...Egypt. A pharaoh of ancient Egypt was a political and religious leader of the people. The rulers of Egypt were usually the sons or declared heirs of the preceding pharaoh, born of the primary wife (pharaoh’s chief consort) or sometimes a lesser-ranked wife whom the pharaoh favored. Early on, the rulers would marry female aristocrats in an effort to establish the legitimacy of their dynasty by linking it to the upper classes. To keep the bloodline pristine, many pharaohs would also marry their sisters or half-sisters to ensure the royal bloodline. Although a pharaoh was usually of male gender, quite a few female pharaohs’ ruled over ancient Egypt. One female pharaoh in particular was actually the first known female pharaoh. Her name was Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut’s success came about with the ability to be cunning, to construct major building...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...Hatshepsut was an interesting Egyptian pharaoh, and was the first female ruler of Egypt. Instead of war she encouraged trade with other land while exploring. She was the daughter of pharaoh Thutmose l, and the queen Ahmose, from 1508 B.C. to around 1458 B.C. The name Hatshepsut means foremost of noble ladies. In this essay I will explain who Hatshepsut was, how she became pharaoh, and who her family was. Born in Egypt in 1508 B.C., with a sister named Akhbetneferu, who Hatshepsut probably didn’t know too well, because Akhbetneferu died in infancy. Hatshepsut was also supposed to have had four half-brothers due to her father’s second marriage to Mutnofret, two of them also died at a young age. But one of the remaining two was Thutmose ll who would who later marry Hatshepsut. It is claimed that as a child, out of her siblings, Hatshepsut was the one her father liked the most. Supposedly the temple of Karak also favored her. This resulted in her being named by her father as next in line for the throne as queen. At age of twelve Hatshepsut and Thutmose ll were married. They were already married when Hatshepsut’s father died, which lead to Thutmose taking the throne and Hatshepsut being promoted to queen ruler alongside him. But being stuck at queen was to be short lived, sadly for Hatshepsut Thutmose died, leaving her a widow. Before Thutmose passed away he had a son named Thutmose lll who was going to be the next pharaoh, and was Hatshepsut’s nephew. She thought he was...
Words: 419 - Pages: 2
...and mother of King Ahmose showed growing signs of power as many cults proclaimed dedication towards them. Shortly afterwards, the New Kingdom produced the “rarity” of a “ruling queen” (Freeman 64). Queen Hatshepsut was a great example of how formidable and influential a woman could be when serving in a position of power. Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I and when her father died, she married her half-brother, King Thutmose II. When her husband died, his son Thutmose III (who was only a boy at the time), ruled the throne and Hatshepsut was accepted as co-regent. However, she quickly assumed absolute control over the Egyptian empire by “claiming that she was ruler by right as the heir of Thutmose I” (Freeman 64). Her rise to power defied the patriarchal views set in place by the men in power and set a new precedent for the roles women led. Hatshepsut is historically significant for a number of reasons. During the time in which she ruled, her reign was peaceful, successful, and stable because “for the first time in the New Kingdom a ruler had effective control over Middle Egypt” (Freeman 65). One of her greatest achievements was the campaign she led into the land of Punt which resulted in many exotic goods such as aromatic plants, cattle, and ebony. Hatshepsut commemorated this expedition in stone. It has since become a celebrated relief as well as a depiction of her power. Socially and politically, Hatshepsut’s reign can be considered controversial. Politically...
Words: 1063 - Pages: 5
...Hatshepsut the Queen who would be Pharaoh Flora Molski Professor H. Stansbury HUM111 Born into greatness, daughter of a king. Yet for all she had done so much of her life is still so unknown to us. How could this absolute ruler be all but erased from the annals of time? Was her Step son/nephew Thutmose III to blame? Did he have her killed after watching her usurp his thrown for over 20 years (Sayer, 2012)? Did he chose to further avenge himself by completely destroying any hope that she would enter the afterlife? Hatshepsut’s legacy remained a mystery until 1904 when one of three sarcophagi she had made was discovered empty by Howard Carter in the 20th Tomb in The valley of the kings (KV20) (Brown, C. 2009). The search continued for who this Pharaoh was, how did she die, and why did she chose to progressively alter her image to male. The Religion of Egypt at the time would not support a women ruler. Not outside of the confines of a regency until the “rightful” king reached maturity (Brown, C. 2009). So if she intended to rule, she would need the support of the priests and through them the people. This transformation may seem drastic and unstable to modern eyes but to myself I see the most impactful and original political spin job in all of history. Hatshepsut was a millennia ahead of her time. I will be brazen enough at lay at your feet my own theory, that her disappearance was not done to be malicious. But was done to protect her. Hatshepsut the only surviving...
