Ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut

The New Kingdom is a period in Ancient Egyptian history that covers the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. Throughout these dynasties, a number of pharaohs ruled the land of Egypt. One such pharaoh, whose reign occurred during the Eighteenth Dynasty, was Hatshepsut. Often regarded as one of the most successful pharaohs, Hatshepsut displayed traits of a great leader and builder throughout her reign, and became a significant contributor to Egypt’s economy by establishing the country’s stable trade system. However, her military campaigns were sparse and infrequent, upholding a peaceful and balanced nation.
Figure 1 - A sphinx bearing the likeness of Hatshepsut, depicted with a false beard (Schengili-Roberts, Keith; Wikimedia Commons).
Figure 1 - A sphinx bearing the likeness of Hatshepsut, depicted with a false beard (Schengili-Roberts, Keith; Wikimedia Commons).
Hatshepsut was born in 1508 BC, to incumbent pharaoh Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose. At age 15, Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmose II, who later became pharaoh. Following Thutmose II’s death in 1479 BC, his son Thutmose III became king, and Hatshepsut became his regent due to his young age. During the seventh year of her co-regency, Hatshepsut declared herself to be in the position of pharaoh (Watterson, 1991, 139), ruling in a diarchy with Thutmose III. To legitimise her rule as pharaoh, Hatshepsut tried to reinforce that her father, as well as the Egyptian deity Amun, had chosen her as his heir (Masson, 2012, www.ancient.eu), ignoring the ruling of Thutmose II (Lawless, 1993, 123). This is displayed in some texts and inscriptions, which depict a formal gathering in which the old king announces the accession of his daughter to the throne (Estensen, 1995, 106). In some sculptures, Hatshepsut is depicted in male guise, with large muscles and a false beard (see Figure 1). Though no consistent evidence explains the reasoning behind this, some historians and Egyptologists have...