| | History
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DYNASTIES
: Second Intermediate Period (1668 - 1570 BC)
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The
Middle Kingdom fell because of the weakness of its later
kings, which lead to Egypt being invaded by an Asiatic
desert people called the Hyksos. These invaders made themselves
kings and held the country for more than two centuries.
The word Hyksos goes back to an Egyptian phrase meaning
"ruler of foreign lands". The Jewish historian
Josephus (1st century AD) mentions them. He depicts the
new rulers as sacrilegious invaders who despoiled the
land but with the exception of the title Hyksos they presented
themselves as Egyptian kings and appear to have been accepted
as such. They tolerated other lines of kings within the
country, both those of the 17th dynasty and the various
minor Hyksos who made up the 16th dynasty. |
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Sheshi
Yakubher
Khyan
Apepi I
Apepi II |
The Hyksos, sometimes referred
to as the Shepherd Kings or Desert Princes, sacked the
old capital of Memphis and built their capital at Avaris,
in the Delta. The dynasty consisted of five or six kings,
the best-known being Apepi I, who reigned for up to 40
years. |
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Anather
Yakobaam |
Their
rule brought many technical innovations to Egypt, from
bronze working, pottery and looms to new musical instruments
and musical styles. New breeds of animals and crops were
introduced. But the most important changes was in the
area of warfare; composite bows, new types of daggers
and scimitars, and above all the horse and chariot. In
many ways the Hyksos modernised Egypt and Ultimately Egypt
was to benefit from their rule. |
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Sobekemsaf
Intef VII
Tao I
Tao II
Kamose |
While
the Hyksos ruled northern Egypt a new line of native rulers
was developing in Thebes. They controlled the area from
Elephantine in the south, to Abydos in the middle of the
country. The early rulers made no attempt to challenge
the Hyksos but an uneasy truce existed between them. However,
the later rulers rose against the Hyksos and a number
of battles were fought. King Tao II, also know as Seqenenre,
was probably killed in one of these battles since his
mummy shows evidence of terrible head wounds. It was to
be one of his sons Ahmose, the founder of the Eighteenth
dynasty, who was to expel the Hyksos from Egypt. |
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Credit
Mark
Millmore
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