The establishment of the New Empire began with the process of uniting the Egyptian population against the domination exercised by the Hyksos in their territories. With the support of Amosis I, a great revolt against the foreign presence was finally able to unleash the struggles that ended the Hyksos hegemony. The great mobilization generated by this episode strengthened the Egyptian army and propagated militarist actions that expanded the borders of the empire.
According to recent researches, it was at this same time that the Hebrews had settled in Egypt, approximately in the 13th century BC. Ç.. In relation to this fact, we must point out that, after the departure of the Hyksos, the Egyptian government converted the Hebrew population to the condition of slaves. Through this change, the Hebrews began their process of withdrawal from Egyptian territory, a feat that had the political-religious leadership of Moses.
Among the most important territorial conquests carried out at that time, we highlight the control over the regions of Mesopotamia and the vicinity of Sudan. Control over a large portion of land also fostered the formation of more intense commercial activities, which included the import of wood from Phoenicia, precious metals from Nubia and resin from Greece and other regions of the world Eastern. In fact, this was a period of significant economic prosperity.
The visible strengthening of the monarchic power opened doors for the constitution of a religious reform that was imposed by Pharaoh Amenófis IV. Seeking to limit the influence exerted by the priests, this ruler abolished the polytheistic cult in Egypt and started to recognize only the cult of the god Aten. With such a move, he was able to close several temples dedicated to other deities and confiscate the goods administered by much of the priestly class.
The change brought about by Amunhotep IV did not last within Egyptian society. Tutankhamun, son of Amunhotep, as soon as he came to power, tried to restore the old polytheistic religious traditions with the recovery of temples that had been abandoned. Arrived the government of Ramses II (1292 – 1225 a. C.), the Egyptians had to face the greed of other foreign peoples. During this period, the military forces of Egypt were responsible for expelling the Hittites from the Nile River Valley.
At the end of the New Empire, political disputes between the pharaohs and the priests were responsible for the political weakening of the nation. Around 1100 BC a., the Egyptian empire was again divided into Upper and Lower Egypt. The dissolution ended up allowing the Assyrians to advance under the territory. In 662 BC a., king Assurbanipal managed to subjugate the politically shaken Egyptian government. Thereafter, other civilizations dominated Egypt.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
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Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Ancient Egypt – New Empire"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/novo-imperio.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.