Hatshepsut reigned from 1479 to 1457 B.C.E. She was the pharaoh, which is the king of Egypt. The only difference was that she was a woman. A lot of people (including Hatshepsut herself) called her King Hatshepsut because she played the role of a king. Even on her tomb, there was a picture of King Thutmose II and a picture of a king but on the cartouche it said Hatshepsut.
Although Hatshepsut played the brave role of king, she still was like any other person on the inside. Unlike most of the other pharaohs, she was not the general of her army and she did not like to focus on the military to strengthen her kingdom. Hatshepsut preferred to focus on treaties and trade. She wanted to have good relationships with the other kingdoms. Some people did not like how she governed; they favored her stepson, Thutmose III, and they wanted Hatshepsut out of power.
If I had lived back then, I probably would have supported Hatshepsut. She was very nice to me. She treated me like a younger sister. She told me about her family. She told me about her twenty-year-old stepson, Thutmose III (sometimes read Thutmosis). He always wanted more power, and when he was no longer Hatshepsut’s co-regent, he became even more infuriated. She told me that it was nice to have someone to talk to. It seemed as though Hatshepsut wanted to be rid of her family troubles.
I enjoyed my visit, which was right after a festival to celebrate the return of the ships she sent on a successful trading expedition to Punt (modern Somalia). I am happy to be out of the confusion though. Talk about family troubles! It was believed that Thutmose III killed Hatshepsut two years later!
Right after I returned, Ace left on another journey to meet someone. Stay tuned to find out whom he met and what he found out!
By Adele Wells
Sources Used:
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Journey Across Time. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.
Bauer, Susan Wise. The Story of the World. Virginia: Peace Hill Press, 2006. Print.
McGraw, Eloise Jarvis. Mara, Daughter of the Nile. New York: Puffin Books, 1985. Print.
“Hatshepsut – The Female Pharaoh.” Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. The Great Courses, 2004. DVD.
"Hatshepsut the Female Pharaoh." King Tut One. n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2011
http://www.kingtutone.com/queens/hatshepsut/
This reminds me, did ancient Egyptians worship cats or is that a rumor? There is a joke: "In ancient times, cats were worshipped as Gods. They have not forgotten this ". Thank you for sharing this travel story, many of these names seem a little hard to pronounce don't they?
ReplyDeleteYou were right, women can be kings! Very cool.
ReplyDeleteGood job Adele!
ReplyDeleteCats always were worshipped! They even mummified cats! King Khufu even built a mini pyramid for a cat! Cats usually got a better burial than most of the ordinary people. Cats were viewed as an omen.
ReplyDeleteThis intrigued me and I read a little more about her. Thanks Adele for finding such an interesting subject.
ReplyDeleteHatshepsut sounds like someone I'd really like. I'll bet she was a great king!
ReplyDeleteIf I were Queen, I'd go by King, too! Just like King Hatshepsut :)
ReplyDeleteHow cool. I love that she preferred to focus on treaties and trade and wanted to have good relationships with the other kingdoms.
ReplyDeleteI am confused about the dates she ruled tho.
1479 to 1457 B.C.E.? That seems backwards.
- trish
Very interesting. My sons sometimes call me the Queen of the house, I might have to request they start calling me King. I liked how Hatshepsut enjoyed her girl-talk with you. Even a king/queen needs a girlfriend. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this approach on leadership
ReplyDelete