The Tale of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, The Almost Forgotten Queen of Egypt

Figure 1: Hatshepsut

 

Ancient Egyptians are known for several accomplishments: their great pyramids, their mummies, their attention to beauty, and their long line of pharaohs.  Individuals like King Tut, Ramses, and Akhenaton are well documented and discussed in both the literature and popular historical record.  While many of the Egyptian Pharaohs were men there were at least four female pharaohs: Merneith of the Early Dynastic Period, Sobeknefru and Twosret of the Middle Kingdom, Cleopatra of the Ptolemic Period, and Hatshepsut, one of the most successful and powerful Pharaohs in Egyptian history (Figure 1).  She is the subject of today’s blog post, which will explore her life, successes, and rediscovery.

Hatshepsut was born in 1508 BCE.   She was his only legitimate child birthed by Thutmose I and his primary wife.  He passed away when she was young, and she was married to her half brother, Thutmose II, who was her father and one of his secondary wife’s son.  At the time of her marriage she was coronated as the God’s Wife of Amun, which gave her the power to dictate policy, participate in specific rituals, and identified her as a divine being.  She ruled alongside her half brother/husband serving as his dutiful wife and Queen of Egypt, and they had one daughter together.  Thutmose II had several concubines or secondary wives, and with one he birthed his only son, Thutmose III. 

Unfortunately, Thutmose II’s reign only lasted two years, and upon his death his son, an infant, was too young to ascend the throne.  Hatshepsut initially took on the role of regent, ruling over Egypt in her stepson’s place, but shortly thereafter she seized control and crowned herself Pharaoh of Egypt.  She did so by gaining favor of her father’s former advisors and heads of state, as well as used artistic progaganda to convince the citizens of Egypt that she was the divine ruler of Egypt as she was not only the Wife of Amun but also his daughter.  Several reliefs, including the one at Djeser-djeseru, portrayed this tale.  She also installed herself as a male ruler in artistic depictions of herself, dawning male clothing, crown, and wearing a beard.  Ultimately, she won over both the Egyptian elites and commoners, and she began her twenty-year rule as Pharaoh in 1478 BCE.

Figure 2: Hatshepsut's temple in the Valley of the Kings

 

During her tenure as Pharaoh Hatshepsut was responsible for restoring monuments that has been destroyed during previous invasions by Asian foreigners.  She also created new trade networks with outside kingdoms throughout Asia and the Mediterranean, improving the economic conditions for all throughout Egypt.  She fostered in a new artistic movement that was softer than previous styles, as well as commissioned the building of various temples, obelisks, and her own mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri (Figure 2).  She commissioned her stepson to be the general of the Egyptian army, married him to her daughter, and allowed him to keep his status as King, although he had less power than she did as Pharaoh.    

She died in early 1458 BCE, and Thutmose III ascended the throne, finally taking his place as Pharaoh over Egypt.  Sometime after his ascension he commissioned the removal of all of Hatshepsut’s names from the records and buried her tomb.  He took credit for all of her accomplishments and it does not appear that he had any independent of hers.  She was largely erased from Egyptian history, although some scholars were able to learn a little about her but without her full name.  Howard Carter eventually discovered her tomb and rediscovered her story in 1903, which is how and why we know about her today.

References

Biography.com Editors. (2014, April 2). Hatshepsut Biography. Retrieved from The Biography.com website: https://www.biography.com/people/hatshepsut-9331094

Cullman, D., & Cullman, L. B. (2006). Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. Retrieved from Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2006/hatshepsut

Mark, J. J. (2016, October 19). Hatshepsut. Retrieved from Ancient History Encyclopedia: https://www.ancient.eu/hatshepsut/

No Author. (2006, March 15). Hatshepsut. Retrieved from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/hatshepsut.html

No Author. (No Date). Hatshepsut. Retrieved from Brooklyn Museum: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/hatshepsut