War, Expansion and Invasion
The Old Kingdom
The Old Kingdom pharaohs established strong central government. They extended their influence beyond Egypt’s borders through extensive and profitable trade with Nubia, Egypt’s southern neighbour. Towards the end of the Old Kingdom, Egypt began military campaigns into Libya. After the civil war (war between opposing groups within the same country) of the First Intermediate period, pharaoh Mentuhotep II reunited Egypt and began the Middle Kingdom period.
The Middle Kingdom
From the time of pharaoh Amenemhet I, c.1990 BCE, Egypt began to reassert its power. It expanded its borders into northern Nubia as far as the second cataract (see source 1 in section 2a:2). By establishing forts along the Nile further south of this, it increased its control of trade with the rest of Africa.
Despite this invasion, the Egyptians had little contact with the Nubians, and relations between the two groups were peaceful. This was partly because Egypt allowed Nubians to serve in minor roles in the forces that protected Egypt’s forts and to maintain their control of the resources in the desert areas adjoining them. Over time, the
Nubians began to adopt many of Egypt’s religious and cultural practices.
Egypt’s wealth and good supply of natural resources made it a target for countries wanting to control Egypt’s riches. Its desert areas and sea borders gave it some natural protection from invasion. Then, around 1650 BCE the Hyksos migrated into and gained control of the Nile delta.
The Hyksos
The invasion of the Hyksos led to instability of the Second Intermediate period. Egyptians continued to rule from Thebes. Hyksos rulers governed Egypt’s north from their capital at Avaris. The Hyksos had better weapons than the Egyptians. The Egyptians fought with axes, bows and arrows, daggers, slings and spears, but the Hyksos wore armour, rode on horses and in chariots and fought with curved swords. The Hyksos invasion forced the Egyptians to improve their military tactics and their weaponry. Pharaoh Ahmose I’s victory over the Hyksos marked the beginning of the New Kingdom era.
The New Kingdom: a ‘golden age’
The New Kingdom was Egypt’s ‘golden age’ — a time of magnificent art and architectural, political and economic achievements. Egypt was the most important country in the Western Asian and Mediterranean worlds. The military campaigns of pharaohs Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Seti I and Rameses II created an empire that extended into Palestine, southern Nubia and parts of Syria, and developed and extended Egypt’s trading relationships.
The Battle of Qadesh
The Battle of Qadesh, c.1274 BCE, was a huge chariot battle between Rameses II’s army and the troops of the Hittite king Muwatallis II. It became famous because, after claiming victory, Rameses II had sculptors carve versions of the event onto monuments at Abydos, Karnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel. The Hittites also claimed victory.
Egypt’s decline
From the eighth century BCE onward, Egypt fell under the control of Nubians, Assyrians and Persians, with only brief periods of Egyptian control in between. Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Greeks conquered Egypt in 332 BCE. This victory began the reign of the Ptolemies, the Greek rulers who were Egypt’s last pharaohs.
Source 1: Plaster cast of a wall relief from a small temple at Beit el Wali in Nubia. The image shows Nubians
bringing gifts to the pharaoh Rameses II after Egypt’s victory in the battle of Beit el Wali. Nubia’s governor built
the temple in honour of Rameses II.
The Old Kingdom pharaohs established strong central government. They extended their influence beyond Egypt’s borders through extensive and profitable trade with Nubia, Egypt’s southern neighbour. Towards the end of the Old Kingdom, Egypt began military campaigns into Libya. After the civil war (war between opposing groups within the same country) of the First Intermediate period, pharaoh Mentuhotep II reunited Egypt and began the Middle Kingdom period.
The Middle Kingdom
From the time of pharaoh Amenemhet I, c.1990 BCE, Egypt began to reassert its power. It expanded its borders into northern Nubia as far as the second cataract (see source 1 in section 2a:2). By establishing forts along the Nile further south of this, it increased its control of trade with the rest of Africa.
Despite this invasion, the Egyptians had little contact with the Nubians, and relations between the two groups were peaceful. This was partly because Egypt allowed Nubians to serve in minor roles in the forces that protected Egypt’s forts and to maintain their control of the resources in the desert areas adjoining them. Over time, the
Nubians began to adopt many of Egypt’s religious and cultural practices.
Egypt’s wealth and good supply of natural resources made it a target for countries wanting to control Egypt’s riches. Its desert areas and sea borders gave it some natural protection from invasion. Then, around 1650 BCE the Hyksos migrated into and gained control of the Nile delta.
The Hyksos
The invasion of the Hyksos led to instability of the Second Intermediate period. Egyptians continued to rule from Thebes. Hyksos rulers governed Egypt’s north from their capital at Avaris. The Hyksos had better weapons than the Egyptians. The Egyptians fought with axes, bows and arrows, daggers, slings and spears, but the Hyksos wore armour, rode on horses and in chariots and fought with curved swords. The Hyksos invasion forced the Egyptians to improve their military tactics and their weaponry. Pharaoh Ahmose I’s victory over the Hyksos marked the beginning of the New Kingdom era.
The New Kingdom: a ‘golden age’
The New Kingdom was Egypt’s ‘golden age’ — a time of magnificent art and architectural, political and economic achievements. Egypt was the most important country in the Western Asian and Mediterranean worlds. The military campaigns of pharaohs Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Seti I and Rameses II created an empire that extended into Palestine, southern Nubia and parts of Syria, and developed and extended Egypt’s trading relationships.
The Battle of Qadesh
The Battle of Qadesh, c.1274 BCE, was a huge chariot battle between Rameses II’s army and the troops of the Hittite king Muwatallis II. It became famous because, after claiming victory, Rameses II had sculptors carve versions of the event onto monuments at Abydos, Karnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel. The Hittites also claimed victory.
Egypt’s decline
From the eighth century BCE onward, Egypt fell under the control of Nubians, Assyrians and Persians, with only brief periods of Egyptian control in between. Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Greeks conquered Egypt in 332 BCE. This victory began the reign of the Ptolemies, the Greek rulers who were Egypt’s last pharaohs.
Source 1: Plaster cast of a wall relief from a small temple at Beit el Wali in Nubia. The image shows Nubians
bringing gifts to the pharaoh Rameses II after Egypt’s victory in the battle of Beit el Wali. Nubia’s governor built
the temple in honour of Rameses II.
QUESTIONS
1. Write a paragraph of 8–10 lines to explain how contact with other peoples affected ancient Egypt.
2. Why would historians find it useful to have different versions of the Battle of Qadesh from Rameses II’s time?
DEVELOP SOURCE SKILLS
3. Using source 1 and your own knowledge, write 8–10 lines to explain its meaning. Include information on:
a. why the Nubians are bringing gifts to the pharaoh
b. the gifts they are bringing
c. the attitudes of people shown in the picture
d. the artist’s purpose.
1. Write a paragraph of 8–10 lines to explain how contact with other peoples affected ancient Egypt.
2. Why would historians find it useful to have different versions of the Battle of Qadesh from Rameses II’s time?
DEVELOP SOURCE SKILLS
3. Using source 1 and your own knowledge, write 8–10 lines to explain its meaning. Include information on:
a. why the Nubians are bringing gifts to the pharaoh
b. the gifts they are bringing
c. the attitudes of people shown in the picture
d. the artist’s purpose.