Paragraph 2.2

1. Paragraph 2.2 The land of the Pharaoh

2. The origin of the State • Because of irrigationagriculturethe Egyptiansneeded a goodorganisation: • Aftereveryflooding: boundaries of the fieldsweregone. • Farmers had to maintain all the ponds and canals. • They needed to cooperate!

3. Somepeoplewerereallygood at organising. • Theydevided the tasks. • These peoplebecame leaders and made a lot of money. • They had civilservants, priestsandsoldiersto help them. • Nowtheycandominate the people.

4. States • This is howstatesarose. • Theywereruledbymonarchs. • Afterconquestssomebecamebigger. • After a whiletherewereonly 2 kingdoms in Egypt: LowerandUpper Egypt.

5. 1 kingdom • 3000 BC kingNarmer, of Upper Egypt, conqueredLower Egypt. • Nowit’s 1 state. • The king was calledpharaoh. • He built a new capital: Memphis. • Later Thebes ( now Luxor) became the capital.

6. Devine Pharaoh • Egyptians believed in many gods. • They believed the gods ruled over them. • They also believe the pharaoh is a god. • How come?

7. Osiris • They believed Pharaoh/god Osiris had ruled Egypt. • He was killed by Seth, his brother. • His body was cut into pieces. • Isis, his wife, put him back together again. • They had a son, Horus. • Horus, when an adult, banished Seth to the desert.

8. Horus ruled Egypt. • He looked like a falcon, but on earth he was a pharaoh. • So pharaoh’s are gods! • Pharaoh’s often had sceptres (= staff) and crowns.

9. Civil servants and priests • The pharoah needed help to run the empire. • He had servants: • High-ranking civil servants: counsellors and provincial governors. • Minor civil servants: tax collectors, supervisors and scribes.

10. The pharaoh had to talk to the gods to keep them happy. • Because the gods took care of Egypt. • The pharaoh would go to a temple and priests would help him.

11. Taxes • All the land belonged to the pharaoh. • Farmers paid taxes to use the land. • They paid with a part of their harvest. • Agricultural goods were stored in large granaries. • The pharaoh used this to pay his servants, soldiers, etc.

12. The granaries were also emergency supply for the people f they had a bad harvest. • The farmers also had to work for the pharaoh. • While the fields were flooded, the farmers would help built a palace or a pyramid.

13. Nobility • When the highest-ranking civil servant did their job well, they could be rewarded by the pharaoh. • They got a hereditary title and they could collect taxes. • They became noblemen. • Nobility and temples were allowed to get taxes.

15. Writing • 3000 BC they Egyptians invented hieroglyphs. • (Greek word, means: sacred carving) • They carved the text in a stone. • The script consisted of small drawings. • They could mean 1 word or a sound.

16. Hieroglyphs • Mainly used for religious writing in graves and temples. • It was very difficult. • So people also had an easier script as an addition, called hieratic script. • It was used for administration of temples, the palace and letters.

17. Writing • Because of writing, the civil servants could keep track of the possessions of farmers and determine the amount of taxes! • They could register property, keep stock and write down laws.

18. Writing is very important in a state. • S0 now the prehistory ends. • A new time started: Antiquity. • (time of Greek and Romans)

19. Unity and division • The pharaoh was also the leader of the army. • He had to protect the people in Egypt. • Egypt was often attacked, but most pharaoh’s kept the political unity. • Weak pharaohs sometimes lost control, and Egypt was divided again. • Subjects always listened to the authority.

20. Strong pharaohs sometimes tried to expand the country. • Expansion was good to get more money! • Subjected people had to hand in gold, ivory, ebony, animal hides • And prisoners of war were taken home to Egypt.