Lesson type: Learning new material.
Lesson Objectives:
1) Educational:
To bring students to an understanding of the causes, consequences, nature of the military campaigns of the pharaohs ancient egypt.
2) Developing:
Recognize the interests of various social groups, use documents as a source of knowledge.
3) Educational:
Show children the cruelty of campaigns, the consequences of campaigns.
Teaching methods: explanatory-illustrated, partially exploratory, reproductive.
During the classes
1. Org. Moment
2. Introductory speech of the teacher.
Do you remember who the pharaohs are?
What country did they rule in?
What was the pharaoh's power?
3. Transition to the study of a new topic.
So, we found out that artisans, farmers, nobles - all obeyed the pharaoh. The most powerful man in ancient Egypt.
The nobles, together with the pharaohs, participated in military campaigns.
Task for students: Why did the pharaohs make military campaigns?
Sample student response: The Egyptian pharaohs sought to strengthen their power, expand their possessions and increase their wealth. In order to lead the conquests, they needed a standing army - large and well trained. The scribes kept a strict record of the population and every tenth young man was taken into the army for many years.
Working with illustrations: What did an Egyptian warrior look like? How was the Egyptian army organized?
What does a chariot look like?
What is in the hands of the Egyptian soldiers?
Vocabulary work: INFANTRY IS THE OLDEST BRANCH OF THE LAND FORCES OPERATING IN FOOTWEAR.
THE CHARIOT IS A TWO-WHEELED CARRIAGE BY THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, GREEKS AND ROMANS, USED IN COMBAT ACTIONS AND SORTING COMPETITIONS.
DARTS - SPEARS.
Group work. Each group has its own task.
Task 1 (basic level)
The pharaoh's warriors were armed with bows, others with long spears, battle axes and daggers, the tips of these spears were made of bronze (copper, tin). This alloy was stronger than copper.
The Egyptian army used the labor of mercenaries: Ethiopians, Libyans, Syrians.
Foreign wars in rights were equalized with the Egyptian ones, they were also given lands as a reward.
How were the Egyptian wars armed?
Task 2 (transformative level)
Wars in ancient Egypt received state allowances, i.e. were in the public service. Weapons were also issued from the state, which in peacetime, in most cases, were stored in warehouses. Chariots were purchased with their own money by charioteers, and they took horses from state stables.
Why did the ancient Egyptians care so much about their wars?
Task 3* (increased complexity)
The Egyptian infantry in peacetime was used as a simple labor force for hard work - in quarries, when delivering blocks of stone.
Warriors who fought on chariots were in a more privileged position than foot soldiers. Soldiers entered the service along with their slaves. Among the charioteers you can meet the children of important officials, priests. But sometimes among them there were representatives of the common people.
The pharaohs paid great attention to their army, in every possible way encouraged the hard work of a soldier. The most distinguished soldiers and their commanders were given lands and slaves, gold and silver insignia.
Were all soldiers in the Egyptian army equal? What does this fact say?
4. Working with the map. Textbook p.44.
Task: Look carefully at the legend - the cards.
- What is the sign of the campaigns of the Egyptian pharaohs? (arrows)
- What territories were the campaigns of the pharaohs of Egypt made? (Nubia, Libya, Sinai Peninsula, Palestine, Syria, Phoenicia).
Where is the city of Megiddo? (in the territory of Palestine).
5. Working with a historical document.
The largest conquests were made around 1500 BC by Pharaoh Thutmose 3 (battle near the city of Megiddo, p. 56 (document, from the annals of Thutmose 3, carved on the walls of the temple of Ammon - Ra in Thebes))
Conversation on the read text of the document.
- For what purpose did the pharaohs make their military campaigns in other countries?
The answer is confirmed by a quotation from the document (... And now, if the army of His Majesty did not have the intention to plunder the property of enemies ...)
- What did the Egyptian wars capture as booty in such campaigns? (weapons, horses, cattle, slaves and of course gold and silver things)
- To whom was the praise of the war of Egypt erected? (to his pharaoh)
To whom did they bring the loot? (to his pharaoh)
How did the pharaoh distribute the loot? (he and the nobles got almost everything, and simple wars got nothing.)
What was the nature of the wars? (predatory, unfair.)
Draw and complete the table:
The results of military campaigns
Consolidation of what was learned in the lesson
Task: Huge herds of sheep, cows, bulls, horses are being driven to Egypt along the dusty roads of Asia; they are carrying looted gold, bronze, fabrics, and expensive ebony. But the main prey is a lot of captives. Why were prisoners considered the main booty in war?
Answer: The captives became slaves, that is, they completely belonged to the owner. They could work, create something, enrich the owner, while they did not need to pay.
