Ame III - Foreign Affairs

Question 1

What are the 3 foreign policy of Amenhotep?

Answer 1

comm and trade
marriage
military action and campaign

Question 2

what did foreign policy involve?

Answer 2

In Ancient Egypt, pharaoh’s foreign policy involved how he dealt with issues in the ‘empire’ (historians questions if empire as kept changing), and the relationships he had with foreign kings and vassal princes within the empire.

Question 3

What is vassal state?

Answer 3

Any subordinate to another. Usually has to pay tribute and taxes to the controlling state.

Question 4

What are kingdoms?

Answer 4

Exercised autonomy (while cooperated with Egypt- and ruled by kings (e.g. Mitanni) – more respect, Difference interactions between the 2 by pharaoh

Question 5

How did Amenhotep govern his empire?

Answer 5

Governed his empire through diplomacy rather than force (practice of negotiations between representatives – respect), allowed Egypt to be in state of prosperity and peace

Question 6

How and who did he communicate with?

Answer 6

Communicated using letters (gifts, pleasantry), with the great kings of Mitanni, Babylon and Assyria, with the vassal princes of Syria and Palestine. (Amarna letters) – create peaceful relations

Question 7

What did he do with rulers of north east Syria?

Answer 7

Negotiated alliances

Question 8

Why did he add foreign princesses to his harem (groups of wives/women of palace)

Answer 8

As sign of good faith and security measure. Become brother (brother king – although Egyptian is always superior). Ties closer and becomes family affair. (No Egyptian princesses sent out to marry foreigners as believed to be more superior.)

Question 9

What did he do to maintain comm with the foreigners?

Answer 9

• Exchanged gifts with ‘brother kings’

- Employed trusted envoys (messenger) who travelled through the East

Question 10

Quote to show Amenhotep’s communication/exchange of gifts:

Answer 10

Letter from Amenhotep III to Milkilu of Gezer shows exchange of gifts such as gold, usually expecting gifts or loyalty in return,
“Thus speaks the king…I have sent Hanya…with merchandise in order to have beautiful concubines, weavers, silver, gold, turquoises, all sorts of precious stones, chairs of ivory…”.

Question 11

What was always kept when communicating with vassal princes/brother kings? (QUOTE)

Answer 11

Egypt always maintained a higher status among them, evident in the Amarna letters where excessive flattery was used by vassal princes, such as “To the king, my lord, the Sun-god from heaven”, providing insight to Egypt’s influence among the states

Question 12

What did his strong relations with the foreigners allow him to do?

Answer 12

to negotiate alliances with the rulers of the north east, forming a time of peace and strong influence/power throughout the empire

Question 13

What happened as a result of his diplomacy?

Answer 13

Egypt became a cosmopolitan society due to the growing number of foreigners coming to Egypt to settle and trade. Through the exchange of gifts and trade, Egyptian art and craft began to contain eastern influence of naturalism in art.

Question 14

What happened through his diplomatic relations?

Answer 14

trade increased, Egypt’s economy prospered, gained access to more resources and trade routes

Question 15

What was also given in return for protection and peace among other states by foreign states?

Answer 15

annual tax and tribute

Question 16

What was the negative side, despite his achievements with diplomacy and foreign relations?

Answer 16

Despite all these achievements, the lack of military control and relations over vassal states of Syria and Palestine is contested as being a precursor to the eventual loss of Egypt’s northern vassals when Syrians princes began to seek independence and the Hittites emerged as a rival power during Akhenaten’s reign

Question 17

What was effective through diplomatic marriages? what was it a sign of?

Answer 17

Diplomatic marriages were also a method of ensuring positive foreign relations and a way of obtaining luxury goods. It was a sign of good faith and a security measure to ensure the foreign states will not attack Egypt with their princesses in his harem

Question 18

What happened when a marriage took place?

Answer 18

princesses were sent to Egypt with rich dowries as well as luxurious gifts, which added wealth and prosperity of Egypt. In return, their fathers expected precious items, especially gold to be sent.

Question 19

How many princes is he known to have married? effects?

