The ancient kingdom - a period in the history of ancient Egypt , covering the reign of the pharaohs of the III — VI dynasties. At this time in Egypt, a centralized strong state was formed, the economic, military-political and cultural flourishing of the country was observed.
| Kingdom | |
| Ancient Egyptian kingdom | |
|---|---|
 the kingdom is green | |
←  →mid XXIII - mid XXI century BC. er | |
| Capital | Memphis |
| Languages) | Egyptian hieroglyphs |
| Religion | Ancient Egyptian religion |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy |
| Dynasty | III dynasty , IV dynasty , V dynasty , VI dynasty , VII dynasty , VIII dynasty . |
| Official language | |
| Pharaoh (king) ( list ) | |
| • 2707/2657-2690/2640 BC er | Nebka, Sanakht (first) |
| • 2119–2118 + 25 BC. er | Neferirkar II (last) |
The separation of the Old Kingdom from the Early Kingdom that preceded it, or the early dynastic period, is conditional: the III dynasty with which the Ancient Kingdom begins, is related to II, and Memphis remained the capital of Egypt.
 |
Rulers ( Pharaohs , Prefects , Dioces , Nomarchs ) |
However, significant changes occurred in architecture: instead of mastabs, Egyptian pyramids began to be erected as tombs of the pharaohs, the masses of peasants and artisans mobilized to build them (as well as other structures of monumental architecture).
Content
State Development
The old interpretations, which tried to present the power system in Egypt of the Old Kingdom as a rigid hierarchical structure headed by the pharaoh autocrat, are anachronistic and based on the stereotypical notion of Eastern societies, traditional for Europe, as totalitarian despotisms based on the unlimited, all-pervading power of the ruler over subjects . In fact, the centralization of the country was just beginning, and the central power had a powerful counterbalance in the person of the regional elites that had been conquered, but did not lose their power to the end of their power, as well as the priesthood. The Nomarchs , formally considered the governors of Pharaoh, retained considerable local power, including their own military units, and later even founded their own local dynasties, whose dependence on the central government was limited to formal recognition of the rule and payment of taxes.
In fact, Egypt of the Old Kingdom was a fairly loose association of self-governing agricultural communities, the points of contact between which were only the payment of taxes for the maintenance of the administration, the creation of a common "safety" grain reserve in case of crop failure, participation in joint irrigation projects and other public works, such as building royal tomb, which was considered ritually necessary to maintain the normal functioning of the economic system. The central government practically did not intervene in the economic activities of the communities themselves, limiting themselves to recognizing the nominal right of the supreme ownership of the land for Pharaoh (the pharaoh formally “endowed” the community that already belonged to it actually with land, acting as its guarantor). The system of communal land use of the Egyptian peasants ( fellahs ) has changed little over the millennia, having survived the country's Greek, Roman and Arabian conquests and yielded only to the development of capitalist relations in the 20th century, indicating the deep antiquity of this institution and its high degree of autonomy from the central government.
As was often the case in the agrarian civilizations of the East, the power of Pharaoh (that is, his “professional duties” rather than his personality) was deified, since his strict adherence to prescribed rituals was considered necessary for the normal flow of natural cycles affecting agriculture - hence the deification of the ruler’s figure as the incarnation of the god Horus and the son of the god Ra , by virtue of his position endowed with mystic power. However, as soon as a strong and long drought loosened the economy of Egypt, the natural cataclysm was blamed in the mass consciousness on the central government and the Pharaoh personally, unrest began in the country, and soon the Old Kingdom ceased to exist, the First Transition Period began with the collapse into 42 separate districts -noma
The economy in the period of the Old Kingdom was based on agriculture. The unification of the delta and the valley in a single state made it possible to improve the irrigation system, the basis of agriculture. In Lower Egypt , the cultivation of barley has spread. Poultry farming and fishing were widespread in the seas of the seashore. Gardening was also well developed; varieties of fruit crops were called in the cities of Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt was the center of the grain industry; from Upper Egypt, grain on special vessels was sent down the Nile. In Upper Egypt, cattle breeding was also developed on fat pastures along the banks of the Nile. The Egyptians tried to tame for feeding antelopes , gazelles , ibex . Of the birds bred ducks , geese , pigeons , cranes .
Already in the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians grew vegetables ( roots , onions , garlic , lettuce , etc.). Flax and viticulture were of great importance [1] .
During the excavations, many stone and copper tools were used in the Old Kingdom. Thanks to the extensive use of copper tools, construction of soft stone ( limestone ) was developed. Copper in the Old Kingdom was used soft, without admixture of tin , so, for example, the effect of saws had to be strengthened with the help of hard sand; for the same reason, copper tools wear out quickly. Meteorite iron was known to the Egyptians already in the period of the Old Kingdom, but it did not receive mass use in production at that time [2] .
The system of state administration that has developed in the Old Kingdom, which presupposes the unlimited power of the deified monarch, relying on the extensive apparatus of numerous officials, is defined as ancient Oriental despotism. Moreover, some pharaohs sat on the throne for many years. For example, Pepy II of VI dynasty reigned for 94 years — the longest reign in world history (Louis XIV reigned only 72 years). However, in reality, the rule of Pepi II was a period of strong weakening of the central power, regional separatism and the power of the nomarchs , who once again formed their own local dynasties, and only a few decades after his death, the country slipped into civil war.
