C H A P T E R 3S E C T I O N 1

THE KINGDOM OF EGYPT

KEY TERMS

• Delta• Cataracts• Menes• Pharaoh• Theocracy

• Bureaucracy• Hatshepsut• Ramses the Great

GEOGRAPHY AND EARLY EGYPT

• Nile River• Flows through the

Sahara Desert• Flooded every year• Floods were

predictable• Left silt for farming

GEOGRAPHY AND EARLY EGYPT

• Delta-area at the mouth of a river , triangle shaped• Sahara difficult to

cross • Limited invaders• Cataracts-series of

rocks in the river, no boats

TWO KINGDOMS

• 5,000 BC farming villages• Lower Egypt the delta• Upper Egypt the

cataracts• Menes unified

kingdom 3100BC, first dynasty• Wore a crown red and

white

THE OLD KINGDOM

• Third Dynasty stable rule 2650BC• The Pyramids• Tombs for rulers• Treasures buried• Smooth sided built

later• Started as soon as

the became pharaoh

THE OLD KINGDOM

• Most pyramids built by peasants, not slaves• People required to

work for one month• Received food,

clothing and shelter• Crafts people were

hired

THE PHARAOHS

• Pharaoh- means great house• Had absolute power• Owned all the land• Their word was law• They were gods• Ceremonies for

everything• Theocracy-a state

ruled by religious figures

EGYPTIAN BUREAUCRACY

• A highly structured organization managed by officials• Acted on Pharaohs

wishes• Vizier- most

powerful official• Passed down

EGYPTIAN BUREAUCRACY

• Governors• Irrigation

supervisors• Census takers• Tax collectors• Crop inspectors

THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

• Powerful nobles came to power• Old Kingdom

collapsed• Middle Kingdom

increased trade• Phoenicians, Minoans,

Nubians• Armies secure trade

routes • Hyksos invaded

THE NEW KINGDOM

• Hyksos ruled for 100 years• Desert and sea no

longer protection• Built powerful military• Headed south to

Nubia• Conquered Kush• Controlled from

southern Nubia to Euphrates

REIGN OF HATSHEPSUT

• Was a female ruler• Increased trade• Only woman to be

Pharaoh• Huge trading

expeditions• Nephew destroyed

almost all record of her

MONOTHEISM IN EGYPT

• Amenhotep IV• Akhenaten to

worship only the sun god Aten• Banned worship of

other gods• Ordered god

images destroyed• King Tut restores

original worship

RAMSES THE GREAT

• Led army to confront the Hittites• Lost battle • Two armies sign a

truce• Married a Hittite

princess• Built more

monuments and temples• Most admired

EGYPT’S DECLINE

• Sea people’s invaded• Brought end to

Hittites and weakened Egypt• Egypt broke into

small states• Over 700 years

many rulers• Alexander the Great

conquers Egypt