Hatshepsut
Since the second dynasty, kings were considered sons of gods. Only the pharaohs, could directly communicate with the gods. Egyptians believed the pharaoh’s main role was not simply to rule the Egyptian state but to encompass truth, goodness and justice. Hatshepsut is the daughter of king Thutmose I and Ahmose. After her father’s death, the throne is passed on to her half-brother Thutmose II, which she marries and becomes queen. When Thutmose II passes, “his very young son, by another wife, was declared Thutmose III and Hatshepsut appointed co-regent.” Thutmose III was only an infant and not able to take the throne. As co-regent, Hatshepsut should step down once Thutmose III is mature enough to become pharaoh, but instead declares herself to be king. Hatshepsut becomes the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Although she faces ethical challenges of becoming king through unusual means and for being a female, Hatshepsut proved herself of being fit to reign over ancient Egypt and fulfil the role of the pharaoh.
…show more content…
She built and restored temples across Egypt. She restored the religious complex Karnak, which was dedicated to the god Anum. Hatshepsut had strong relationships with the gods. There are several texts that emphasize her intimate understanding with the god Amun. Hatshepsut claims that Amun is her divine father and “has access to [his] heart and knows what is in his heart”. Also, she enhanced the economy of Egypt by conducting a very successful trade mission to the land of Punt. Because of this expedition, she was able to “bring back exotic materials and goods, such as myrrh trees.” She had a successful military career. Based on reliefs of Hatshepsut, she can be depicted as a sphinx crushing her enemies. Hatshepsut was able to establish herself as one of the most successful
Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt during the 18th dynasty, was one of a small handful of female pharaohs. Despite her many achievements, her reign is most remembered for the fact that she was a woman. Her unique story has been a source for dispute among scholars, which has led to a number of conflicting views. The small amount of Hatshepsut’s life that has been documented does not allow us to see the more intimate details of her life. Historians have a broad range of opinions on her, but one thing is certain: her reign provided Egypt with a period of peace and prosperity after 100 years of foreign rule.
Robins, Gay. "The Names of Hatshepsut as King." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 85 (1999): 103-12. Jstore. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. .
The name Hatshepsut means “Foremost of Noble Ladies” and as a way to justify becoming pharaoh, she claimed the she was the daughter of the God Amun.
Thus, despite her being a female, she had the makings to become a queen. For the queen there were not many women who became Kings who ruled under a city and would become king. When she ascended the throne she changed her name from the feminine Hatshepsut to the male Hatshepsut. She surrounded herself with strong and loyal advisors, many of whom are still known today: Hapuseneb, the High Priest of Amun, and her closest advisor, the royal steward Senemut, some speculate he was Hatshepsut’s lover during her rule. During her rule, Egyptians were the most powerful, advanced civilization in the world. She reestablished the trade networks that had been disrupted during the Hyksos ' occupation of Egypt, bring wealth for the 18th dynasty. She oversaw the preparations and funding for a mission to the Land of Punt, a region of East Africa that was rich in gold, resins, ebony, blackwood, ivory and wild animals, including monkeys and baboons. The mission also went in search of slaves. Hatshepsut probably died around 1458 B.C., when she would have been in her mid-40s. She was buried in the Valley of the Kings, located in the hills behind Deir el-Bahri. In another effort to legitimize her reign, she had her father’s sarcophagus reburied in her tomb so they could lie
Hatshepsut was the most successful female Pharaoh, who ruled Egypt for two decades, and who provided the Egyptians with a peaceful and economic prosperity. Hatshepsut was a very well known and successful queen; therefore, she was in control for an expanded and vigorous building program throughout Egypt. This influenced her country to be more improved. She had also created trade and had improved it, which had impacted her country to become wealthier.
For Hatshepsut, this sarcophagus was a way to demonstrate her own status and that of her father. The quality and material of the sarcophagus are a testament to Hatshepsut’s economic power because she commissioned it. The sarcophagus is covered in
Vanessa Davies’ “Hatshepsut’s Use of Tuthmosis III in Her Program of Legitimation,” discusses the relationship between Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III as co-regents. She explains how the study of subtle stylistic trends in the art of an era can give light to the political situation of that time. According to Davies, observance of these trends show that Hatshepsut respected Tuthmosis III as a co-regent, and showed this through the artworks she had commissioned. These include the Small Temple of Mediate Habu, the Chapelle Rouge at Karnak, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahiri, the Temple of Buhen,
The Pharaoh was considered to be as important as the gods in all things, having believed to have been chosen by them. The pharaoh Hatshepsut claimed to be a physical descendent of the deities as seen in source one, a section of the Obelisk of Hatshepsut, Temple of Karnak. This Pharaoh was considered to be the true king of Egypt, because she had gained the laws from the will of god. The hieroglyphics specifically state ‘Amun-Ra, Lord of Heaven, I have given the kingship of the Two Lands and the Office of Atum to my daughter Maat-Ka-Ra (throne name of Hatshepsut). Source one is the most reliable out of the eleven, due to the source still intact, hieroglyphs still readable and the carvings in the stone clearly visible. This connection that the pharaohs have with the gods is one that makes him/her worthy of controlling all of Egypt. Using their divine connection with them to bring their Kingdom great protection and wealth for all of its
