Chapter 2, Section 3The Egyptian Empire

The Middle Kingdom

• About 2300 B.C. the pharaohs lost control of Egypt as nobles battled one another.

• A new dynasty came to power & moved the capital to Thebes.

• There they restored order and stability beginning the Middle Kingdom.

The Middle Kingdom• The Middle Kingdom

lasted from 2050 B.C. to 1670 B.C.

• During this time, Egyptians took control of more land. – Captured Nubia– Attacked present day

Syria

The Middle Kingdom• The conquered people had

to send tributes to the pharaohs.

• The money was used to add more waterways & dams.

• They also built a canal between the Nile River & the Red Sea.

The Middle Kingdom• During the Middle Kingdom, they would

paint the wall of the tombs.

• Sculptors would create carvings & statues of the pharaohs as everyday people.

• Instead of pyramids, pharaohs tombs were built into cliffs west of the Nile River – Valley of the Kings

Who Were the Hyksos?• The Middle Kingdom ended with an invasion

by the Hyksos.

• They were from western Asia & invaded on chariots through the desert.

• They used weapons made of bronze and iron.

Who Were the Hyksos?• The footed Egyptian

soldiers were no match.

• The Hyksos ruled Egypt for 150 years.

• Around 1550 B.C., Ahmose, and Egyptian prince led a rebellion & drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.

The New Kingdom• Ahmose’s reign began

a period called the New Kingdom.

• The New Kingdom lasted from 1550 B.C. to 1080 B.C.

• During this Kingdom, Egypt reached the height of its glory.

The New Kingdom• By 1473 B.C. a queen

came into power called Hatshepsut.

• She eventually became pharaoh, one of the only few female ones.

• She was more interested in trade than conquest.

The New Kingdom• She had Egyptian traders sail along the coast

of East Africa.

• These trade journeys made Egypt extremely wealthy.

• Hatshepsut used some of the wealth to build monuments in the Valley of the Kings.

The New Kingdom• When Hatshepsut died,

her nephew, Thutmose III became pharaoh.

• His armies began aggressive wars of conquest.

• Egypt controlled from north of the Euphrates to Nubia south of Egypt.

The New Kingdom• Thutmose’s empire grew rich from trade &

conquests.

• He took the conquered people’s money and enslaved their people.

• These captives rebuilt the capital city of Thebes.

• Slavery was now common in Egypt.

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs

• 1370 B.C. Amenhotep IV came came to the throne with his wife, Nefertiti.

• He realized Egypt’s priests were gaining power at the expense of the pharaohs.

• He did away with Egypt’s old gods & goddesses.

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs

• He introduced a new religion that worshipped only one god, Aton.

• When the priests protested, he took away their titles, lands & temples.

• Amenhotep then changed his name to Akhenaton.

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs

• To the Egyptians Akhenaton’s attacks on the gods was an attack on Egypt itself.

• He became so devoted to his new religion that he neglected his duties as pharaoh.

• He did not respond to an attack by the Hittites, resulting losing in a lot of land.

The Legacies of Two Pharaohs

• When Akhenton died, his son in law, Tutankhamen, became pharaoh.

• He was only 10 years old, but relied on help from palace officials.

• He restored the old religion, but died suddenly after ruling for only 9 years.

The End of the New Kingdom

• The most effective pharaoh after King Tut was Ramses II.

• He reigned for 66 years and rebuilt the empire.

• He launched a temple building program.

The End of the New Kingdom

• The most magnificent temple built under Ramses was Karnak at Thebes.

• The temples were considered houses for their gods & goddesses.

• The temples also served as banks.

The End of the New Kingdom

• After Ramses, Egypt’s power to begin to fade.

• Neighboring territories began to rebel.

• They were attacked by people from across the sea that had strong iron weapons.

The End of the New Kingdom

• By 1150 B.C., Egypt had lost their empire and only controlled the Nile Delta.

• One group after another took control of Egypt. – Libyans– People of Kush– Assyrians