Hatshepsut: The Woman Who Became the King of Egypt
Hatshepsut was a full-blooded royal who led Egypt to become one of the world’s most vibrant and powerful empires during her 22-year reign, which began in 1478 BC. She started ruling Egypt as a regent and eventually became a female Pharaoh who ruled as a man.
Find out about this ruling queen in this article.
Who Was Hatshepsut?
Hatshepsut (1507–1458 BC), whose name means Foremost of the Noblewomen, was one of the four children of King Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose. Unfortunately, they all died young, leaving Princess Hatshepsut the only child of the king and queen. As a tradition in Egypt, if a king had no sons to inherit the crown, a son from a second wife was next in line. This was how Thutmose II, a son of a minor wife named Mutnofret, became the successor.
Keeping the royal lineage pure, Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II. At the age of 12, Hatshepsut became the first Egyptian queen. Ruling Egypt together, Hatshepsut greatly influenced King Thutmose II‘s reign, baring only a daughter named Neferure.
Thutmose II’s reign was brief. Before his death, he proclaimed Thutmose III, his son by a minor wife called Iset, to be his successor. Nevertheless, as he was just two years old at that time, Queen Hatshepsut became his regent and ruled in his name.
Before Thutmose III turned 8, Hatshepsut proclaimed herself a pharaoh and took the full responsibilities of being king of Egypt. Seeing how she managed the kingdom for the first few years, high officials of the court supported her to be a pharaoh, making Hatshepsut the first female ruler of Egypt.
Her supporters included Senenmut, a wealthy architect and government official who served as a royal tutor to Neferure. Many believed that Senenmut was Hatshepsut’s secret lover. Senenmut claimed to be Hatshepsut’s chief architect for her construction projects.
Hatshepsut’s Reign as a Female Pharaoh
She was a brilliant pharaoh who made educated decisions and saw opportunities in every problem she encountered. Hatshepsut was well aware that not everyone supported her as a female pharaoh, primarily because pharaohs are seen to be the living embodiment of the male god Horus. Moreover, her presence on the throne interfered with the “Maat” tradition, which symbolizes truth, justice, and order.
To strengthen her position further and address the disturbance of tradition, Hatshepsut took the name “Maatkare” and began to portray herself as a man, sometimes calling herself “Hatshepsu,” with “su” having a more masculine sound. This can also be seen in the depicted images of her wearing a false beard—a symbol of divine kingship.
She claimed that the god Amun had possessed the body of her father on the night of her conception, indicating that she was not the daughter of King Thutmose I but of the god Amun, thus establishing her legitimate claim to rule Egypt.
Length of Her Reign
Unlike her husband’s short reign, Hatshepsut ruled for more than two decades. Records show her reign to be from 1479 BC to 1458 BC.
Nonetheless, scholars differ on the exact years she began ruling as pharaoh, with some claiming she only served as a co-regent in some of these years and that they should not be attributed to her, but to Thutmose III instead. Recent evidence has agreed that Hatshepsut was indeed a pharaoh at these times.
However, establishing the starting date of her reign is more difficult. It is calculated on the assumption of her father’s rule, which will give us something between 1526 and 1506 BC. Given that the lengths of her father’s and Thutmose II’s reigns were not defined.
Some scholars say Hatshepsut ruled for 14 years or as late as 25 years after her father, Thutmose I. This will lead us to the conclusion that Hatshepsut’s reign could have begun as early as 1512 BC or concluded as late as 1479 BC. In general, the number of Hatshepsut’s reigning years was assumed to range from 20 to 22.
Achievements
Building Monuments
A pharaoh’s power is measured by the size of the monuments they build, and Hatshepsut is known to be one of the most successful builders in ancient Egypt’s history. She executed numerous construction projects across Egypt. Her structures and obelisks towered above others and were undeniably bigger than those of her forefathers. Sadly, succeeding pharaohs claimed ownership of some of her projects.
