Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
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king Thuthmosis’s I older daughter, married to her half-brother Thutmosi II
and tutor of her young half-brother-nephew Thutmosis III, Hatshepsut was able to
challenge in a way or another the tradition, and settled herself firmly on the
pharaoh’s royal throne. She was the only female presence in history who was
represented, both as a woman and as a man, dressed in male clothing, with male
accessories and even a fake beard, traditionally worn by the pharaohs. In spite
of the fact during her reign Egypt prospered, after her death, they tried to
cancel her name and her image in every way. Hatshepsut’s monuments were
demolished or usurped by others, her portraits were destroyed and her name
canceled from history and from the official list of Egyptian kings. But
something was left: Manetone, mentioned a woman pharaoh, called Amense or
Amensis, as the fifth sovereign in the XVIII dynasty. The queen Hatshepsut is
the most famous female monarch that Egypt has ever had in its history. In fact,
contrary to what is commonly believed, she wasn’t the only woman who was able to
govern Egypt. For decades this queen has been defined the usurper of a
completely male role and so her seizing the power is considered as an act that
contrasts strongly with the status quo. A recent study has demonstrated that one
of the key elements of Hatshepsut’s success was certainly the development of her
role as a queen during the second half of the XVII dynasty. Hatshepsut had grown
up in the king’s palace, where she was educated by the court scribes. In that
period the king’s palace was beside the north entrance of Amon’s temple in
karnak, where today there is the colonnade built by Tarharka in Ramses’s II
courtyard. During her youth Hatshepsut saw the death of her two brothers Ahose
and Wadjmose, and her sister’s, Nneferubity, although we have no information on
the causes of these deaths. It could be that after these deaths thutmosi I
introduced his daughter Hatshepsut to the court and made her his heiress, as an
inscription states, which is in the funeral temple in Deir el Bahari. Then his
majesty (Thutmosi I) told them: “This is my daughter, Khnumetamon Hatshepsut-
may she live! I’ve chosen her as successor for my throne… she will lead the
people in every part of the palace; she will guide you. Obey her words, get
together under her command”. The royal nobles, the dignitaries and the head of
the people listened to the proclamation of his daughter’s promotion, the King of
upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkara, may she live eternally!” But at this point,
suddenly appears on the scene another of the pharaoh’s sons, Thutmosi, who up to
then had never been mentioned in his father’s official inscriptions.And it was
he and not Hatshepsut, who became pharaoh at Thutmosi’s I death. It can be
supposed that, to reinforce his rights to the throne, in this period it was
decided his marriage with his half-sister Hatshepsut, who was a few years older
than him. It’s supposed the Hatshepsut married him right before or even during
his coronation in the 1 year, the second day of the month of Akhet. After
Thutmosi’s death, the first duty for the new king and his energetic bride was to
bury their father. The new pharaoh must have been very young. A statue of the
king, recently discovered in Elefantina represents him with no doubt as a
youngster and, the fact that he’s never mentioned as a prince during the thirty
years of his father’s reign, suggests that he had a lot less of the thirty years
that Luc Gabolde attributes to him. The visir Ineni has left written that he
ascended to the throne as a hawk on the egg. The same expression that was used
later by both Thutmosi III and Amenofi III, and in both cases we have the
certainty of their extreme youth when they became pharaohs. Another indication ,
although not very reliable, of his youth and the brevity of his reign is given
to us by the low number of heirs generated. Hatshepsut’s only daughter, princess
Neferura, was still newborn when her mother became regent of Thutmosi’s iI only
son and tha even he was only a child when he ascended to the throne.
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The queen and the Gods Amon
Real
cartouche of Hatshepsut
