Egyptian History Essay

The period in Egypt from 2660 to 1100 BC can be considered as a very important time in Egyptian history as it witnessed many changes in how the land was ruled. This period in time experienced wars and changes in leadership, slowly molding the Egyptian nation into what it is today. These people and events not only played an important role in Egypt’s history but also for the rest of the world. One specific period during this time was the Old Kingdom, back to the time when Egypt was ruled by the Third Dynasty all throughout the Sixth Dynasty. During this time, the capital of Egypt was located at Memphis, and the ruling pharaoh was Djoser. This period in time was known for the construction of large pyramids, which were built to serve as the burial places for pharaohs and other important persons during that time. This was considered as the Age of Pyramids. During this time only the pharaoh ruled the former independent ancient states of Egypt which was known as nomes. The former ruler of these states were forced to take the role of governor, else, they’ll have to work in the tax collection area. During this time, the pharaoh is not only recognized as a ruler but as a god, and was worshipped by all his subordinates. This is because of the belief that worshipping these gods would mean assurance of the annual flooding of the Nile River. This is because agriculture during this time centered on the â€Å"fertile crescent† or the area which has been flooded by the Nile. All their crops are dependent on this annual flooding, as Egypt is filled with barren lands and desserts which they cannot use for farming and agriculture and the river is their only hope for scarce food supplies. This period of time also witnessed feuds between different rulers which resulted from the fall of the Old Kingdom. The previous kingdom collapsed as a result of civil conflict which was insinuated by regional governors waging wars on each other. The unity of the kingdom weakened, causing it to finally fall. The case worsened as the lands were plagued with severe drought, resulting to a drop in rainfall, affecting the normal flooding of the Nile River. Decades of famine and strife followed eventually. Intermediate periods have risen afterwards, wherein there were several acting rulers and leaders, further complicating the matters. This has lead to many wars between the different peoples of Egypt, since no one held power over the whole nation. To make matters worse, neighboring lands were starting to invade Egypt, hoping to besiege the already war-torn nation. Because of this, consolidations were made by local leaders and a new line of pharaohs have been formed. After several changes in the ruling heads, Egypt was able to prosper further and continued to exist many years after. Some pharaohs were able to expand their influence, thus making the nation wealthier and more powerful. This period however, ended in another intermediate period wherein the power has been divided between the recognized king which was Smendes and the High Priests of Amun at Thebes. The king ruled the northern half of the nation while the High Priests took control of the southern part of the country. This division proved to be less significant since both the ruling king and high priests came from the same family line.