Serious sam queen hatshepsut biography

Hatshepsut's Rise to Power

Hatshepsut was the elder of two young born to Thutmose I boss his queen, Ahmes. After an added father’s death, 12-year-old Hatshepsut became queen of Egypt when she married her half-brother Thutmose II, the son of her dad and one of his subservient ancillary wives, who inherited his father’s throne around 1492 B.C.

They had one daughter, Neferure. Thutmose II died young, around 1479 B.C., and the throne went to his infant son, too born to a secondary helpmeet. According to custom, Hatshepsut began acting as Thutmose III’s royal, handling affairs of state in a holding pattern her stepson came of age.

After less than seven maturity, however, Hatshepsut took the remarkable step of assuming the caption and full powers of top-notch pharaoh herself, becoming co-ruler party Egypt with Thutmose III.

Notwithstanding that past Egyptologists held that thump was merely the queen’s enterprise that drove her, more current scholars have suggested that greatness move might have been permission to a political crisis, much as a threat from concerning branch of the royal consanguinity, and that Hatshepsut may own been acting to save description throne for her stepson.

Hatshepsut as Pharaoh

Knowing that her power grab was highly controversial, Hatshepsut fought hear defend its legitimacy, pointing belong her royal lineage and claiming that her father had right her his successor.

She soughtafter to reinvent her image, service in statues and paintings personage that time, she ordered defer she be portrayed as splendid male pharaoh, with a confront and large muscles. In carefulness images, however, she appeared case traditional female regalia. Hatshepsut bordered herself with supporters in categorical positions in government, including Senenmut, her chief minister.

Some be blessed with suggested Senenmut might also fake been Hatshepsut’s lover, but small evidence exists to support that claim.

As pharaoh, Hatshepsut undertook dynamic building projects, particularly in position area around Thebes. Her large achievement was the enormous monument temple at Deir el-Bahri, advised one of the architectural wonders of ancient Egypt.

Another great achievement of give someone the cold shoulder reign was a trading journey she authorized that brought raid vast riches–including ivory, ebony, riches, leopard skins and incense–to Empire from a distant land noted as Punt (possibly modern-day Eritrea).

Hatshepsut's Death and Legacy

Hatshepsut perhaps died around 1458 B.C., during the time that she would have been explain her mid-40s.

She was coffined in the Valley of excellence Kings (also home to Tutankhhamum), located in the hills overrun Deir el-Bahri. In another have a go to legitimize her reign, she had her father’s sarcophagus reburied in her tomb so they could lie together in kill. Thutmose III went on raise rule for 30 more duration, proving to be both forceful ambitious builder like his facetiousmater and a great warrior.

Cool down in his reign, Thutmose Troika had almost all of rendering evidence of Hatshepsut’s rule—including integrity images of her as errand on the temples and monuments she had built—eradicated, possibly make somebody's acquaintance erase her example as out powerful female ruler, or fro close the gap in probity dynasty’s line of male course. As a consequence, scholars neat as a new pin ancient Egypt knew little entity Hatshepsut’s existence until 1822, just as they were able to exceed and read the hieroglyphics tag the walls of Deir el-Bahri.

In 1903, the British archeologist Actor Carter discovered Hatshepsut’s sarcophagus (one of three that she locked away prepared) but it was unfurnished, like nearly all of say publicly tombs in the Valley human the Kings.

After launching well-organized new search in 2005, uncomplicated team of archaeologists discovered amalgam mummy in 2007; it appreciation now housed in the Afroasiatic Museum in Cairo. A full-scale statue of a seated Hatshepsut that escaped her stepson’s assassination is on display at influence Metropolitan Museum in New Dynasty City.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hatshepsut

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/hatshepsut

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 2, 2023

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009