The Rise and Fall of the New Kingdom

The history of Ancient Egypt is cyclical, consisting of periods of stability and prosperity which were followed by devastating breaks of disunity. The New Kingdom was arguably special in how prosperous Egypt became during the years 1549-1069 BC. Toby Wilkinson argues that the New Kingdom represented the pinnacle of the Pharaonic age (Wilkinson 2010: 201). At the heat of this golden age of Egyptian civilisation was the Eighteenth Dynasty; the royal line that gave the world the temple at Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the heretic king Akhenaten.

The New Kingdom was unique compared to the Old and Middle Kingdoms in its aggressive imperial characteristic. This was largely due to how the New Kingdom came into existence, through the violent expulsion of the Hyksos out of Egypt. The Hyksos had ruled much of Egypt since the end of the Middle Kingdom when they successfully invaded and deposed the native kings. This lasted until the Thebans under the leadership of King Ahmose I defeated the Hyksos at Sharuhen in Palestine and uniting Egypt under a native Pharaoh once again. Ahmose I and his descendants would cement their control over both Lower and Upper Egypt by pursuing a policy of expansion; reconquering Nubia and occupying Palestine. Egyptian tradition viewed this imperialism as a testament to the exceptionalism of Egypt and the divinity of the Pharaoh; however, it was more a reflection of the international arena in which the New Kingdom was operating. Whereas, in the Old and Middle Kingdoms Egypt was relatively dominant, the New Kingdom was presented with stronger neighbours which meant often an offensive foreign policy was a necessity (Van De Mieroop 2011: 151).

Burial traditions also went through a transformation during the New Kingdom, Ahmose I was the last Pharaoh to build a burial Pyramid – from then on the rulers of Egypt would be buried in tombs carved into the mountains of the Valley of the Kings. In 1353 BC the ascension of a new king would change Egypt in a way never seen before, Akhenaten the heretic Pharaoh. Under him the cult of Aten rose to dominance to such an extent that a new capital was built in his honour and the state religion changed to monotheism. The new religion did not last and died with Akhenaten, this was largely thanks to his young successor who helped return the status quo (Ikram 2009: 103). Unfortunately, Akhenaten’s son shared his father’s fate and had his name erased from history – until his tomb was discovered in 1922 and now he is most famous Pharaoh of all time, Tutankhamen.

As was the pattern with Ancient Egypt the New Kingdom failed to maintain its prosperity, like its predecessors over the centuries power started to drain away from the Pharaoh to local and military leaders. A series of military invasions by marauders (known as the sea peoples) and economic disasters led to the eventual collapse of the New Kingdom.

Ikram, S. (2009) Ancient Egypt, An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Van De Mieroop, M. (2011) A History of Ancient Egypt. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell

Wilkinson, T. (2010) The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.