Answer 19

at least seven foreign princesses from areas such as Mitanni, Babylon and Syria, increasing his status and power to have his harem full of royal daughters of the most powerful rulers in the east.

Question 20

Why were these marriages often one sided?

Answer 20

as no Egyptian princesses was ever sent to marry foreign rulers, which may be a sign that Egyptian pharaoh’s regarded themselves as pre-eminent among their brother kings.

Question 21

Evidence of Egypt’s superiority through diplomatic marriages? From Amenhotep

Answer 21

Shown in Amenhotep’s reply to the requests from the King of Babylon,
“never has the daughter of an Egyptian king been given to anyone”.

Question 22

Evidence of Egypt’s superiority through diplomatic marriages? From Babylon King

Answer 22

On the other hand, the Babylon king, despite the rejection of his requests, sent his daughter to Amenhotep, demonstrated in the Amarna letters, “but how could I refuse you a wife and not send her to you, as you did. I have daughters, I will not refuse you in any way concerning this.”.

Question 23

What was the negative side of diplomatic marriages? (evidence)

Answer 23

Although the marriages were effective in achieving strong relations with other states, it also caused bitterness. When Amenhotep failed to deliver the promised gold to Tushratta of Mitanni due to his death and Akhenaten, his son, not honouring his father’s promise, their foreign relation began to deteriorate

Question 24

What did his overall diplomatic marriages do?

Answer 24

Amenhotep III’s diplomatic marriages increased his power and influence in the east, bringing peace among the states as a security measure and a way to establish strong relationships among the rulers, but it also causing animosity between foreign rulers based on the actions of Amenhotep III and his successor

Question 25

What was needed to in terms of military action and campaigns in Egypt?

Answer 25

The Egyptian empire was at its zenith of wealth, status and power and this stability meant there was no need to fight wars, but rather, protect this peace and prosperity of his reign

Question 26

What happened due to the exploits of his predecessors?

Answer 26

‘the era of waring in Asia and extending boundaries of Egypt was over’

Question 27

What was he still portrayed as despite his foreign policy being diplomatic?

Answer 27

Although his foreign policy was diplomatic, he was still portrayed as a warrior pharaoh in military propaganda to exert his power and strength among the foreign states/areas

Question 28

How many military campaigns did he launch?

Answer 28

only one military campaign against Nubia for a minor revolt in his fifth year, which was exaggerated into a major victory for the king.

Question 29

Despite his lack of military action, what do the official records depict him as?

Answer 29

him as the all conquering pharaoh.

Question 30

evidence of his depiction as warrior pharaoh:

Answer 30

A victory tablet set up in his mortuary temple showing him driving over conquered Syrians in his chariot with the words, “smiting Naharian with his mighty sword”, the stela at the First Cataract, the Konosso inscription and the Semna inscription all informs his strength and powerful image as a conquering warrior pharaoh.

Question 31

What did he also maintain for military campaign/action?

Answer 31

maintained a military presence in western Asia with forts and garrisons as a means of keeping the states under his control and avoiding any revolts

Question 32

What does launching only one military campaign highlight?

Answer 32

• Launching only one military campaign throughout his reign highlights the prosperity and peace of his reign and the influence he had with other states.
• By keeping a military presence in western Asia, he was capable of maintaining the peace and control over these foreign states.

Question 33

Conclusion, summing up his achievements:

Answer 33

• Through his diplomacy such as communication, marriage and military actions, Amenhotep III was able to maintain the political stability and economic prosperity of Egypt, having launched only one military campaign against Nubia throughout his whole reign. Although, this could also have been a precursor to the eventual loss of Syria-Palestine to the Hittites during his son’s reign. In retrospect, in investing his wealth ad foreign resources into extensive building programs, he improved the economy and resulted in advances in art and religion, with importance being placed on the sun god, Aten. Through his reign, Egypt achieved status as a respected authority, at the zenith of its power and wealth, but whether this stability was the achievement of Amenhotep III himself or merely passed onto him to maintain by the success of his predecessors remains contested by historians till this day. As a historian states, “When Amenhotep died he took with him an Egypt of political and religious certainties, a state that had regained strength and respect at home and abroad.”