Hatshepsut Biography
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Most people always want more. The need to be successful, to get ahead of the game, is at the heart and core of almost every human being. However, most are never satisfied, never fully certain that we are as successful as we can be; we can therefore become greedy. This greed can motivate us; it can push us to be as powerful as we can be. Nowhere is greed more present than in politics. As leaders take the reigns of power for the first time, they find themselves unwilling to let go of their newfound power. And so it is that great leaders, like the woman pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt, go further than their limits and attempt to gain more and more power. Though driven by greed for power, Hatshepsut did much good for her country socially, politically, and economically.
Hatshepsut, born in 1540 B.C., during Egypt’s 18th dynasty, was able to rise through the social ladder with ease, going from princess to queen to pharaoh. She was the oldest daughter of Thutmose I and queen Ahmose. It is believed that her father favored her over her two half brothers. Hatshepsut was also known as the King’s Daughter, King’s Sister, God’s Wife and the King’s Greatest Wife. She married Thutmose II. During Thutmose II lifetime, she was hardly an important queen. Thutmose II was the son of Thutmose I by a lesser queen, Mutnofre. At age ten, she became obsessed with horses and chariots. Her interest with horses began to increase as she grew older. In 1987, Former Egyptian President, Anwar El Sadat, documented that Hatshepsut initially never thought she would become pharaoh until she realized she could, so she seeked to improve her education. As a small child, a royal scribe taught her how to read and write hieroglyphics.
Living in a royal family with other male contenders to the throne, one sister, two brothers, and one half-brother was not that easy, especially when you were girl and considered a shadow compared to your two brothers. Hatshepsut’s sister was named Princess Netkuhheb. Her two brothers, Wadjmose and Ahmennose, died at a young age. Her half brother, Thutmose II, later became her husband. Her father and mother were Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose Nefertari. She had a close relationship with both parents.
Thutmose II died in 1490 B.C. Thutmose III was going to inherit the throne, but he was too young to rule. Here was her chance! As Hatshepsut grasped the reigns of power it was clear that she wasn’t going to let go, as the public was expecting her to do. Later, she crowned herself pharaoh, alongside her stepson. Hatshepsut justified her new role by claiming to be the god Amon’s daughter. She had herself represented and then crowned as a man on monuments. Now Thutmose II was in Hatshepsut’s vacant spot, her shadow.
Hatshepsut had a fascinating adult life. Kings wore false beards to symbolize their power, royalty and authority. Hatshepsut, trying to do the same, wore a false beard and male clothing. She was depicted in statues as a pharaoh. She did this in order to make a “transition to kingship and the acceptance of the priesthood more convincing.” Her way of doing things seemed to work.
As Hatshepsut grew older, her accomplishments grew greater in number. In 1473 B.C., she crowned herself queen and king of Upper and Lower Egypt. Hatshepsut was intelligent and not evil. She staged beginning struggles for women’s rights. “Shortly after, women were given the rights to inherit from deceased family members and were allowed to present their cases in court.” Hatshepsut set this stage for many to follow her. She gave birth to a child whom she named Princess Neferure. Hatshepsut had to take care of her child, be a mother and a pharaoh. Hatshepsut encouraged trade and sent expeditions over sea and land to an elegant country, Punt, located northeast of Africa. She sent ships to trade with foreign countries. She brought back goods such as leopard skins, ebony, gold, and feathers. Hatshepsut had built a funerary temple at Deir el Bahri which was a masterpiece of Egyptian architecture. Later, she had obelisks installed in the Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak. She sponsored various construction projects at home and built herself a memorial temple known today as Deil el-Bahri.
Hatshepsut had a long and unique reign. She ruled from 1503 to 1452 B.C. The time in which she ruled was a period when women were allowed to own property and to hold official positions. Priests supported her reign as pharaoh. Trade expeditions brought wealth; especially the ones to Punt. Her role started with the death of her father in 1492 B.C. Her peaceful reign was marked by trade and construction. The expedition to Punt was a large scale expedition.
Hatshepsut never had a close relationship with Thutmose III. He ruled alone for about thirty-three years, after he overthrew Hatshepsut in 1458 B.C. His greed for power, unlike Hatshepsut’s drove him to send her into exile and then kill her. He hated and feared Hatshepsut so much that he destroyed or defaced her statues and monuments.
People in modern days sometimes dislike the ruler of their nation. That is not how the public thought of Hatshepsut. Egyptian people accepted her behavior and appreciated her achievements. She was loved by many, especially the thousands that supported and worked for her every day during her reign. She wanted to make peace with other nations rather than to expand Egypt’s borders by going to war. This clearly shows that she cared about her nation and ended her rule in a peaceful manner.
Hatshepsut became the forerunner for many rulers. Cleopatra used similar strategies and techniques, such as expanding Egypt and its trade. Their reasons for ruling were different, because Cleopatra relied on men for assistance during her reign. On the other hand, Hatshepsut kept all the power to herself. Hatshepsut tried to hide the fact that she was a woman, unlike Cleopatra who dressed as an elegant and fancy woman. Thutmose II was different from Hatshepsut because he centered most of his work and time on continuing to control the Egyptian army. Hatshepsut focused on trade, not expanding Egypt’s borders. “Thutmose III was the Napoleon of his time.” He seemed more concerned with the popularity of his name and achievements, rather than those of his country. Hatshepsut’s reign was similar to that of her father’s. She expanded territory and maintained religious, social, and political order. Both Hatshepsut and her father, Thutmose I, were taught from the same scribe. This makes them equal in knowledge and education. Their only difference was gender.
Hatshepsut’s reign (accompanied by her greed) allowed Egypt to flourish. Through Hatshepsut’s success, her nephew, Thutmose III, had an extreme type of greed. This greed motivated him to put himself in Hatshepsut’s place and rule. This way he was able to take her place, try to erase her name from history, and continue to build her success.