Helping her in these construction projects were skilled architects, Ineni and Senenmut. Together, they made architectural wonders. During her reign, Hatshepsut commissioned a large number of statues, which can now be found in nearly every major museum displaying ancient Egyptian artifacts around the world.
Reasons Why She Built Monuments
In Thebes, which is known as Luxor in modern times, Hatshepsut remodeled the landscape with a whole series of monumental buildings. The most famous is her sublime mortuary temple in Deir-el Bahari, the “Djeser-Djeseru,” with an ancient name that translates to “holy of the holies.”
It was considered one of the architectural wonders of ancient Egypt, but more than its physical appearance, Hatshepsut built this for three specific reasons:
It was right across from the temple of the state god, Amun-Ra.
To be a place where, rather than disturbing the peace of her grave, offerings can be deposited for her soul for eternity.
As the place was adorned with scenes chosen by Hatshepsut to illustrate and emphasize her claim to the throne, it served as a permanent form of political propaganda.
Building Temples
She also rebuilt the temple Precinct of Mut at Karnak, which had been destroyed by foreign rulers in the Hyksos’ conquest.
Unfortunately, other pharaohs desecrated it, stealing parts to be used in their own projects, and it hasn’t been restored since then.
Across the Nile River, the Karnak Temple was the place where Amun was worshipped, and it was continually expanded and embellished by successive rulers.
Hatshepsut made sure she had her contribution in the grandest style.
She demonstrated her veneration for Amun by building the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut, a shrine that was placed at the very center of Karnak. This was where Hatshepsut, while being assisted by priests, personally performed the necessary religious ceremonies to maintain cosmic order.
Building Obelisks
As part of Hatshepsut’s plan for posterity, she commissioned four pink granite obelisks at Karnak. They are the second largest of all the ancient Egyptian obelisks, standing at 100 feet tall, almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. She wrote on her obelisks that they were erected to pay tribute to her father, the state god Amun. With their tips shining in electrum, they can be seen from the other side of the Nile River.
The obelisks were capped with electrum, a gold-silver alloy that functions as an esoteric lightning power rod, catching the first rays of the sun at dawn and transmitting solar energy to the center of the Karnak Temple, where it can be redistributed for Egypt’s benefit.
Commanding the Military
Hatshepsut had her fair share of successful military accomplishments. She conducted military expeditions herself, fighting alongside her soldiers in battles against Egypt’s foes in Nubia on two occasions.
Historians have regarded her as a conqueror and a female warrior. Furthermore, several offerings were found at Hatshepsut’s military capability in Deir el-Bahari, such as an ax blade inscribed with Hatshepsut’s name and title.
Enhancing Egypt’s Economy
To secure the nation’s peaceful prosperity, Hatshepsut sought out economic alliances that would bring wealth into her country. She sent a trade expedition by sea to a place where no Egyptian had been for over 500 years—the land of Punt or present-day Somalia.
The expedition was composed of five ships holding more than 200 men, including sailors. The trade route that opened proved to be lucrative. When the delegation returned, they were carrying live trees with their roots carefully packaged, Egypt’s first attempt at transplanting foreign trees. Ivory, frankincense, and rare animal skins were among the items made available for the first time in Egypt.
Growth in the Economy
Hatshepsut expanded this and initiated commerce on a large scale. The Egyptians traded their precious commodities, such as bangles, beads, and metal weaponry, for myrrh resin. Myrrh and other resins were traditionally used in temple rituals, such as mummification, and were also an important component in perfume production. Hatshepsut herself was known to use fragrant myrrh.
Seeing her trade expedition as a monumental success, Hatshepsut had it commemorated at Deir el-Bahari. It is known that it included a realistic depiction of the Queen of Punt, named Queen Ati. Hatshepsut also sent out several expeditions to Sinai and Byblos, but there’s hardly any available data on these trips.
How Did Hatshepsut Die?
