Ancient Egypt Society.pptx

Ancient Egypt Society

1. Ancient Egypt Society Prepared by Dr.Rao [email protected] Faculty of History

2. Kingship Egyptian kings are commonly called pharaohs The term  pharaoh , however, is derived from the Egyptian  per ʿaa  (“great estate”) and dates to the designation of the royal palace as an institution. This term for palace was used increasingly from about 1400  BCE

3. Egyptian society consisted of a descending hierarchy of the gods, the king, the blessed dead, and humanity The king was single  A text that summarizes the king’s role states that he “is on earth for ever and ever, judging mankind and propitiating the gods, and setting order in place of disorder He gives offerings to the gods and mortuary offerings to the spirits

4. Rules of succession to the kingship are poorly understood. The common conception that the heir to the throne had to marry his predecessor’s oldest daughter has been disproved; kingship did not pass through the female line. The choice of queen seems to have been free; often the queen was a close relative of the king, but she also might be unrelated to him. In the New Kingdom, for which evidence is abundant, each king had a queen with distinctive titles, as well as a number of minor wives.

5. Sons of the chief queen seem to have been the preferred successors to the throne, but other sons could also become king. In many cases the successor was the eldest (surviving) son New Kingdom texts describe, after the event, how kings were appointed heirs either by their predecessors or by divine oracles, and such may have been the pattern when there was no clear successor

6. From the Late period (664–332  BCE ), when sources are more diverse and patterns less rigid, numerous usurpations and interruptions to the succession are known; they probably had many forerunners The king’s position changed gradually from that of an absolute monarch at the centre of a small ruling group made up mostly of his kin to that of the head of a bureaucratic state

7. By the 5th dynasty, fixed institutions had been added to the force of tradition and the regulation of personal contact as brakes on autocracy, but the charismatic and superhuman power of the king remained vital

8. Society

9. The Pharaoh The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. He owned the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners. He was a god on Earth.

10. The Vizier The Vizier was the Pharaoh’s chief advisor and was sometimes also the High Priest. He was responsible for overseeing administration and all official documents had to have his seal of approval. He was also responsible for the supply of food, settling disputes between nobles and the running and protection of the Pharaoh’s household.

11. Nobles & Priests Nobles ruled the regions of Egypt ( Nomes ). They were responsible for making local laws and keeping order in their region. Priests were responsible for keeping the Gods happy. They did not preach to people but spent their time performing rituals and ceremonies to the God of their temple.

12. Scribes & Soldiers Scribes were the only people who could read and write and were responsible for keeping records. The ancient Egyptians recorded things such as how much food was produced at harvest time, how many soldiers were in the army, numbers of workers and the number of gifts given to the Gods. Soldiers were responsible for the defense of the country. Many second sons, including those of the Pharaoh often chose to join the army. Soldiers were allowed to share riches captured from enemies and were also rewarded with land for their service to the country.

13. Craftsmen Craftsmen were skilled workers such as – pottery makers, leatherworkers, sculptors, painters, weavers, jewelry makers, shoemakers, tailors. Groups of craftsmen often worked together in workshops.

14. Farmers & Slaves Farmers worked the land of the Pharaoh and nobles and were given housing, food and clothes in return. Some farmers rented land from nobles and had to pay a percentage of their crop as their rent. Slaves were usually prisoners captured in war. Slaves could be found in the households of the Pharaoh and nobles, working in mines and quarries and also in temples. There were no slave markets or auctions in Ancient Egypt.

15. Egyptian Farming: Agriculture in The Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms

16. Marriage & Family in Ancient Egypt The ancient Egyptian royal families were almost expected to marry within the family, as inbreeding was present in virtually every dynasty.  Pharaohs were  not only wed to their brothers and sisters, but there were also “double-niece” marriages, where a man married a girl whose parents were his own brother and sister Source/Ex-  Identified  Akhenaten , the “heretic” king who introduced monotheism to ancient Egypt, as Tutankhamun's father. Akhenaten first married Nefertiti, who was renowned for her great beauty, but had no sons so he then married his sister in an effort to have a son.

17. Ancient Egyptians cared deeply about family, but marriage was a personal choice decided by the couple who wanted to get married. Polygamy and even adultery were acceptable for men, and, ironically, women were treated respectfully. Evidence suggests no official marriage ceremony. When a couple decided to start a life together and announced it to their parents and friends, they simply started living together. However, there was a contract involving the transfer of property, which made both of them financially obligated to one another.

18. Divorce was also common, though not preferred. In case of a divorce, the wife was entitled to one-third of the marital property. Still, some men just pushed the wife out of the house with no respect for the rules and contracts.

19. Solutions for Pregnancy Problems The first solution was to buy a magic spell. Magic had a significant role in Egypt and was believed to solve many problems, including pregnancy difficulties. Besides, the woman could pray at the shrine of Hathor . Hathor was a cow-headed goddess, closely associated with women and fertility. Offerings made to this goddess were usually in the form of female sexual organs, female breasts, and penises. However, if the goddess could not do anything, the couple could adopt children. The last way, not normally preferred by the wife, was to buy a slave girl. In such situations, the aim of purchase was expressed, and the slave girl knew she was bought for pregnancy. There was always the chance that the wife could get jealous of the slave girl.

20. Rights of an Egyptian Woman An Egyptian woman had the right to inherit, bequeath, own land, and operate her own business. She could bring a lawsuit, serve on a jury, or testify in a trial. Further, she could work on the land, sell goods in the market, and weave cloth professionally. However, she did not have a real role in public life. Wives were treated with respect and entitled  nebet per  which meant ‘ruler or mistress or lady of the house’. However, the respect did not equal faithfulness, and a man could have more than one wife. It was mainly aristocratic behavior , and normal people could not afford it. After death, the married couple would share a tomb to live in eternity together as well. Thus, marriage in ancient Egypt was the foundation of the most important thing in life & family.