At the time of Thutmose II’s death, the son would have only been a child, therefore allowing Hatshepsut to assert herself as regent. The adoption of the role would have become sufficient and liable due to her bloodline and acknowledging the Eighteenth dynasty starting point. During her time of regent, she had the titles of Great King’s Wife and sister of the succeeding pharaoh. Within the carved reliefs known as the Divine Birth at Deir el-Bahri it is seen to have become Hatshepsut propaganda which states that she eligible to claim throne rather than her step-son. The idea states that the god Amun, who is disguised as Thutmose I, impregnates her mother. Made his form like the majesty of her husband… she rejoiced at the sign of his beauty, his love passed into her limbs (J. Breasted). Thus makes sure that people who saw the relief would believe that Hatshepsut is the child of the god and therefore able to become pharaoh, not just becoming regent while Thutmose III is too young. The series of reliefs continue where the council of gods say that Hatshepsut shall “exercise the excellent kingship in this whole land”. Conjointly seen to be in Deir el-Bahri is the Coronation Relief which is where Hatshepsut has asserted herself to be a fair and entitled ruler, due to her father, Thutmose I deciding she will be successor and that she should be crowned as pharaoh. She is my successor… she
Hatshepsut invented a story saying the god Amun, talked to her about ruling the land. Lucy de Masson from ancient.ed writes, “Hatshepsut claimed that Amun had named her as ruler of Egypt: “Amun, the Lord of Thebes; he caused that I should reign over the Black and Red Land”. Not only does Hatshepsut make up stories, she also built temples where common people could worship her. The Deir el-Bahari is one of the most significant buildings built by the Egyptians. It was built to honor Hatshepsut, as a Pharaoh and God. Hatshepsut built numerous temples, livescience.com states, “As a ruler, Hatshepsut inaugurated building projects that far outstripped those of her predecessors,” Hatshepsut also built many other buildings in locations such as, Qasr Ibrim, Semna, Faras and Buhen. By having numerous amounts of temples, it shows the ability of the Pharaoh. Hatshepsut has surpass many of the male Pharaohs and all of these projects proves
When Thutmose I, Hatshepsut’s father died, Hatshepsut was about 15 years old, and Thutmose II took over as pharaoh. Thutmose II died after 3 years of reign due to a skin disease. Hatshepsut had a daughter, Neferure, but Thutmose II also had a son with a commoner named Aset. Many people believe that when Thutmose II reigned, Hatshepsut was actually the one in charge. Because of Thutmose II died early, his son Thutmose III was too young to reign, so Hatshepsut began to rule as Queen Regent, and used the title “God’s Wife.” Due to her father’s popularity and her charismatic features that everyone knew and loved, she was able to gain more followers that allowed her to become full pharaoh about seven years into the rule of Thutmose III. Hatshepsut wore the pharaoh’s dressings, which was made for males and had a false beard, the shendyt kilt, and the nemes headdress, uraeus and khat head cloth. At her coronation, she took on five names: Horus Powerful of Kas, Two Ladies Flourishing of Years, Female Horus of Fine Gold, Divine of Diadems, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ma’atkare, Daughter of Ra, Khenmet-Amen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut’s reign was tranquil. There wasn’t much military action during her years, which was one of the great qualities of her rule. Her main accomplishments were with trade. She expanded trade with Nubia, Libya, and countries in Asia. She also had expeditions to Somalia, which was then called Punt, to retrieve
The Deir el-Bahari is one of the most famous temples in Egypt, built for the gods, including Ra the sun god. This made Hatshepsut a strong, powerful and great leader by making Egypt wealthy. By doing this, she is and was remembered, creating a long-lasting legacy. Hatshepsut soon became not only a caring leader, but a trustful one,
Queen Hatshepsut was one of the most powerful females in Ancient Egyptian history. Not only was she the longest reigning female pharaoh in all of Egypt, but she made lasting impacts on the nation during and far after her reign. Although she was a woman, and this type of power had never been given to a woman before, she is considered one of Egypt's most successful pharaohs.
An essential characteristic for being a great leader, consistent within many, is confidence. A person may have ideas, but for them to be carried out takes confidence in themselves to bring those ideas to reality. Hatshepsut portrayed herself as a very confident woman by taking the initiative to do things that only Pharaoh’s would commonly do, such as performing certain religious rituals, making offerings directly to the gods, and commissioning various building projects. These actions made it evident that she saw herself as important and powerful, and others soon believed this as well; she was considered as God’s wife of Amen and became a priestess in temple rituals. Hatshepsut also depicted herself as a male—she dressed in a kilt, crown, and wore an artificial beard. This clearly shows that she had great ambition to be King, as she took on the daring task of creating a false persona just so that she could reach her goal. Despite the typical male dominating society, Hatshepsut displayed confidence in herself that she could become ...
In summary, the significance of Hatshepsut created many controversial interpretations of her 21-year reign and her personality. Through the source analysis of many viewpoints of historians, demonstrated many possible connation’s. The interpretation of Hatshepsut by her own self-image created an image of perfection and succession but it is open for discussion whether it is merely self-promotion or propaganda. These interpretations continued through the negative aspects and views of modern historians that viewed Hatshepsut as a “power-hungry” and evil force that stole the throne. But this is also debatable as these views come from male perspectives and can possibly be biased and misogynistic. Also, the interpretation of Hatshepsut leaving a legacy