XXV dynasty (c. 760–656 BC) - The Kushite dynasty of the pharaohs who ruled in ancient Egypt , the last dynasty of the third transitional period [K 1] . The names are Nubian , Ethiopian or Kushite dynasty.
| Dynasties of Ancient Egypt Third transition period | |
| XXV Dynasty | |
|---|---|
 Pyramids in Meroe | |
| Other names | Nubian Dynasty, Cushite Dynasty, Ethiopian Dynasty |
| Capital | Napata |
| Reign | 744 - 656 years BC e. |
| Board Duration | 88 |
| The number of rulers | 6 |
| Prominent representatives | Pianhi , Shabaka , Taharka |
| Continuity | |
| ← XXV dynasty → | |
The term "twenty-fifth dynasty" refers to a number of rulers of the Kushite Empire with a capital in Napata , who extended their influence to all of Ancient Egypt in the VIII-VII centuries BC. e. [1] . The event that marked the beginning of the dynasty is considered the conquest of Kushta by the Kushite pharaoh of Upper Egypt [K 2] . The dynasty ended with the collapse of the Kushite Empire in the war with Mesopotamian Assyria and the conquest of Egypt by the Assyrians.
The unification under the same authority of Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt and Nubia created an empire that has not been equal in size since the time of the New Kingdom . The dynasty of Kushite pharaohs preserved and even developed the ancient Egyptian traditions, religion and rituals, adding Nubian motifs to them [2] . During the reign of this dynasty in Egypt (and in Nubia), the construction of pyramids began, which the region has not known since the Middle Kingdom [3] [4] [5] .
After the Assyrian kings Sargon II and after him Sinaheherib repulsed the attempts of the Kushite pharaohs to spread the influence of the Egyptians in the Middle East , kings Asarhaddon and Ashurbanipal succeeded them and conquered Egypt, having ousted the Nubians in power. They laid the foundations of the pro-Assyrian puppet XXVI dynasty , the last dynasty of the local Egyptian pharaohs before the conquest of Egypt by Persia .
Content
Rulers
List of Pharaohs of the XXV Dynasty in the History of Egypt :
| Pharaoh | Throne name | Reign (c. BC) | Burial place | Queen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashta | Nimaatra | 760–752 | El Currou, K.8 | Pebatma , K.7 (?) |
| Pianhi | Men Heper Ra User-Maat Ra | 752-721 | El Currou, K.17 | * Tabiru , daughter of Alar , K.53 * Abar English Abar , Nuri , Nuri 53 (?) * Hens English Khensa , daughter Kashta , K.4 * Peksater English. Peksater , daughter Kashta , K.54 * Nefrukashkash English. Nefrukekashta , K.52 |
| Shabaka | Neferkare | 721–707 | El Currou, K.15 | * Kalkhata , mother of Tanuatamon , K.5 * Mesbat English Mesbat , mother of High Priest Amon Haremakhet * Tabekenamun (?) |
| Shabataka | Grandfather | 707-690 | El Currou, K.18 | Artie Eng. Arty , daughter of Pianhi , K.6 |
| Taharka | Ku- Nefertum | 690-664 | Nuri , Nuri 1 | * Takahatenanum , Nuri 21 (?) * Atahebasken , Nuri 36 * Naparaya English. Naparaye , daughter of Pianhee , K.3 * Tabekenamun (?) |
| Tanuatamon | Bakare | 664–656 (died: 653) | El Currou, K.16 | * Pyanhart * [..] salka * Malake (?), Nuri 59 |
The period from the reign of Kasht to the pharaoh Melenaken is usually called the Napatan period of the Kushite kingdom. The Pharaohs of the Cushite dynasty after Melenaken ruled from Napata, Meroe and Upper Egypt. The burial places of the Kushite kings of the XXV dynasty (and members of the royal families) are located in El Kurra and in Nuri [6] .
Kashta
The Kushite king Kashta ruled Nubia from his capital city of Napata (400 km north of Khartoum , the modern capital of Sudan ). He continued the policy of his father, the pharaoh Alar, to spread influence in Upper Egypt. He managed to appoint his daughter, Amenirdis I, the Spouse of the god Amun in Thebes after Shepenupet I , daughter of the last pharaoh of the XXIII dynasty of Osorcon III . This actually legitimized control of the Thebaid region of Egypt [7] .
