The New Kingdom of Egypt

The New Kingdom of Egypt was from about 1570 to 1069 B.C. For about two hundred years between the end of the Middle Kingdom and the beginning of the New Kingdom, invasion and the horror of foreign rulers, had completely changed the Egyptian's way of thinking about their world. During this time Egypt for the first time became a military state. Armies started to flourish as they began their own invasions outside of Egypt. (Lassieur 58-60)

Ahmose became the first king of the New Kingdom. The land of Egypt was in ruins and its people were demoralized.King Ahmose and his successors lifted Egypt up once again and brought it back to power. Egypt and the kings who ruled during the New Kingdom would never again be the center of the universe. The New Kingdom was the last hallmark of the Egyptians civilization. The New Kingdom was a time of atonishing achievement in art and architecture. This was the most powerful and prosperous time in Egypt. At this time Egypt had many great rulers who strengthened the empire.(Lassieur 59)

The New Kingdom was also the Age of the Empire because during this time ambitious pharoahs build a large empire. One of the most important pharoahs of the New Kingdom was the first female ruler Queen Hatshepsut. Her step son was too young to take the throne so she ruled in his place. Later on she claimed herself pharoah, because the Egyptians saw kingship as a male privilege, she wore a fake beard and was portrayed as a male. Hatshepsut encouraged trade and improved trade with other countries. Her greatest achievement was when she sent a expedition to Punt and from this she recieved many gifts.

The New Kingdom consisted of 3 dynasties, the eighteenth through the twentieth. The pharoahs of the New Kingdom were the most well known amoungst all the pharoahs of Egypt. The first pharoah of the eighteenth dynasty was Ahmose I. He pushed the Hittites out of Egypt. The first pharoah of the nineteeth dynasty was Ramesses I. He only ruled for a period of two years. The first pharoah of the twentieth dynasy was Ramesses IV. He sent expeditions to Sinai for stone for statues.

The New Kingdom was not only successful with their military but also with trade. The Egyptians had trade relations during the New Kingdom with the Nubians, Hittites, and other cities farther beyond that. The foreigners contributed to the Egyptians during the New Kingdom. The foreigners brought prosperity to Egypt which provided the means to enlarge and build new temples and cities. During the end of the nineteeth dynasty Egypt began to lose their prosperity and stability.

The New Kingdom began to collapse because of no political unity. Unity played a big part in the New Kingdom because without it the empire would be weakened and it would have no support. The Hittite Empire was attacked by outsiders called the" Sea Peoples." Not much is known about the sea peoples but that they detroyed the Hittite Empire. Later on the Sea Peoples came and attacked Egypt, this ended the New Kingdom. Egypt was not controlled by the Sea Peoples but later on they went to war against each other and the Egyptians won. This started the 3rd Intermediate Period.

Assmann, Jan. The Mind of Egypt. New York: Henry Holt & Company, Inc, 1996.
Lassieur, Allison. The Ancient Egyptians. San Diego:Lucent Books Inc, 2001.