New Kingdom of Egypt
The New Kingdom, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, was the ancient Egyptian nation between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC. This period of ancient Egyptian history covers the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties. Through radiocarbon dating, the establishment of the New Kingdom has been placed between 1570 BC and 1544 BC. The New Kingdom followed the Second Intermediate Period and was succeeded by the Third Intermediate Period. It was the most prosperous time for the Egyptian people and marked the peak of Egypt's power.
New Kingdom of Egypt | |||||||||
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| c. 1550-1544 BC–c. 1069 BC | |||||||||
Egyptian territory under the New Kingdom, c. 15th century BC | |||||||||
| Capital |
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| Common languages | Egyptian, Nubian, Canaanite, Amorite | ||||||||
| Religion |
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| Government | Divine absolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Pharaoh | |||||||||
• c. 1550 – 1525 BC | Ahmose I (first) | ||||||||
• c. 1107 – 1077 BC | Ramesses XI (last) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Rise | c. 1550-1544 BC | ||||||||
• Downfall | c. 1069 BC | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• c. 13th century BCE | 3 to 5 million | ||||||||
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| History of Egypt |
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| Egypt portal |
In 1845, the concept of a "New Kingdom" as one of three "golden ages" was coined by German scholar Baron von Bunsen; the original definition would evolve significantly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The later part of this period, under the Nineteenth Dynasty (1295–1189 BC) and the Twentieth Dynasty (1189–1069 BC), is also known as the Ramesside period. It is named after the eleven pharaohs who took the name Ramesses, after Ramesses I, the founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty.
Possibly as a result of the foreign rule of the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period, the New Kingdom saw a historic expansion into the Levant, thus marking Egypt's greatest territorial extent. Similarly, in response to attacks by the Kushites, who led raids into Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, the rulers of the New Kingdom felt compelled to expand far into Nubia and to hold wider territories in the Near East, particularly on the Levantine frontier.