A woman becoming Pharaoh had been almost unheard of in ancient Egypt until Hatshepsut was born. Hatshepsut was the second daughter of the pharaoh, Thothmes I. After her sister, Neferu-khebit, died, Hatshepsut was the next heir to the throne unless a male married her and became Pharaoh. After Thothmes passed away, Hatshepsut fearfully, yet confidently, claimed the throne and commenced one of the most successful She-Pharaoh reigns ever recorded. Pauline Gedge’s Child of the Morning explained the social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of ancient Egypt’s society during Hatshepsut’s reign as Queen and Pharaoh. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh and his or her officials made up most of the upper class and were at the top of the social ladder. In Child of the Morning, Senmut, a we’eb priest, was walking through the halls of Pharaoh’s palace as “chatter and bursts of laughter floated to Senmut…acutely aware of his course peasant linen, his lack of a wig, [and] his dirty knees” (107). This is an example of a social aspect of social class because the ancient Egyptians of the upper class thought much less of commoners and unimportant priests such as Senmut. A social aspect in ancient Egypt also includes relationships. When Thothmes III, the grandson of Hatshepsut’s father, devised a plan to claim the throne, Nehesi, Hatshepsut’s bodyguard, found out what the plan was. He said, “He will strike at you first, Senmut, …then he will eliminate Hapuseneb…and then me” (379). Thothmes
As Dsr-Dsrw has been constructed, it created an impact on the religious ideology and gender discrimination in the Egyptian society influenced by the new kingship which focused on Amun as the core power, (Assmann,1996-p.202, p.229). However, it has been replaced by the overshadow of “image of sun god”, (Hornung,1971-pp.138-139). Ignoring the physical appearance, it was believed that king’s soul is equal to the godly acts, (Hornung,1971-p.139). Hatshepsut’s attachment with Amun-Re and Hathor involving the kinship she shared with them virtually would not have been incongruous if only it wasn’t over the board,
Although there wasn’t any law against women to become ruler. Many believe she was out place when she became ruler. After she died, there was an operation to destroy all images of Hatshepsut from history. However, due to the statues are made out of granite, destroying the statues is extremely difficult. In the artistic convention, there wasn’t a method for a female pharaoh. Hatshepsut accepted to conform to the traditional convention by changing herself to a man. By looking at the Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut, it depicts her understanding and respect towards the role of a pharaoh in Ancient Egyptian
Therefore, Hatshepsut was summoned to rule on behalf of her stepson. Thutmose was crowned king but until the day Hatshepsut was deceased, the king had to compete with his stepmother-aunt. At first she acted as an advisor to the king, but being Hatshepsut was close to the throne all of her life, felt that “she had the most royal power as well as the purest royal blood in her veins.” After a few years passed, Hatshepsut presumed the Double crown and made herself king. Hatshepsut had a strong and vibrant personality and intended to overshadow her half brother as well as her husband. Thutmose III was still known as co ruler, but he remained in the background. There were many difficulties regarding her gender when she first came into rule, but it did not hinder her greatness. The inscription cutters often made mistakes as all the royal titles were in male form. She had to legitimize herself as female ruler, as she often did through art and statues.
Hatshepsut was born around 15th century B.C., she is the daughter of Tuthmose the first and his wife, Aahmes. When king Tuthmose I died, queen Aahmes married her half-brother, King Tuthmose II. King Tuthmose II died after a short rule and the throne was supposed to be passed down to his son Tuthmose III but he was considered far too young to rule so Hatshepsut ruled in his stead as a regent. Information about Hatshepsut varied a bit, some articles speculated Hatshepsut was the 4th female pharaoh while others say she was the 6th. But without a doubt she was considered one of the greatest pharaohs of all time, even amongst the male counterparts. As a pharaoh, Hatshepsut did things like reestablishing trade routes that has been long lost due to past invaders. By doing this, Hatshepsut was able to turn the economy around and lead Egypt into a period of wealth and prosperous trade. Her allowing an expedition to the land of Punt also wielded excellent results. In total she sent 5 ships accommodating 210 sailors and 30 rowers most likely slaves. They bought back 31 live myrrh tree roots and were the first recorded attempt to plant foreign
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.
Hatshepsut became a dominant leader during the New Kingdom when she attained legitimate power when she declared herself as Pharaoh. After her husband, Thutmose II died prematurely; he had left a son named Thutmose III that was born to a lesser wife to his successor of the New Kingdom. As Thutmose III was quite young when he ascended the throne, Hatshepsut had the duty to co-regent with the young pharaoh. Together, they reigned for three years. Soon, political crisis started to arise which made Hatshepsut to take on the role of pharaoh in order to save her kingdom. When she enthroned herself, she started to make statues of herself having a beard, muscles and holding a flock and flail. She depicted herself as a man through these statues. Hatshepsut
Egyptian women were fortunate in that they were equal to men as far as the law was concerned. They could own property, borrow money, initiate divorce, and many other things unheard of in the Greek civilization. The Egyptian royal line was matriarchal, meaning that royalty was passed down from mother to son. The Greeks, in comparison, were patriarchal, meaning control was passed from father to son. It was also necessary for a man to marry a woman of royalty in order to become a Pharaoh. Because of this, it was common for brothers to marry sisters. Sometimes, women were even known to become a Pharaoh. There are at least four documented female Pharaohs with the most notable being Hatshepsut (1479-1458 B.C.) (McKay 2009). Hatshepsut, though a very powerful ruler, was often times depicted in men’s clothing and with a false beard (McKay 2009). This shows that even though women were much more important in Egyptian society, there was still a stigma around women leaders.
