Third Intermediate Period of Egypt

Long ago, Egypt was not one single land. It split into many small parts. Different leaders ruled different areas.

Some leaders came from far away. They were from a land called Kush. These kings built many grand temples. They even built pyramids.

Then, a group called the Assyrians came. They had strong tools made of iron. This helped them win many fights.

Egypt became weak after these wars. A leader named Psamtik I took charge. He helped make the land calm again.

He ruled for a very long time. This helped Egypt find peace.

The Third Intermediate Period was a time of change for Egypt. It began after the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC. During this time, Egypt was often split into different parts. In one part, kings ruled from the city of Tanis. In another part, powerful priests ruled from the city of Thebes. This meant the land was not always under one leader.

Later, a new group of rulers came to power. They were from a land called Kush. These leaders made up the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. They ruled a large area of the Nile valley. They built or fixed many grand temples.

This peace did not last. A group called the Assyrians began to invade Egypt. The Assyrians had many tools made of iron. This gave them a big advantage in war. After many fights, the Assyrians took control of some areas. This led to the end of the Kushite rule. Finally, a leader named Psamtik I brought stability back to the land. He ruled for 54 years from the city of Sais. His long rule helped Egypt start a new era of peace.

The Third Intermediate Period was a long time of change in ancient Egypt. It started after the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC. This event marked the end of the famous New Kingdom. During these years, Egypt was not always one single country. It often split into different parts ruled by different leaders. Some historians call this a time of decline or instability. However, a scholar named Kenneth Kitchen argued it was not always chaotic. He preferred to call it the Post-Imperial epoch instead.

At first, the country was divided between kings and priests. After Ramesses XI died, a leader named Smendes I ruled from Tanis. He mostly controlled the area known as Lower Egypt. At the same time, powerful priests ruled in the city of Thebes. These priests controlled Middle and Upper Egypt in almost all ways. Even though they were separate, they often belonged to the same family. Later, a leader named Shoshenq I brought the land back together in 945 BC. He came from a group of people from ancient Libya.

Stability did not last forever for the reunited land. After the reign of Osorkon II, the country split into two states again. By 818 BC, Shoshenq III ruled Lower Egypt while others ruled the south. A civil war even broke out in the city of Thebes. This conflict involved leaders like Pedubast I and Takelot II. Eventually, Osorkon B won the fight and started a new dynasty. But this new group also broke apart into smaller local states. Local kings began to rule different cities like Hermopolis and Thebes.

A kingdom from the south called Kush eventually took control. A ruler named Kashta first gained influence in the city of Thebes. Later, around 732 BC, a leader named Piye marched north to win. He started the Twenty-fifth Dynasty and defeated several Egyptian rulers. His successors were Shabaka, Shebitku, and the famous Pharaoh Taharqa. They ruled a large empire along the Nile valley. They even built or fixed grand temples in places like Memphis and Karnak. They were even buried under pyramids in the land of Napata.

Trouble arrived when the Assyrians began to invade Egypt. The Assyrians had a big advantage because they had many iron weapons. Egypt did not have much timber to make charcoal for iron. This made it hard for Egypt to fight back during the invasions. In 664 BC, the Assyrians attacked the cities of Thebes and Memphis. This led to the end of the Kushite rulers in Egypt. Finally, a leader named Psamtik I brought peace back to the land. He ruled from Sais for 54 years and started a new era.

The Third Intermediate Period was a significant era in ancient Egyptian history. It began after the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1077 BC. This event marked the conclusion of the New Kingdom. Historians often describe this time as one of political instability and decline. The period saw the Egyptian state split into different territories. It also coincided with the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Near East. Some scholars, like Kenneth Kitchen, suggest the period was not purely chaotic. He preferred the term "Post-Imperial epoch" to describe these years.

During the Twenty-first Dynasty, the central government began to fracture. While Ramesses XI was still ruling, the Twentieth Dynasty lost control of Thebes. In this southern city, the priests of Amun grew increasingly powerful. After the Pharaoh died, Smendes I took control from the city of Tanis. He mostly governed Lower Egypt. However, the High Priests of Amun ruled Middle and Upper Egypt in all but name. Interestingly, these two separate powers often belonged to the same family.

Stability returned briefly with the Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq I founded this dynasty around 945 BC or 943 BC. He was a descendant of Meshwesh immigrants from ancient Libya. This era brought peace for over a century. However, the country eventually split into two states again after Osorkon II. By 818 BC, Shoshenq III controlled Lower Egypt. Meanwhile, Takelot II and his son Osorkon ruled the south. This division led to a civil war in the city of Thebes. The conflict pitted the forces of Pedubast I against the line of Takelot II. Eventually, Osorkon B defeated his enemies in the 39th year of Shoshenq III's reign.

Following this conflict, the country fragmented into smaller local city-states. Leaders like Peftjaubast of Herakleopolis and Nimlot of Hermopolis held power. This lack of unity allowed the Nubian kingdom to the south to expand. A ruler named Kashta first extended Nubian influence into Thebes. He did this by ensuring his daughter, Amenirdis, would succeed the Divine Adoratice of Amun. Around 732 BC, his successor Piye led a major campaign. Piye marched north and defeated several native Egyptian rulers. These included Peftjaubast, Osorkon IV, Iuput II, and Tefnakht.

Piye established the Twenty-fifth Dynasty after his victories. He appointed the defeated Egyptian rulers as his provincial governors. He was succeeded by his brother Shabaka, and then by Shebitku and Taharqa. Under the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, the Nile valley empire was as large as it had been during the New Kingdom. Pharaohs like Taharqa built or restored many monuments. They worked in locations such as Memphis, Karnak, Kawa, and Jebel Barkal. When the dynasty ended, the rulers retreated to Napata. There, they were buried under the first pyramids built in the Nile valley in hundreds of years.

Despite their strength, the Kushite pharaohs faced a growing threat from Assyria. The Assyrians held great international prestige and military power. A major disadvantage for Egypt was a chronic shortage of timber. Assyria had plenty of wood to produce the charcoal needed for iron-smelting. This allowed the Assyrians to create a superior supply of iron weaponry. During the invasions between 670 and 663 BC, this disparity became critical. Pharaohs Taharqa and Tantamani faced constant conflict with these invaders. In 664 BC, the Assyrians sacked the major cities of Thebes and Memphis. This event ended Kushite rule over Egypt.

The end of the period arrived with the rise of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty. After the Assyrian attacks, Tantamani attempted to retake Lower Egypt in 663 BC. He successfully took Memphis in April, but he was eventually defeated. A large Assyrian army led by Ashurbanipal and Psamtik I drove him back. Thebes was sacked again shortly after this defeat. Tantamani withdrew to Nubia, and the Kushite influence in Egypt vanished. Psamtik I then established a new era of stability from the city of Sais. He ruled for 54 years and began the Late Period. He even united the priesthood of Amun by placing his daughter in a high religious position.