Foreign Relations: Maintenance and Administration of the Empire

Question 1

Egypt’s “Empire”

Answer 1

• Egypt’s “empire” was not very large, with borders that constantly changed depending on the pharaoh in power
• Empire definition: political unit that has an extensive territory or nations ruled by a single supreme authority

Question 2

Why expand?

Answer 2

• Security
• Resources
• Economy
• Warrior pharaoh has to restore/uphold ma’at

Question 3

Development and role of the army

Answer 3

• Army was developed under successive pharaohs
• Became increasingly important in military administration
• Were rewarded for their service, keeping them loyal. Horemheb rewarded with gold collars by Tutankhamun, depicted in Horemheb’s mortuary temple/tomb (?), Seti I “increased rations to the army in ointment, meat, fish, and vegetables without limit […] they worked for His Majesty with a loving heart”
• Assisted with trade, building programs, the spread of the “empire”

Divisions

• 2 divisions: Amun at Thebes, and Re at Heliopolis
• Structure: host - company - platoon - squad (in increasing specificity)

Question 4

Relations with Nubia

Answer 4

• Comprised two parts: Wawat, which lies between 1st and 2nd Cataracts, and Kush, beyond the 2nd cataract
• Kush was an important source of gold
• Nubia payed tribute and taxes to the pharaoh in cattle and agricultural products
• Slaves
• Exotic goods were laso imported from tropical Africa, e.g. ebony, ivory, animal skins, ostrich feathers

Question 5

Syria-Palestine relations

Answer 5

• Over 300 independent city states controlled by local chieftains in the Syria-Palestine region
• Had access to profitable trade routes
• Trade with this region allowed Egypt to access cedar wood from Lebanon, and resin for mummification
• Kadesh was economically and politically significant
• Mittani kingdom seen as a possible threat when they aligned themselves with Kadesh during the reign of Thus III

Question 6

Stage 1 establishment of the empire

Answer 6

• Ahmose I enacted military raids to protect borders and trade, creating buffer zones with the Hyksos

Question 7

Stage 2 expansion of empire

Answer 7

• Amenhotep I reconquered Nubia
• Consolidated control to extend the borders of Egypt and begin the administration process
• Thutmose I led campaigns into Nubia and Western Asia, built a fort at Tombos to mark control of Nubia

Question 8

Stage 3 sustained campaigning

Answer 8

Thutmose III

• Staged a series of campagins through Syria, Palestine, and Mitanni, eventuating in the defeat of Kadesh
• First campaign was the Battle of Megiddo, which was most likely started by Palestine and Syria when Thutmose III came to the throne
• Implemented oaths, colonisation, hostages and “Egyptianisation”, parades of power, annual tribute, garirisons, supply depots in coastal cities, and the administration positions of overseer of all northern lands, envoys, and messengers to bring the conquered areas under permanent Egyptian subjugation

Question 9

Stage 4 consolidation of empire

Answer 9

• Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV used diplomacy, marriage, and treaties to maintain the “empire” sphere of influence

Question 10

Consequences of empire

Answer 10

• By AIII’s reign, the work of successive pharaohs had established a strong phere of influence. Egypt was a powerful political presnece in the region, and warfare against Egypt became rare
• AIII maintained Thutmose IV’s diplomatic treaty and foreign marriage practice

Question 11

Other regions maintained by the empire

Answer 11

• Babylonia
• Assyria
• Mittani
• Emerging Hittite Empire
• Direct trade with Aegaen powers (Crete and Mycenae), evidenced from tomb reliefs and artefacts in Akhetaten
• Inscriptions on the statue bases from AIII’s reign attest to Aegean trade

Question 12

Administration hostages

Answer 12

• Royal hostages were taken from Nubia and Syria-Palestine and brought to Egypt to ensure the loyalty of vassals in those regions

Question 13

TABLE IN PT

Question 14

Administration of Nubia

Answer 14

• Existing forts were strengthened
• Egyptian colonies established around temple towns, such as Buhen
• An imperial administration system headed by the Viceroy of Nubia was created, with the new post of “The King’s Son of Kush”
• Annals of Thutmose I refer to taxes from Nubia
• Control of Nubia can be seen through the changing pattern of building: Ahmose and Amnehotep I built fortifications, Thutmose IIi focused more on temples

Question 15

Egyptian imperialism

Answer 15

• Permanent military occupation of territories, referred to as colonies
• Administrative control of the area
• Economic exploitation of the area
• Imposition of the dominant culture on the area
• Addition of a Tushrat in every state

Nubia

• The term “empire” is more applicable to Nubia, because Egypt had a permanent military occupation of the regio with garrisons at fortified towns, and a direct administration by an Egyptian governor, the Viceroy of Kush. Nubia was also exploited for resources beneficial to Egypt (e.g. gold, slaves, exotic goods from Africa), and Egyptian culture was imposed on the Nubian population

Syria-Palestine

• The term empire is less applicable, it was more of a sphere of influence

Question 16

Barry Kemp on Egyptian empire

Answer 16

• Control is based on the divine nature of kingship, not control… the conquest theme is one element in the broader and more fundamental role of divine kingship: that of reducing chaos to order