The Close Relationship between

The Kingdom of Kush Egypt and Kush

• Signs of their close ties can be found in
• The civilization of
pictures on
Kush thrived from
about 2000 B.C.E. to the walls of
350 C.E. some Egyptian
tombs and
• Kush and Egypt had a temples.
close relationship
throughout much of • A good example
Kush’s long history. is the tomb of
Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female pharaoh.

Painting from the wall of The Egyptianization of Kush

Hatshepsut’s Tomb
• Not all of the people in the
paintings are Egyptian.
• Some are “Kushites”
– Kushites are people from Kush.
– They have darker skin and curly hair.
• In some paintings, they appear to
be bearing gifts.
• In other paintings, they look as if
they are armed with bows and
arrows.
• As these images suggest, Egypt and
Kush had a complicated
relationship.
• Kush was known for its rich
gold mines
• Kush is also known as
“Nubia,” which comes from
nub, the Egyptian word for
gold.
Ancient gold
panning basin Ancient Egyptian map, drawn on
in the Nubian papyrus, showing the desert
Desert, Sudan.
Courtesy of A. &
roads and mountains on the way
to the gold mines. Egypt, ca.
A. Castiglioni.
1400-1200 BCE. Courtesy of the
Egyptian Museum, Turin, Italy.
 The Egyptianization of Kush Kush was an important
• Kushites traded:

Kush was an important trading hub.

trading hub. gold
• Egyptians traded: ivory
leather

• Kush’s location and

grain timber
natural resources made it
the center of trade.
• Kush linked central and linen
southern Africa to Egypt.
• Pharaohs sent expeditions
on ships south along the beer Egyptians even
Nile to buy, or sometimes bought Kushite
steal, goods. slaves

The Egyptianization of Kush The Egyptianization of Kush

• Several times Egypt raided Kush and took control of parts of its • While Kush was under Egypt’s control, its
territory. society became “Egyptianized.”
• During the New Kingdom, Egypt conquered Kush and forced
Kush to pay tribute to Egypt in the form of gifts.
– The pharaoh appointed a governor to make sure the tribute was paid every
year.
ebony
The Kushites gave the
governor:

ivory
gold
slaves
• Kushites spoke and wrote
cattle ostrich feathers in Egyptian.
The Egyptianization of Kush The Egyptianization of Kush
• While Kush was under Egypt’s control, its • While Kush was under Egypt’s control, its
society became “Egyptianized.” society became “Egyptianized.”

The statue depicts a striding

god, with some of the
attributes of Osiris and Amen-
Re. Unfortunately, it has no
associated inscription to
identify the intended god, or
the name of the ruler whose
features it might bear.
Stylistically, however, it is
generally believed to
represent the Pharaoh
Taharqa, who ruled over the • Kushites wore Egyptian
area of present day Egypt
and Sudan from 690 - 664
clothes.
BC.
• Kushites worshiped Egyptian gods.

The Egyptianization of Kush The Egyptianization of Kush

• While Kush was under Egypt’s control, its • While Kush was under Egypt’s control, its
society became “Egyptianized.” society became “Egyptianized.”
• Kush’s famed
archers were
hired to fight in • Princes from
Egypt’s army. Kush’s royal
families were
archer: a
sent to Egypt
person who
to be educated.
shoots with a
bow and
arrow
 The Egyptianization of Kush Kush conquers Egypt
• After the collapse of the
• Around 1100 B.C.E., Egypt’s New Kingdom collapsed. New Kingdom, Egypt fell
• After this, Kush regained its independence. into political chaos.
– At least 10 Egyptian
• However, Egyptian culture persisted. kingdoms fought each
other for power.
• About 900 B.C.E., a new line of Kush kings was – The constant fighting
established. made Egypt weak and
unstable.
– But even these kings continued to follow Egyptian
• In the mid-700s B.C.E.,
traditions. Kush took advantage of
Egypt’s weakness.
– Kush armies invaded
Egypt.
– In about 730 B.C.E., the
kings in northern Egypt
surrendered to Kush’s King
Piye.

