Hatshepsut__Social,_Political,_Military,_Economic

Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple – Deir el Bahri Well with tradition in the respect of architecture, Hatshepsut like her predecessors set out to build her Mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri. But unlike previous buildings Hatshepsut’s temple set a new architectural standard for future pharaohs, with her incorporated originality and daring architecture. Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple is a remarkable creation, made not from quarried rock, but from the surrounding limestone cliffs, it truly is the apex of Thebes. Composed of three terraces, flanking carronades and spacious courts was a complete new innovation, unlike any before with its ascending ramps carved from living rock. The building is a true testament to the society in which Hatshepsut lived, and never fails to impress even the toughest of historians such as Gardiner who stated ‘even now there is no nobler architectural achievement to be seen in the whole of Egypt’. The temples madgesty impressed her people and reinforced as well as strengthened her position as a pharaoh capable of great might and also challenged the pharaoh of the future to rival her masterpiece. Expedition to Punt, Year 9 The jewel of Hatshepsut’s reign was her expedition to Punt, not only did the expedition bring greater wealth to Egypt it also bore the cost of Hatshepsut’s monumental building scheme. The expedition opened up trade between Egypt and inner Africa, via contact made, significantly not for conquest but trade. The land of punt opened up many wonders to the Egyptians, as seen by the reliefs etched into Hatshepsut’s Mortuary temple. Punt brought a variety of marine life, date palms as well as frankincense and ebony trees and other exotic goods such as ivory, live animals and skins as well as gold. As Tyldsley rightly states ‘her famous expedition to Punt [was] clearly one of the highlights of Hatshepsut’s reign, tyldsley words corroborate the fact that the expedition to punt served to stimulate the economy of the future, providing greater resources, and opening the path to a better and a wider variety of good for future generations. The expedition also allowed Hatshepsut to be seen as a traditional pharaoh who has her people’s best interests at heart, as well as highlights the immense prosperity and good government of Hatshepsut’s reign. Divine Birth and Coronation, Year 7 Hatshepsut’s rise to prominence is one of clever strategy and overwhelmingly successful propaganda. Hatshepsut’s divine birth and coronation inscriptions are a testament to Egyptian inventiveness and political vigour. In order to excel herself into the position of pharaoh Hatshepsut illustrates various ideas that would accelerate her succession and gain the support from the people of Egypt, indeed her right to the throne is supported by Bryan within her word ‘Hatshepsut may have felt that ‘embodiment of the pure family line was apparently sufficient to maintain her role as pharaoh and for nearly twenty years she was right’. Within the scenes of the divine birth, Hatshepsut proposes evidence to legitimise her claim to the throne but claiming to be the divine biological daughter of the god Amun, and within her coronation inscriptions, Hatshepsut proposes the notion that her father Thutmose the first, named her the heir to the throne, indeed reinforcing Hatshepsut’s place and right, and also severed as a buffer to the fact the she was a woman, instead the people of Egypt were evoked with new awe for their divine pharaoh . Both pieces of evidence demonstrate eager political force, as well as incorporate religious emphasis on her political campaign to become pharaoh. Her divine birth and coronation inscriptions severed to amplify Hatshepsut’s influence on her subjects, and her techniques proved successful in the eyes of future pharaohs of Egypt. Military campaign to Nubia, Year 8 Hatshepsut evoked military initiative when she undertook a military campaign to Nubia, by doing this Hatshepsut embraced a warrior role, and emphasised her portrayal as a capable pharaoh who is able to protest her people and keep them safe. Hatshepsut’s campaign to Nubia was priority as, with the ascending of a new pharaoh, the Nubians would rebel, Hatshepsut being as Kentworthy states was the ‘protector of Egypt and capable of suppressing any foreigner who may wish to rebel’. Hatshepsut’s campaign to Nubia despite being overlooked be early historians, was a significant time within her reign as Hatshepsut undertook great strength in even being present while the campaign at Nubia unfolded, the campaign allows Hatshepsut to be portrayed as a capable woman deprived of no power, even in the aspects of war. The campaign gave her further right to the throne and Hatshepsut rose to the occasion ensuring that the tradition of suppression condemned upon the Nubians was carried on and elating the fact that Egypt was a powerful militaristic society, for generations to come.