It seems that the control of Kashta over Upper Egypt was peaceful, since the descendants of the pharaohs of the XXIII dynasty enjoyed high social status in Thebes throughout the reign of the XXV dynasty. During the reign of Kashta, the Cushites, who settled the territories between the third and fourth rapids of the Nile , quickly adopted Egyptian traditions, religion and culture.
Piankhs
Pharaoh Pianhi continued the expansion of the Cushites into Lower Egypt. He personally led a military campaign, ending with the capture of Thebes and Memphis , ruled by the pharaohs of the transient XXIV dynasty . Cities were not robbed, on the contrary, Pianhi according to Egyptian traditions, even brought sacrifices in the Ptah temple in Memphis [8] . Pianhi revived the tradition of building the pyramids in Nubia (El-Kurru), expanded the temple of Amon in Jebel Barkal [4] .
Pianhi attempted to extend the influence of the empire to the Middle East, which was controlled at that time by the Assyrian empire. Around 720 BC e. he sent an army to help the rebels against the Assyrians in Palestine and Gaza , but the army of the Assyrians, led by Sargon II, won [9] .
Shabaka
Pharaoh of Shabak by 710 BC e. completed the conquest of all of Egypt. He overthrew the last ruler of the previous Bokhoris dynasty. According to Manetho , the last pharaoh of the XXIV dynasty was burnt alive [10] . Shabaka moved the capital of his empire to Memphis. As a sign of acceptance of the Egyptian religion, Shabak became the High Priest of Amun . He consolidated and centralized power in his vast empire. The preservation and care of the pharaoh about the ancient religion of Memphis is reflected in the Shabak Stone . Like his predecessor, Shabak supported the rebellion in the Middle East (in Ashdod ) against the rule of Assyria, but the army he sent was defeated by Sargon II.
Shabbataka
The reign of Shabatak accounts for the continuation of wars with Assyria in the Middle East. The Kushite army was again defeated (according to Assyrian sources [11] [12] ). Assyrian sources also mention the peace agreement with Egypt of this time, confirming the influence of the Assyrians in the Middle East.
Taharka
The period of the reign of Pharaoh Taharka accounts for the heyday of the empire. Some researchers call this time - the renaissance of ancient Egypt. Taharka, managing Egypt from Memphis, organized an unprecedented in scope construction along the entire Nile Valley. Temples, pyramids, memorial complexes were erected not only in Upper and Lower Egypt, but also on the original Nubian territories - in Jebel Barkal , Nuri, El Curra , Meroe , Cava and Kerma [13] .
Starting from the X century. BC e. The Semitic peoples of Canaan and southern Aramaic (the modern territory of Syria ), with whom the Egyptians and Nubians had primordial ties, fell under the control of Mesopotamian Assyria. By the 700th years BC e. a clash of interests between two super-empires such as Egypt and Assyria , expanding from opposite sides towards the Middle East, became inevitable. The military operations of empires, which began during the time of the previous pharaohs, reached their peak in the reign of Taharka. At the first signs of discontent or rebellion in the Levant against Assyria, Taharka outfitted the army to help the Semitic peoples. Taharq's help to the Jewish ruler Hezekiah in his rebellion against the Assyrian ruler Sinaheherib was reflected in the Bible (2 Kings 18:14 ). The joint reflection of the Assyrian invasion was successful, though with the help of epidemics in the Assyrian army. A little later, Sinaheherib managed to oust the Egyptians from the Middle East back to Egypt. The ruler Asarhaddon , who replaced Sinaherib, had already organized the Assyrian campaign in Egypt in 671 BC. e. Taharka, who led the defense of Egypt, was defeated and fled to Nubia [9] . Asarhaddon made local aristocrats loyal to the new government reign in the captured country.
Asarhaddon’s henchmen failed to completely control the country - two years later, Taharka returned with an army from Nubia and seized power in Egypt until Memphis . Another Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal , sent back an army that had already banished Taharka from Egypt forever. Taharka died in Nubia two years later.