Kush conquers Egypt Kush conquers Egypt

Victory Meroë
dynasty:
Stele of A family or
King Piye group that
rules for
several
• After conquering Egypt, Piye generations
declared himself pharaoh.
– One of his titles was “Uniter of the Two • In Egypt, Piye and his family
Lands.” became the 25th dynasty.
• The kingdom of Kush now extended • Kushite pharaohs ruled Egypt for
1,500 miles. nearly a century (100 years)!
– It reached from the Kushite city of • Historians have traditionally
Meroë, on the southern Nile to the called them the “black pharaohs.”
Mediterranean Sea.
 Kush conquers Egypt
Computer generated image of the
temples of Jebel Barkal as they
might have looked about 700 BCE.
The temples today are almost
completely destroyed.
Jebel
Barkal as
it looks
today.
• The Kushite pharaohs did not want to tear Egypt down.
– They wanted to revive Egypt’s past glory.
– They built magnificent new temples and pyramids in both Egypt and
Kush.
• One of the most beautiful was the temple at Jebel Barkal.
– It was modeled after the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
The Kush Capital of Meroë
• Kush’s original capital
was the city of Napata.
– In 590 B.C.E., Egypt
invaded Napata and
destroyed it.
• The Kushites decided to
make Meroë their new
capital.
– Meroë was 300 miles
south of Napata, safely
out of Egypt’s reach.
Kush conquers Egypt
• In 671 B.C.E., an Assyrian king invaded Egypt.
– For many years, the Kushites tried to fight off the Assyrians.
– But the Assyrians used their advanced iron weapons to drive the Kushites
out of Egypt.
• By the mid-650s B.C.E., the last of
the Kushite pharaohs had returned
to Kush.
The Kush Capital of Meroë
• Meroë’s location helped
Kush remain an
important center of
trade.
– Traders used the Nile, the
Red Sea, and overland
routes to transport their
goods.
• These routes took them
through Kush.
– As a result, Kushites
traded with many lands.
 The Kush Capital of Meroë The Kush Capital of Meroë
• Meroë became the center of Kushite civilization.
• Some lands, like • At its height, the city thrived as a great center of industry and
culture.
African kingdoms and
• Meroë was well known for producing iron.
Arabia, were nearby. – It had everything needed to make iron:
• Rich supply of iron deposits
• Kush also traded with • Forests (wood made charcoal)
such distant lands as: – Charcoal was used to heat the iron
deposits
» Once the hot iron separated from
– Rome (on the the rock, it was cooled in the Nile’s
peninsula of Italy) waters.
– Ironworkers in Kush made a variety of
– India things.
• spears
– possibly China • arrows
• swords
• axes
• hoes

Kush Returns to Its African Roots Kush Returns to Its African Roots
• Artwork, clothing, and buildings no • Kush art and architecture flourished.
longer imitated Egyptian styles. Artisans made
beautiful pottery, Rulers built grand palaces,
• Kushites worshiped an African lion- cloth, and gold and temples, and pyramids.
god instead of Egyptian gods. silver jewelry.
• The Egyptian
language gave
way to a new,
native language
known as
Meroitic.
 Kush Returns to Its African Roots Kush Returns to Its African Roots
• Kush also revived the African practice of female treaty: a written
leadership. kandake: a powerful
female leader who co-
• After three years of fierce fighting, agreement by which
• Powerful kandakes ruled Meroë. ruled Kush with her Rome signed a peace treaty with Kush. two or more states
husband and sons
– They usually co-ruled with their sons or husbands. agree to be peaceful
– Kush no longer had to pay tribute to
– They were considered goddesses and were very powerful. Rome.
• One of the greatest kandakes was Queen Amanirenas.
• Under Amanirenas, Kush had
• She defended Kush against the powerful Romans in 24 B.C.E.
- The Romans had taken defeated the most powerful
over Egypt and were empire in the world.
demanding tribute from – The kingdom of Kush survived
Kush. for nearly 400 more years.
- Amanirenas and her son – In 350 C.E., Kush fell to
Prince Akinidad, led an invaders from the African
attack that destroyed country of Ethiopia.
several Roman forts on
Kush’s borders.