The people groups in ancient Egyptian were very different than our societies social groups today. Ancient Egyptians were grouped in a hierarchical system with the Pharaoh at the top and farmers and slaves at the bottom. The groups of people nearest to the top of society were the richest and most powerful. The Pharaoh was believed to be a god on earth and had the most power. He was responsible for making laws and keeping order. Ensuring that Egypt was not attacked or invaded by enemies and for keeping the gods happy so that the Nile flooded and there was a good harvest. The Vizier was the Pharaoh's chief advisor
Egyptians paid great respect to women at least in the upper classes, in part because marriage alliances were vital to the preservation and stability of the monarchy. The Egyptians believe that the royal family was immortal. The word family brings every member of the family to the same circle of respect and power. The man like in the Mesopotamian civilization was the head of the family. That is also seemed in today’s daily life in most cases. A statue of Pharaoh Mycerinus and his queen represents the wife presenting her husband and not the husband presenting his wife as the powerful one.
Let’s start with Pharaoh Hatshepsut. This amazing pharaoh was the first girl pharaoh. This pioneer ruled during the new kingdom, otherwise known as the Golden age. She ruled from about 1473 B.C.E to about 1458 B.C.E. This pharaoh encouraged trade in Egypt and in other civilizations. She made her government stronger by filling her government with royal advisers. She also wanted the same respect that people gave to rulers that are men. Some fun facts about her is that sometimes she wore a fake beard and she shared her rule with male
During the time of Ancient Egypt, having strong Pharaohs was essential to the maintenance and growth of the civilization, as the Pharaohs were believed to be living Gods. Although leadership of Ancient Egypt was often male dominated, there were admirable female Pharaohs who successfully gained power and left behind a positive legacy; one woman to achieve this was Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of female nobles’. Her innovation and determination allowed her to maintain her position of Pharaoh for about twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered to be a very successful leader because of her confidence and ambition, magnificent building projects, and establishment of a strong trading network.
Hatshepsut is the female ruler who made the biggest impact on ancient civilization. She was the third female leader in Egypt for three thousand years. She also was the longest reigning female leader. Hatshepsut was the of Pharaoh, Thutmose I, and Aahme. She was married to her half brother and pharoah after her father, Thutmose II. They had a son named Thutmose III. She had two other brothers who died before she became pharoah. After her husband died in mid-ruling, their son was too young to take the throne so Hatsheput had to became the stand-in pharoah, also known as his dowager, until he was old enough to claim the throne. Hatshepsut left her impact on the world by defying the concept of male superiority, securing herself into the pharoah
Hatshepsut was the first female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She ruled nearly 3,500 years ago from 1504 BCE for twenty two years during the New Kingdom. She was the wife of Thutmose II, who was the Pharaoh before her, and the stepmother of Thutmose III who succeeded her. When Thutmose II died in 1504 BCE, Thutmose III was too young to become Pharaoh, so as custom the widowed wife of the Pharaohwas made the temporary ruler. Hatshepsut was able to transform herself from a dutiful temporary ruler to a powerful Pharaoh. Hatshepsut was a successful Pharaoh because she used religion and art to legitimize her rule and promoted economic prosperity.
One of the central values of ancient Egyptian civilization, revolves around the concept of harmony and balance in all aspects of one's life. This ideal equality was the most important responsibility observed by the pharaoh who, as a mediator between the gods and the people, was supposed to be a role model and set by an example for how one achieving a balanced life, as all people sharing a common relationship with pharaoh. Through this relationship all men and women acquired equality to one another. Therefore, not to the world's surprise, women in ancient Egypt, compared to other civilizations, were ahead of their time. Women in ancient Egypt did not only rule the country and become pharaohs, but also shared equal basic human rights as men. Women such as Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra were able to take the stand and break the stigma of the typical minority that are deprived of many rights, and most importantly legal, and educational rights.
Queen Hatshepsut was one of the most common Pharaohs in Egypt. Before she became the second female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut and her husband, Thutmose II, (also known as her half brother), both were competing and arguing about who would be the next Pharaoh after Thutmose I. Many males were wanting Thutmose II to become the next Pharaoh,but Hatshepsut had a chance too. Who will become the next Pharaoh,? Thutmose II or Hatshepsut?