Words: 1339 - Pages: 6
...Queen Hatshepsut Strayer University Hum 111 Dr Hugh Kottler July 21, 2011 Queen Hatshepsut The Queen that was king, Queen Hatshepsut was the first women to claim the title Pharaoh along with the power. However it was the way she claim and maintained this status that has people wondering how she died and where she was buried at? After her death she vanished from Egyptian History. Queen Hatshepsut, was married to Thutmose II when he died the trone went to Thutmose III, and Hatshepsut. Thutmose III was to young to become king so Hatshepsut took over til he become of age. When Thutmose III become of age Hatsheput denied him his right to the trone. Queen Hatshepsut was king for twenty years. When she died Tuthmose III gained the trone and was not going to let her memory be honored. So he tried to erase her memory from Egypt. Some believe that Hatshepsut was buried with her father in KV20 then moved. The mummy of Thuthmosis I which was Hatshepsut’s father was transferred by Thuthmosis III and reburied again in a new tomb, KV 38. Thuthmosis III then had Hatshepsut moved to KV60 with her wet nurse. He ordered her name and image be removed from every part of Egypt. (Hawass) Others believe that AmenhotepII son of Thutmose III by a secondary wife moved Hatshepsut from KV20 into the tomb of her wet nurse KV60 in a attempt to assure his own uncertain right to seccession. Amenhotep II became co-regent of Thutmose III before his death, after his dad Thutmose III died...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...The Seated Statue of Hatshepsut made for indurated limestone stands 76 and ¾ inches tall. Limestone is a hard sedimentary rock, composed mainly of calcium or dolomite. Limestone can be found in soft forms making it very easy to sculpt. The statue depicts Hatshepsut, the most successful female ruler of ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut declared herself Pharaoh reigning as a male from 1479-1458 B.C. During Hatshepsut reign, Egypt became a world power with arts flourishing, prosperity and peace. Hatshepsut gained wealth for her nation by establishing trade routes that had been disrupted during the Hyksos occupation of Egypt. The most proud accomplishment of the Pharaoh was her expedition sent into the land of Punt, thought to be modern day Somalia. The...
Words: 368 - Pages: 2
...Assess interpretations of Hatshepsut The female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, is arguably one of the most influential people of ancient Egypt. For thousands of years, the workings of Hatshepsut have been subject to multiple interpretations, from both her time and the modern day. An evaluation of the effectiveness of her reign can be resolved from the reliability and validity of evidence presented today, both primary and secondary. In one respect, Hatshepsut is viewed as the female pharaoh who had a particularly unsuccessful reign that was devoid of any real achievements. Historians writing in the 1970’s and 1980’s often made sexist and unfounded assumptions about Hatshepsut’s rule, including her apparent scheming to take the throne from the rightful heir, her inability to lead a military, and her untimely and unnatural death. Steindorff and Seele for example, describe Hatshepsut as a ‘high handed woman who kept her co-ruler on the sideline and thwarted his ambitions’. A suggestion like this however is challenged heavily by primary evidence and modern research. The idea that Hatshepsut’s relationship with Thutmose III wasn’t that of dictator and slave is shown through the acts of genuine respect she performed, such as not ‘getting rid’ of him when he was young as many other powerful figures would have, erecting monuments of both him and her, and also giving him control of the army. Historian Gardiner, similarly, emphasises Hatshepsut as ‘virile’ and ‘unable to achieve such power without...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Queen Hatshepsut was one of the most powerful women in the ancient world, and remains a great role model to girls and young women 3000 years later. Even thought her life is shrouded in mystery, due to the fact that her stepson tried to remove all evidence of her once he became pharaoh, historians have found enough to learn about her life and how she died. Like most Pharaohs not much is known about Hatshepsut's childhood. However we do know that she was the eldest of two daughters born to Thutmose I and his queen and principal wife Queen Ahmose. At the age of 12 Queen Hatshepsut married her half brother King Thutmose II. This marriage was probably celebrated by a large feast with government officials and family there instead of a ceremony....
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...Black women of antiquity were legendary for their beauty, power and lover affairs. Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia; Queen of Sheba (960 B.C.) Queen Hatshepsut: Queen of Ancient Kemet Hatshepsut conquered on the role of King in the 18th dynasty (1504-1483 BCE). She was the daughter of Thutmose I and his wife Ahmose. She was the principal wife of her half-brother, Thutmose II. She bore her husband a daughter but no surviving son. When Thutmose II died young, the title of King was intertied by son of one of his secondary wives- Thutmose III. At the time, Thutmose III was very young at the time and couldn’t fully rule. Hatshepsut half-brother, Thutmose II, took successor to the throne. Hatshepsut asserted in her propaganda that her father pronounced her to be the heir. Before Thutmose II...
Words: 1434 - Pages: 6
...Hatshepsut is the oldest daughter of Thutmose I and Ahmes. After king Thutmose I’s death, she married her half-brother Thutmose II which was a common practice to ensure purity of the royal bloodline. Hatshepsut had only a daughter, Neferure with Thutmose II who died after a 15-year reign on 1479 B.C, making Hatshepsut a widow at age 30. According to custom, Hatshepsut became Thutmose III’s regent, handling affairs of state and when her stepson came of age he would become king. but less than 7 years, Hatshepsut took the step of having the title and powers of a pharaoh herself, also as a co-ruler of Egypt with Thutmose III. Queen Hatshepsut reigned over Egypt for more than 20 years. She served as queen alongside her husband, Thutmose II, but after his death, claimed the...
