the Nile
• The Kushite royal family moved south to
Meroe.
• Meroe had abundant mineral resources
especially iron ore. They used caravans to
take their iron weapons and tools to the Red
Sea where they traded extensively with Saudi
Arabia and India.
• After about 4 centuries of prosperity Meroe
began to decline.
• Aksum, with a seaport on the Red Sea, began
to dominate North African trade.
• By 250 CE Aksum had defeated Meroe.