Years of Thutmose. The conquest of Pharaoh Thutmose

The history of Ancient Egypt knows about the four kings named Thutmose, they all belong to the same 18 dynasty and ruled one after another. But the most significant trail in history was, of course, Thutmose III. Egypt rose to unprecedented heights in his reign. Thutmose and Hammurabi (Babylonian king) are often compared, drawing a parallel between their military campaigns and aggressive foreign policy. Both of them significantly expanded the borders of their state, forever inscribing their names in the history of the Ancient World.

Thutmose I

The years of Thutmose I rule were 1504-1492 BC. To say about its origin is difficult, scientists suggest that he was the husband of Amenhotep I's sister and it is possible that the son of Pharaoh Ahmose I (the founder of the 18th dynasty). The time of the reign of Thutmose I is the beginning of the conquests, which greatly expanded the boundaries of Ancient Egypt. At the very beginning of his reign in Nubia an uprising took place. The Tsar personally participated in his suppression, according to ancient chronicles, he struck his leader with the spear of insurgent people. Nubia was completely ruined and entire tribes were driven into slavery. His conquests in the South advanced to the third threshold of the Nile, and in the North to the Euphrates River. The victorious raids enriched the treasury at the expense of the stolen property and tribute paid by the conquered peoples. This contributed to the active construction of temples. Thutmose I was the first pharaoh who refused the magnificent tombstone and preferred to isolate the tomb from his memorial temple. The tomb was built in an atmosphere of extreme secrecy, it was carved into the rock. In 1881 there was discovered a mummy of the pharaoh.

Direct heirs of Thutmose I died in early childhood (two sons and a daughter), there was only one daughter - Hatshepsut. Close family marriages were common, and she was married to her half-brother (by father) Thutmose II, the son of "not the main" wife. He became the next Pharaoh.

Thutmose II

The Egyptian king was not particularly strong in health, so the years of Pharaoh Tutmosis II's rule are short. Some Egyptologists believe that he was on the throne for only four years. Nevertheless, all these are only assumptions, therefore, the date of the reign of Thutmose II, as a rule, is indicated approximate from 1492 to 1489 BC. The first year of his reign was marked by a brutal suppression of the riot in Nubia, when all the men of the tribe they could find were killed. Thutmose II preserved all the territories that his father conquered. From Hatshepsut he had two daughters, but the son was from a concubine, but it was he who was succeeded by the throne after the death of Pharaoh.

Queen Hatshepsut

A woman is a pharaoh, one of the most famous rulers of Egypt. Its high status, according to many historians, it could reach even at the time when Thutmose I rules, that is, her father, and then, perhaps, was the co-ruler of her husband. This subsequently allowed her to seize the throne from the young pharaoh. After the death of her husband, she was appointed regent of 12-year-old Thutmose III, and then in a year and a half literate and peacefully dismissed him. She became famous first of all for active construction, patronized culture and sciences, and accustomed to this and her stepson Thutmose III. Egypt with it flourished economically, but the possessions in Palestine and Syria were practically lost. Although, according to some reports, she participated personally in several military campaigns, in general, foreign policy for two decades was peaceful. The queen rules almost twenty-two years. According to the latest data obtained after studying her mummy, she died at the age of more than 50 years from diseases (liver cancer, bone tumor and diabetes). During her lifetime, she erected a funeral temple, it is carved into the rock and impresses with its size and decoration to this day.

Thutmose III

Approximate years of the reign of Thutmose III - 1479-1425 BC. But in fact, he ascended the throne after the death of his stepmother Hatshepsut. The first thing he did was to order to destroy all references to it, to erase the name from the walls, to destroy the statues. What were the motives for this, now difficult to say, perhaps personal, historians admit that this was done under the influence of the court nobility. The years of the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III were marked by a change in the peace course towards an active aggressive foreign policy. In the years when Thutmose III ruled, Egypt became one of the largest Ancient States.

If we talk about portraits of the great ruler, then scientists believe that his sculpted images have little to do with the real appearance. Based on the study of the mummy, experts concluded that he was not very tall, but his physique was right, strong.