Due to her missing mummy, no official publication was found to identify the cause of her death. In 1458 BC, after 22 years of a prosperous reign, Hatshepsut died. She was assumed to be in her mid-40s when she died. Some even speculated that Thutmose III had her killed because the timing of her death coincided with Thutmose III’s return from a military campaign.
It was known that other members of Hatshepsut’s family had inflammatory skin illnesses that were usually passed down the generations. When her mummy was finally discovered, assuming the identification was correct, it was said that her mummy displayed symptoms of a variety of illnesses, including arthritis, dental root inflammation, and metastasized bone cancer. Those who examined her concluded that it was probably the metastasized cancer that led to her death.
Nonetheless, she was observed to be obese and showed signs of skin disease, which paved the way to another theory about her death. Researchers from Germany identified a carcinogenic substance in a vial with her name on it, believed to be used by Hatshepsut as a skin cream to treat a skin condition or for cosmetic reasons, which led her to have cancer.
Hatshepsut’s Tomb
When Hatshepsut became the Great Royal Wife of Thutmose II, she started building a tomb, but it was too small for a pharaoh. Hence, when she ascended the throne, she began planning another tomb. KV20, which was originally quarried for her father, Thutmose I, and perhaps was the Valley of the Kings’ first royal tomb, expanded with a new burial chamber.
On the other hand, Hatshepsut restored her father’s tomb and planned a double burial of Thutmose I and herself within KV20. As a result, it’s likely that she was buried in this tomb with her father when she died, but it was never confirmed as her mummy was not discovered there.
Recent Discoveries
In 1903, Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, uncovered a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that contained two female mummies. One was identified as Hatshepsut’s wet nurse, and the other was unknown. Hatshepsut’s sarcophagus was located after a few years, but her mummy was still missing.
In 2006, Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist, embarked on a mission to see if the unidentified mummy in KV60 was Hatshepsut. He brought the body to Cairo’s Egyptian Museum for testing.
A molar tooth that was previously found in a wooden box with Hatshepsut’s name on it was the key evidence that matched perfectly with the upper jaw of the unidentified mummy. The evidence led to the conclusion that the lost queen had finally been found.
While DNA testing would ultimately reveal if the tooth matched with the mummy, scholars refused to do so as it would be a destructive test for the tooth. However, in 2011, the tooth was identified as the molar from a lower jaw, whereas the mummy from KV20 was missing a molar from its upper jaw, thus casting doubt on the supposed identification.
The Lost Queen
Little information was known about Hatshepsut as she was purposely wiped out from the pages of history 20 years after she died. Her achievements were systematically erased, her statues smashed, her legacy was destroyed, and even her mummy vanished.
At Deir el-Bahari, Hatshepsut’s numerous monuments were torn down and, in many cases, destroyed or damaged. There was also an attempt to enclose Karnak’s obelisks. Her case has become one of ancient Egypt’s unsolved mysteries, which has puzzled Egyptologists for centuries.
Who Caused the Damage?
There were many theories that her nephew and stepson, Thutmose III, along with Thutmose III’s son, Amenhotep II, were behind this attack as all of this happened when Thutmose III’s reign was nearing its end.
Among the cited reasons was that Thutmose III despised his aunt and took revenge on her for usurping power from him when she was his co-regent. Some believe that Amenhotep II, son of Thutmose III, was the one responsible for the attack. His position in the royal bloodline was not strong enough to guarantee his ascent to the throne, so he would have had a reason.
In addition, Amenhotep II was said to have usurped many of Hatshepsut’s achievements during his own reign. His reign is also known to have several attempts to disturb the royal lineage, such as failing to record the names of his queens and abolishing significant titles and formal functions for royal women.
Her gender was the most common motive for erasing Hatshepsut’s record from Egypt’s history. It was done to erase and make people forget that a woman ever sat on Egypt’s throne and became Egypt’s Queen, King, and eventually a pharaoh.