After the termination of the VI dynasty, the power of the Memphis kings becomes nominal. The country is divided into many independent principalities, consisting of one or several nomes. The era of the Old Kingdom is replaced by a period of decline and fragmentation of ancient Egypt (the first transition period ), and then - the Middle Kingdom , dated between 2040 and 1783 (or 1640) BC. er
Chronology of the Old Kingdom
| date | Event |
|---|---|
| OK. 2707-2150 BC. er | The ancient kingdom in Egypt (III — VI dynasty) and its first flowering. Formed archaic relations with subsistence farming and a “slave-owning” state (there are relatively few slaves, mostly prisoners of war), there is no regular army. The dominance of Ennead worship is the Sun God Ra (temple in Heliopolis ), who supplanted the more ancient god Atum . On the basis of the Heliopolis belief system, the further absolutisation of the power of Pharaoh is formed, beginning with the IV dynasty, revered as the son of Ra and the earthly incarnation of Horus. The rapid development of a culture based on belief in the afterlife, and the arts. The famous ancient Egyptian pyramids and many temples are being created. The beginning of the penetration of the Egyptians in Sinai, Libya, Phenicia (the port of Byblos becomes the center of Egyptian trade) and Palestine . |
| OK. 2707-2639 BC. er | III dynasty of Egyptian rulers. |
| OK. 2707—2690 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Sanakht (III dynasty). Foundation of the Old Kingdom. |
| OK. 2690 - 2670 BC. uh .. | Pharaoh Djoser’s rule in Egypt is the “Golden Age” of the Ancient Kingdom in Egypt. Creation by court scientists of the first solar calendar. The activities of the scientist, architect and physician priest Imhotep , the plans for which built the first six-step pyramid - Dzhoser in Saqqara (near Memphis ). |
| OK. 2670 - 2663 BC. er | Board of the pharaoh Sekhemheta . |
| OK. 2663 - 2657 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Hub . |
| OK. 2657 - 2639 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Huni . The last pharaoh III dynasty. |
| OK. 2613 - 2467 BC. uh | IV dynasty of Egyptian rulers. A strong centralized state that allowed the construction of the great pyramids of Giza ( Cheops , Khafry and Mikerina ) - the first of the seven wonders of the world. The cult of Ra, declared the father of the pharaohs, becomes the state religion. |
| OK. 2613 - 2589 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Snofru . The rise of the power of the Egyptian state. The construction of the "Diamond" and "Pink" pyramids in Dashhur. |
| OK. 2595 BC er | Egyptian Pharaoh Snofru undertakes one of the first successful campaigns in Nubia, which brought a large number of prisoners. |
| OK. 2589 - 2566 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) . The construction, according to the plans of the architect Hemiun, of the smooth-sided Great Pyramid on the plateau in Giza (El Giza) with a height of 146.6 m (now 136 m). |
| OK. 2566 - 2558 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Djedefre . Begins construction of the pyramid at Abu Roash. |
| OK. 2558 - 2532 BC. er | The reign in Egypt of Pharaoh Khafra ( Khafre ). Built the second largest pyramid of Giza. Created by the Great Sphinx . |
| OK. 2532 - 2503 BC. er | The reign of the pharaoh Mikerin (Menkaura) . Built the third pyramid in El Giza. |
| OK. 2503 - 2498 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Shepsescafe . The last pharaoh IV dynasty. |
| OK. 2494 - 2345 BC. er | The reign of the pharaohs V dynasty. |
| OK. 2494 - 2487 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Usercafe . Builds a pyramid at Saqqara, near the pyramid of Djoser. |
| OK. 2487 - 2475 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Sahur . |
| OK. 2475 - 2465 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Neferirkar Kakai . |
| OK. 2465 - 2460 BC. uh | Reign of Pharaoh Shepseskar . |
| OK. 2460 - 2458 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Neferefr . |
| OK. 2458 - 2422 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Niuserra . |
| OK. 2422 - 2414 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Menkauhora . |
| OK. 2414 - 2375 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Jedkar Isesi . |
| OK. 2375 - 2345 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Unis is the last pharaoh of the V dynasty. The appearance of the " Pyramid Texts ". |
| OK. 2345 - 2150 BC. er | Board of the pharaohs VI dynasty. |
| OK. 2345 - 2337 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Teti . |
| OK. 2337 - 2335 BC. er | Reign of Pharaoh Userkara . |
| OK. 2335 - 2285 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Pepi I. With the help of Nubian mercenaries subdued southern Syria to Mount Carmel. |
| OK. 2300 BC er | The creation of Egyptian hieratic (priestly) writing - a simplified version of the hieroglyphic. |
| OK. 2285 - 2279 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Merenr I. |
| OK. 2278 - 2184 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Pepi II , which lasted 94 years, is the longest in history. |
| OK. 2184 - 2183 BC. er | The reign of Pharaoh Merenr II . |
| OK. 2152 - 2150 BC. er | The reign of Queen Nitokris (Neikikert) is the end of the Old Kingdom. |
Notes
- ↑ World History / Ed. Zhukova E. M. - M .: Thought , 1956-1965. - T. I. - p. 160. - 801 p.
- ↑ World History / Ed. Zhukova, E. M. - M .: Thought, 1956-1965. - T. I. - p. 161. - 801 p.