Military campaigns of Thutmose III

Pharaoh was distinguished by active military policy, but the most notable are the following well-known campaigns:

1. The first trip to Syria. It is believed that his cause was the uprising of the Asian tribes. Well, the reason is the same as many centuries ago - the state needed slaves, resources and an open path to foreign trade. The campaign to Syria greatly strengthened the position of the Egyptian state in the Near East.
2. Military campaign of the 29th year of the reign of the pharaoh. It was the fifth military expedition to the Near East. As a result, the Egyptian population on the Phoenician coast captured a large agricultural area of Jahi, which became a stronghold.
3. The sixth and seventh campaigns during the reign of Thutmose III were maritime. The ships moved through the Mediterranean and landed for the first time in Simira (modern Syrian territory). The goal was the fortress of Kedesh - one of the most impregnable, its siege lasted almost six months, but did not give any results. The Egyptians plundered the neighborhood and were forced to leave the coast. Returning for the second time, Pharaoh's army occupied the Phoenician city of Ullaz.
4. The eighth expedition established the rule of Egypt in all of Syria, Palestine, Finnicia. Historians call this period the culmination of the military conquests of Thutmose III.
5. Further campaigns (9, 10, 13, 14th) were undertaken in the 34-39 years of the reign of Thutmose III. They no longer had a pronounced aggressive nature, but rather were aimed at retaining the territories already conquered, on which rebellions broke out every now and then.
6. The last trip to Asia. By its designation, it was rather a punitive expedition to suppress the rebellious Syria, at the head of the uprising were all the same cities Kadesh and Tunip. Both fortresses were taken by the Egyptians, which dealt a crushing blow, permanently strengthening the positions of their state in Syria and Phenicia.

All the territories conquered during the reign of Thutmose III were turned into provinces of Egypt and governed on the ground by its governors. Numerous peoples presented him with tribute, as a sign of respect and solidarity to his policies. The conquests of Thutmose III turned Egypt into a very powerful, powerful power. None of the succeeding pharaohs succeeded in extending the boundaries further than was done with him.

Politics inside the state at the time of Thutmose III

Continued active construction, as under Queen Hatshepsut, including the erection of the Karnak Temple of Amun-Ra with obelisks. According to testimonies left on the walls of temples and tombs, Pharaoh was a versatile person, he patronized the arts. In addition to the outstanding abilities of the commander, he had a broad outlook and even was engaged in modeling vessels from clay, the designs of which then passed on to artisans. According to the orders of the pharaoh, new varieties of plants and species of animals were brought to Egypt. With him, a permanent professional army was formed, ships were being built (cedar was specially brought from Libya). Thutmose III led Egypt for 53 years. The economic and cultural rise of the state was marked by his years of government. Thutmose and Hammurabi are divided in time for several hundred years, but remarkable similarity between them, both rulers were not only great generals, but also literate politicians. The name of Hammurabi is associated with the rise of Babylon, the creation of a law-governed state, and Thutmose III turned Egypt into the strongest empire, deserving the title of "Napoleon of the Ancient World", but not the punisher, the pharaoh showed humanity to the conquered peoples, without making meaningless slaughter and genocide.

The Art of the XVIII Dynasty

Egypt at this time occupied the leading international position, reached unprecedented power, the pomp of the environment, clothes and jewelry of the nobility increased. The leading role in art at this time is played by Thebes - the capital of the state at that time. The temples built at this time are monumental and solemn, and the funerary are already traditionally separated from the tombs, which to prevent plundering were carved in the separated gorges. An outstanding work of ancient architecture is the temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

Ancient Egyptian Music

Numerous bas-reliefs depicting singers and instrumentalists speak of the great significance of music in the life of the Egyptians. It sounded in everyday life, accompanying various labor processes, mass festivities, solemn processions. At the time of the XVIIIth Dynasty there already existed a palace chapel. Basic musical instruments: harps, flutes, lyres, lutes, drums and sisters (metal ratchet). In the era of the XVIII dynasty, along with palace music, the military develops, the first orchestras with percussion instruments and trumpets appear.

Thutmose IV

Pharaoh ruled around 1397-1388 BC, and this is a fairly short period. According to the results of mummy research, he died at a young age. The time of his stay on the throne was not marked by great achievements. Thutmose IV made several military campaigns, but did not repeat the glory of his predecessors.

He also showed interest in the architectural structures of his predecessors: he cleared the Sphinx from the sand, completed the construction of the obelisk of Thutmose III.