Words: 668 - Pages: 3
...Hatshepsut was" the queen who would be king." She had gradually changed her characteristics from female to male as her royal status had changed. The change of her characteristics allowed her people to accept her as pharaoh, since the pharaoh was the god Horus in the human form of a man. Therefore she had depicted herself as a man and followed the traditional regalia of a pharaoh to legitimise her claim to the throne. Hatshepsut's first tile was "Queen Consort". As a queen she was depicted in images as feminine and delicate. The Diorite statue of Hatshepsut displays her as feminine, due to the soft facial features, breasts, slender waist and a tight fitting dress. Also Queen Hatshepsut wore the vulture crown of the goddess Nekhbet, since...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
...Breaking all the traditional rules, Hatshepsut the first lady Pharaoh, removes her son to become the ruler of Egypt. For 20 years, this fake Pharaoh ruled and Egypt prospered. During her rule she fought many courageous battles, and entered into the first trade alliance. With this aforementioned achievement Hatshepsut extends Egyptian trade. Hatshepsut reign started in 1478 B.C.. She was the longest reigning female Pharaoh of her time. Hatshepsut was married to her half brother ,Thutmose II, until 1479 when he passed away. She served as regine for her son then soon after took title as Pharaoh, now beginning her rule over Egypt. She ruled tell her sudden death, when she died her son Thutmose III took back over and tried to remove her from history...
Words: 1000 - Pages: 4
...Queen Hatshepsut was born in the 15th century B.C. She was the daughter of Thutmose I and Aahmes. Hatshepsut was married to Thutmose II, her half-brother. Upon Thutmose II death Thutmose III, the son of Thutmose II and his royal concubine, was too young to become pharaoh. Hatshepsut who was his step mother became pharaoh instead. Thutmose III envied Queen Hatshepsut and was eager to become the Pharaoh. Because of the dislike Thutmose III tried to erase any trace of the female Pharaoh that dressed as a male. The mystery surrounding the death of Queen Hatshepsut heightens when her remains disappeared for KV20. It is suggest that in the Third Intermediate Period, during the 21st or 22nd Dynasties, the mummy of Hatshepsut was relocated to KV60, which possibly was cut in the 18th Dynasty but never used, this tomb was incomplete and was not decorated. It is speculated that the tomb was be built for someone else. According to research it appears that the mummy of Hatshepsut was switch to the coffin of her wet nurse for security reason and as a sign of respect. After researching one would think that the hatred from Thutmose III played into the mysterious disappearance of the Pharaoh. I speculated that she was murdered. There were no signs of the Pharaoh until 1960s when translations of hieroglyphs and other discoveries brought clarity to the missing information in historical records. The mystery of the Queen mummy started to unfold in April 2007 in the tombs of Deir el-Bahril...
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
...Queen Hatshepsut the King Herself World Cultures I – HUM 111 Your Name Professor April Castagna Strayer University Date Queen Hatshepsut the King Herself It is believed that Queen Hatshepsut the Fifth Pharaoh of Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt dressed as a man to gain support of the Egyptians. After her death, her successor and stepson, King Thutmose III removed as many remnants of her rule as possible. Although a pharaoh, her mummified remains and tomb have never been conclusively found. Queen Hatshepsut was a master politician, and an elegant stateswoman with enough charisma to keep control of an entire country for twenty one years. She served as queen alongside her husband, Thutmose II, but after his death claimed the role of pharaoh while acting as regent to her stepson, Thutmose III. She reigned peaceably, building temples and monuments resulting in the flourish of Egypt. After her death, Thutmose III tried to eradicate her memory by having images of her as king systematically chiseled off temples, monuments, and obelisks (Brown, 2009). There are two theories on how Queen Hatshepsut become pharaoh of Egypt and they are as follows: The first theory is the fragrance of perfume, rulers in Egypt used scents to instill awe in the people of Egypt. She personally led expeditions to modern Eritrea to scout for redolent plants from which to make incense (Kean, 2011). These exotic scents that she created or had created helped cement her status as a legitimate monarch...
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...Hatshepsut was a powerful women pharaoh in Ancient Egyptian time period . Hatshepsut was born in the year, 1508 BC and died in the year, 1458 BC. In her childhood her siblings died while in a young age. Due to that, there was no son to take over the throne. In the royal tradition, Hatshepsut married his step brother in order to keep the bloodline pure. A short time after she got married to his husband, he died. Now that there is no leader, who is going to rule Egypt now? The only male in the family was a young boy, Hatshepsut's nephew. The problem was he was still a baby, so Hatshepsut was now a regent. Hatshepsut was powerful and also a brilliant leader. While being a regent, few years later she became a pharaoh. While ruling Egypt she...
Words: 262 - Pages: 2
