The Middle and New Kingdoms Queen Hatshepsut Terms to Tackle: Middle Kingdom New Kingdom Queen Hatshepsut Daily Life

The Middle Kingdom Mentuhotep II Pharaohs began to run out of money by about 2200 B.C., and nobles took over. Trade and farming declined, and chaos broke out. In 2050 B.C., however, Mentuhotep II took over Egypt and ruled as a Pharaoh. The Middle Kingdom lasted until 1750 B.C.

The Middle Kingdom and the Hyksos Pharaohs once again had a hard time keeping power. For about 200 years, the Hyksos, a group from Asia, came and took over Lower Egypt. Egyptians disliked paying the Hyksos taxes and being ruled by them. Luckily for the Egyptians, a man named Ahmose built an army and took power back from the Hyksos.

The New Kingdom The more land Egypt took over, the more taxes they received. Ahmose’s reign began the New Kingdom and the time when Egypt was at its peak. This era lasted from 1550 B.C. to 1050 B.C. During this era, Egypt created its first army to take over new land and to keep people like the Hyksos from taking over again. As Egypt’s army took over distant lands, Egypt began to trade.

Egypt’s Female Pharaoh When the Queen died, her son destroyed most of his mom’s hard work. Thutmose II passed away but had only one son to take over the throne. Since his son was just a baby at the time of his death, his wife, Hatshepsut, took over power as the Pharaoh of Egypt. Many Egyptians were angry at the idea of a woman ruler. In order to gain respect, she dressed as a man and wore a fake beard. Much of the Queen’s money was spent on art and temples.

Work and Daily Life Egypt’s complex society and a surplus of crops allowed for Egyptians to take on many different jobs. These jobs included: Scribes Artisans, Artists, Architects Soldiers Farmers and Peasants Slaves

Scribes Other than the Pharaoh, priests, and government officials, scribes were the most honored in society. They kept records of finances and copied religious documents. They didn’t have to pay taxes and many became wealthy. Why do you think Egyptians believed scribes were so important?

Artisans, Artists, and Architects Below scribes on the social pyramid were artisans, artists, and architects. These people were builders, carpenters, jewelers, sculptors, leather workers, and metal workers. The best artisans, artists, and architects worked for the pharaoh and became very wealthy.

Soldiers Soldiers received land as payment. They could also keep treasures they found in war. Great soldiers could rise to officer positions and lead the army.

Farmers, Peasants, and Slaves Farmers used tools like this shaduf to fetch water from the Nile. The majority of Egypt’s people were farmers and peasants. Farmers paid the Pharaoh taxes with crops. Peasants could be called upon anytime to do jobs like build pyramids, mine gold, or fight in war. Slaves were even lower than peasants but would do similar jobs.

Family Life Men were expected to marry young. Women mostly stayed home, but some worked as priestesses and artisans. Woman had the right to own property and divorce their husbands. Most children went to school and studied morals, writing, math, and sports. Egyptians are thought to be the first people to have cats as pets. Cats were also considered deities.