Some of the Ancient Egyptian Rulers
Below is a short description of some of the more important
rulers of Ancient Egypt. They are, by no
means, the entire list of pharaohs. In
total there were about 190 rulers or pharaohs – some ruled only a short period,
while others ruled for many years. There
were a total of 32 dynasties in Egyptian history (see the Timeline of Ancient
Egyptian History for a brief synopsis of periods of Egyptian history and the
dynasties that ruled). The rulers or
pharaohs enjoyed absolute power over their subjects and were revered as divine
deities.
I have selected 10 of those rulers who made a significant
impact on Egyptian Civilization. They
are listed in chronological order, not order of importance. Of course, there are others that made an
impact on Egyptian civilization, but that would result in this blog becoming a
novel and probably putting you all to sleep.
1. Djoser
Djoser was an Old Kingdom pharaoh during the 3rd Dynasty,
ruling from 2630 to 2611 BCE. During his
reign, the kingdom made great advances in architecture, agriculture, and
trade. He is best known for the construction of the Step Pyramid,
the first pyramid built with stone (limestone), that marked the beginning of
the Egyptian pyramid building. His
reign is surrounded by legend, however. Stories claim that Egypt suffered a
7-year famine and Djoser built a temple to honor Khnum, the god that controlled
the flow of the Nile River. Happy with
his dedication, Khnum returned the water to the river, and the famine
ended.
2. Khufu
King Khufu ruled during the Old Kingdom, the second Pharaoh
of the Fourth Dynasty. His reign lasted from 2589 to 2566 BCE. Perhaps his most well-known contribution to
Egypt was the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, a monument that is
still standing today (two of his sons, also pharaohs, Khafre and Menkaure had
the other two pyramids at Giza built). The pyramid was built with 2.3 million
stones, each weighing between 2 and 15 tons. He left such an impact on the
society, that approximately 2,000 years after his death some Egyptians created
a cult to worship him as a god. His
pyramid is the only remaining fully intact wonder of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
3. Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut, the 5th ruler from the 18th
dynasty, was the third, and most successful, woman to become a pharaoh. She became the ruler when her husband and
half-brother, Thutmose II died. His son
(Thutmose III), by a different wife, was too young to assume the position at
the time and Hatshepsut first became his regent. She insisted it was her right
to rule based on her bloodline and wore the symbols of a king. Her rule lasted for nearly 20 years, from
1473 until 1458 BCE. During this time, she accomplish more than many other
pharaohs, establishing foreign trade routes and commissioning the construction
of many structures, including her mortuary temple in the Valley of the
Kings. After her death, Thutmose III
erased most of her memory and her reign.
4. Thutmose III
The son of Thutmose II, he was too young to rule Egypt when
his father died, leaving Hatshepsut as his regent and later pharaoh of the
country. Thutmose III ruled from 1479 until 1425 BCE and is sometimes referred
to as the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt because of his military intelligence and
military achievements. As a ruler, he
transformed Egypt into a triumphant, conquering nation. He is the first person in history to utilize
the sea during war efforts against the Kingdom of Phoenicia. His first major
conquest was a victory in Negiddo, located in what is now northern Israel and
better known by its Greek name Armageddon.
It is said that he rode into battle “on a chariot of fine gold, decked
in his shining armor.” During his reign,
Egypt carried out 16 military campaigns, capturing around 350 cities. He is credited with the construction of the
Temple at Karnak.
5. Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III was the ruler for 38 years during the 18th
Dynasty of the New Kingdom. His reign was one of artistic glory and
prosperity. He is remembered most for
the abundant crops that were harvested under his reign. Because of this, he was made a fertility God. Rather than pursuing military conquests,
Amenhotep III focused his administration on pursuing diplomatic relationships,
building monuments, and encouraging the arts. Egypt was at peace under Amenhotep III. He also liked “selfies” – he is the pharaoh
with the largest number of his own statues.
6. Akhenaten
Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III. He was not a popular ruler because of his
religious changes. He forced the
Egyptians to stop worshipping many deities in favor of the monotheistic worship
of one god – Aten, the god of the solar disc.
He built a new capital at Amarna and named it Akhetaten and also changed
his name from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaten. One of his wives, Nefertiti, is depicted
making sacrifices to the god in many artworks of the time. After his death, his statues were destroyed
and his name was erased from the list of kings.
Almost no history of him existed until they discovered his remains at
Akhetaten. His son, Tutankhamun,
reversed his religious rulings and returned Egypt to the worship of Amun and other
Egyptian deities.
7. Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun ruled during the 18th Dynasty, becoming pharaoh
at the age of 9 and only ruling from 1332 to 1323 BCE. He moved the capital to Thebes and returned
Egyptian religion to a focus on Amun, a previously worshiped God, instead of
Aten. His short rule left a very small
impact on Egypt. Today, he is famous for
the treasures found in his tomb during the 1920’s, the only nearly intact tomb
so far discovered. The examination of
his mummified body revealed valuable information on the process of
mummification. His tomb is also said to
be cursed; dozens of people have died after coming into contact with it.
8. Ramses II
Ramses II, known as the Great Ancestor, is considered one of
the most powerful kings of Egypt’s New Kingdom.
The 3rd ruler from the 19th dynasty, he ruled from
1279 until 1213 BCE. Some of his
greatest accomplishments while in power were the great monuments he had
built. In fact, during his reign, more
structures were built than during any other pharaoh’s time. Ramses II is also famous for his military victories
over the Hittites, Syrians, and Nubians, which allowed him to recapture
Egyptian territory that had been previously lost under Akhenaten. He was celebrated by the public and made into
a god. He made it his mission to return
Egypt to the religion it had practiced before becoming monotheistic.
9. Ramses III
Ramses III was the second Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty and is
considered to be the last ruler with significant power. He ruled from 1187 until 1151 BCE and during
this time, Egypt began to lose its important role in the world. Rather than focus on construction projects,
Ramses III reorganized existing temples and allocated them arable lands. At the time of his death, approximately 33% of
agricultural lands belonged to the temples, leading to food shortages in the
kingdom. When his workers were not paid,
they organized a strike which was the first in recorded history. One of his wives and a number of his officials
plotted an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Ramses III, hoping that
the Queen’s son, Pentewere, would take the throne. They were found guilty and forced to commit suicide.
Ramses IV, Ramses V, and Ramses VI, all
his sons, went on to be the next 3 kings of Egypt. Overall, the reign of Ramses III was marked by
problems and economic decline.
10. Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra VII is one of the most well-known of the ancient Egyptian
rulers. She inherited her position after
the death of her father, King Ptolemy XII. She did not, however, rule alone. Because of
the laws prohibiting women from ruling the kingdom, she was forced to share her
position first with her younger brother and later with her son. She claimed to be the Egyptian goddess Isis
and later the Greek goddess Aphrodite, thus paying tribute to her Greek
heritage. She came into rule during a time when the Roman Empire had control
over the Egyptian Kingdom and demanded payment. In order to secure an alliance with the Roman
Empire, Cleopatra VII formed relationships with Caesar and Mark Antony. Her reign was a time of prosperity and foreign
trade. She ruled until her death on
August 12, 30 BCE, marking the end of the Egyptian Empire.
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