Legacy
In the Karnak Temple, there was enough evidence of Hatshepsut’s power and influence. Being the clever woman that she was, she made sure that all her great contributions would be remembered.
Images
All the images and scenes were written on the walls of the mortuary temple and the red chapel that she built.
The images show Hatshepsut’s transformation from a woman wearing a dress to having full pharaonic regalia, including a false beard, which was a symbol of divine attribute by the gods. She was also referred to as “Her Majesty, the King.”
This pharaoh also wanted to be known for her efforts to elevate the status of Egyptian women. Images on the walls showed small female figures in the procession, clapping, performing acrobatics, and playing musical instruments. These records show us the role played by the high priestess, also referred to as “God’s Wife of Amun.”
Economic Legacy
Hatshepsut is most known for her ground-breaking trade expeditions that propelled Egypt’s economy to new heights. Hieroglyphics show her mining expeditions north to Sinai for turquoise and south to Aswan for granite to build obelisks. She was a great builder who did unprecedented architectural pieces, some of which are still standing today.
Art
All other pharaonic artworks combined teach us less about religious ceremonies and women’s roles in them than the creative images Hatshepsut commissioned. Scholars claim that during her reign, the number of privileged women engaging in the coveted and immensely powerful cult service increased dramatically.
Leadership
While others characterized her as a ruthless stepmother who took Thutmose III’s power, one can conclude that she was an admirable leader who even prepared for the next generation. Under her reign, she had Thutmose III educated as a scribe, priest, and soldier, and because he excelled at the latter, she appointed him to be commander in chief of the army. Perhaps, these experiences molded and prepared Thutmose III to be the next successful pharaoh.
Background Information
Queen Hatshepsut became the fifth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty and reigned until the Golden Age. She was an accomplished pharaoh who made numerous contributions to Egypt’s economic growth. In fact, she was so great that even 20 years after her death, she became a victim of an act known as “damnatio memoriae” or damnation of memory. Somebody tried to eradicate her name and image from Egyptian history.
But what could be the reason behind the attack? Why would they do such a thing to a great pharaoh?
You see, Hatshepsut is a woman, and she was not supposed to be a pharaoh in the first place. Although it was legal, it disturbed some of the Egyptians’ beliefs, including the tradition of rule by men.
Pharaoh Hatshepsut has been dubbed the “Lost Queen” since the discovery of her existence in 1822, when scholars decoded and read the hieroglyphics on the walls of Deir el-Bahri. She is regarded as the most influential female pharaoh and one of ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.
Conclusion
Hatshepsut ruled Egypt during one of the peak periods of wealth and power. This can be greatly attributed to her accomplishments as an effective leader, which led her to become one of the most successful pharaohs in the entire ancient Egyptian history.
Here are the noteworthy aspects of her reign:
Hatshepsut was born to rule. Her father, her half-brother, who later became her husband, and her stepson were all pharaohs, and their names were Thutmose I, II, and III, respectively.
She proved that she could dutifully perform her responsibilities and even surpassed her predecessors’ accomplishments.
Hatshepsut was a great builder, having built monuments, temples, and obelisks that were considered architectural wonders.
She had governed during times of peace, as well as victorious military campaigns, in which she had fought alongside her soldiers on two occasions.
Hatshepsut had strong religious connections. She even claimed that she was the daughter of Amun, the state god.
Her most notable accomplishment, however, was the discovery and establishment of a trade route that boosted Egypt’s economy at the time.
Twenty years after her death, her achievements, statues, legacy, and even her mummy disappeared.
After the discovery of her existence in 1822, many Egyptologists, historians, and scholars were eager to know more about the Lost Queen.
In 2007, her mummy was identified. A total of 3,465 years after she died, Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s mummy was finally found.
She was Egypt’s most successful female monarch, retaining power after two decades of peace and prosperity. She had demonstrated, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that an effective leader does not have to be a man.