Tanuatamon
Pharaoh Tanuatamon, who replaced Taharka, tried to regain power over Egypt. He defeated the Assyrian protégé Necho I , but a large army sent by Assyria defeated the Cushites, Tanuatamon fled back to Nubia. The new protege of the Assyrians, the son of Necho I, Psammetich I became the pharaoh and founder of the new, XXVI dynasty . To the new pharaoh in 656 BC e. managed to unite Egypt under its rule. Interestingly, when Tanuatamon died, he, although he was no longer the Egyptian pharaoh, was buried with all the Pharaoh's honors in the pyramid at El Curra [9] .
The dynasty of Cushitic pharaohs continued to rule in Nubia, first making Napato the capital (656-590 BC), and after Meroe (590 BC - the 4th century AD).
The Importance of the 25th Dynasty in the History of Egypt
Despite the relatively short reign of the XXV dynasty in Egypt (about 90 years), it occupies a significant place in Egyptian history thanks to the restoration and expansion of traditional Egyptian culture, architecture, arts and ceremonies. It is known that the pharaohs of this dynasty were very careful about the ancient texts: Shabaka, for example, ordered to cut down the ancient text in stone (Shabaki Stone).
During the reign of the pharaohs of the XXV dynasty, contacts with Greek civilization took place. Herodotus suggested that the Egyptians descend from the Nubians, and Egypt was founded by Ethiopia [8] . Herodotus also refers to Homer , who mentioned that the Greek gods come from Ethiopia.
Gallery
Two cartouches : Kashta , the first pharaoh of the XXV dynasty (right), and his daughter, Amenirdis I, Spouses of the god Amon in Thebes (left).
Burial of Pharaoh Piankhi .
Pharaoh Shabaka .
Sculptural image of the pharaoh Shabataki , Nubian Museum . Aswan
Pharaoh Taharka .
Pharaoh Tanuatamon
Notes
- ↑ Török, László. The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization. - Leiden: BRILL, 1998 .-- S. 132. - ISBN 90-04-10448-8 .
- ↑ Bonnet, Charles. The Nubian Pharaohs. - New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2006. - P. 142–154. - ISBN 978-977-416-010-3 .
- ↑ Mokhtar G. General History of Africa. - California: University of California Press, 1990. - S. 161–163. - ISBN 0-520-06697-9 .
- ↑ 1 2 Emberling Geoff. _Ancient Kingdoms of Africa. - New York: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, 2011. - S. 9–11. - ISBN 978-0615481029 .
- ↑ Silverman David. Ancient Egypt. - New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. - S. 36–37. - ISBN 0-19-521270-3 .
- ↑ Dows Dunham. Notes on the History of Kush 850 BC-AD 350 (English) // American Journal of Archeology. - 1946. - July - September ( vol. 50 , no. 3 ). - P. 378-388 .
- ↑ László Török. The Kingdom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civilization. - Brill, 1997 .-- S. 148-149.
- ↑ 1 2 Herodotus. The Histories. - Penguin Books, 2003. - S. 106–107, 133–134. - ISBN 978-0-14-044908-2 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 Georges Roux. Ancient Iraq. - Penguin Books. - ISBN 978-0-14-012523-8 .
- ↑ History of the Ancient East / Ed. V.I. Kuzishchina . - 2nd ed. - M.: Higher School, 1988 .-- S. 66.
- ↑ The Inscription of king Sargon II of Assyria at Tang-i Var and the Chronology of Dynasty 25 (English) // Orientalia. - 2001. - No. 70 . - P. 1-18 .
- ↑ (Eng.) // Journal of Egyptian Archeology. - 2002. - No. 24 . - P. 182 .
- ↑ Diop Cheikh Anta. The African Origin of Civilization. - Chicago, Illinois: Lawrence Hill Books, 1974. - S. 219–221. - ISBN 1-55652-072-7 .
Comments
- ↑ Sometimes you can find information that the XXV dynasty was included in the Late period , but recently in the scientific world the inclusion of this dynasty in the Third Transition period clearly prevails.
- ↑ There are works in which the XXV dynasty begins with the predecessor of Kash, Pharaoh Alar , but he never formally controlled all of Egypt during his reign (although he extended his influence to Upper Egypt).
See also
- History of Ancient Egypt
- List of Kush rulers