Homework:
Which of the military leaders of the past known to you sometimes acted the same way as Thutmose 3 in the battle of Megiddo: Alexander the Great, Hannibal, the Persian king Darius 2, the Roman commander Camillus, Caesar, Dmitry Donskoy, Peter 1, Rumyantsev, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Napoleon , Bagration, Barclay de Tolly, Skobelev, Brusilov, Denikin, Kolchak.
Name at least 7-10 such commanders: (Alexander the Great, Caesar, Peter 1, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Napoleon, Bagration, Barclay de Tolly, Skobelev, Denikin, Kolchak did the same).
Introduction.
Warfare of Ancient Egypt.
First aggressive campaigns Egyptian pharaohs for possession of the Sinai Peninsula.
Military campaigns of Ramses II.
Conquest of Numibia.
Invasion and defeat of Egypt.
The structure and organization of the army in different periods of the development of the Ancient Egyptian state.
Armament of the army.
The position of the soldiers.
Officer position.
III. Conclusion.
Introduction.
The original culture of Ancient Egypt (“Countries of the Great Hapi”) has attracted the attention of all mankind since time immemorial. It aroused surprise among the Babylonian people, proud of their civilization. Ancient Greece. Great Rome bowed before the harmonious state organization of the country of pyramids. Millennia have passed, but the lively interest in the history of ancient Egypt has by no means dried up.
My term paper describes the events, grandiose wars and the organization of military affairs in the state of Egypt. Of course, one can ask the question: why did I decide to write about wars, and not about anything else? But after all, wars have always been not just “companions” of mankind, but also in the words of the German theorist Clausewitz: “War is a manifestation of politics by other means.” There were wars for the possession of new territories, for markets and spheres of influence, for world domination, their religion, and in the name of achieving other goals. People are not only accustomed to them, but have long since learned to keep a terrible bookkeeping of the war. It is estimated that over the past fifty centuries, peoples have experienced more than fourteen thousand five hundred large and small wars. In all the years of human existence, only three hundred years have been absolutely peaceful. Wars were one of the ways to solve many political problems. That is why wars have big influence on the development of mankind throughout its history and are of undoubted interest.
^ First conquests
Egyptian pharaohs for possession
Sinai Peninsula.
The first aggressive campaigns took place after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by Pharaoh Mena in the third millennium BC, and headed to the northeast, to the Sinai Peninsula, where there were large deposits of copper and turquoise. Copper at that time was the main material for tools and weapons, and control over its deposits was extremely important for the young state.
At that time, the Sinai Peninsula was inhabited by nomadic tribes of Semitic origin, who could not provide decent resistance to the large Egyptian army, because of their fragmentation and small numbers, and were defeated. Due to their weakness, the Bedouins rarely tried to gain independence and preferred to pay tribute. Therefore, as excavations show, the campaigns of the Egyptian army were rare.
The first campaign was made in the period of the Early Kingdom by Pharaoh Usefay, which was immortalized by him on a stele in his tomb, in which the campaign is said to be the first defeat of the eastern inhabitants. But Usefay and his successors do not seem to have been able to achieve significant success, and only Pharaoh Semerkhet was able to capture most of the Sinai Peninsula and establish many copper mines there, which gave Egypt the copper it needed.
At the end of the Old Kingdom, Egypt fell into a period of civil strife, and the nomadic tribes of the Sinai Peninsula regained their independence for a whole century.
After the unification of Egypt under the rule of the Eleventh Dynasty, the new pharaohs begin stubborn wars for the possession of Sinai and the mines located there. In addition, by that time bronze appears, a metal much more durable than copper. As you know, bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Therefore, in order to provide the country with the necessary materials, the pharaohs sought to take control of the gradually emerging trade routes.
After the conquest of Sinai, the Egyptians invaded Palestine, then called Canaan. In Palestine, the Egyptians encountered cultures almost as ancient as their own. Small kingdoms were located on this territory, each of which had its own long traditions, management system, laws and religion. The armies of these states were well armed, but too few in number, so the large and disciplined Egyptian army took them in number. At that time, Palestine was a collection of small fragmented states, which made it easier to capture this territory. However, despite this, the Egyptians were very strong resistance, and they suffered heavy losses.
Another reason for the advance of the Egyptians to the east was the forests of Canaan, vital to Egypt, which had almost no forest of its own. The Egyptians cut down almost the entire forest in the conquered areas and sent it to Egypt for the construction of ships, the production of furniture and other needs.
The peoples of Canaan revolted very often, but since the uprisings covered only small territories, the Egyptians suppressed them without much difficulty. Since the Egyptian system of power over the conquered territories was somewhat similar to the system of power of the Golden Horde over the Russian principalities, Palestine needed a smart and energetic ruler (a kind of analogue of Ivan Kalita in Moscow) in order to overthrow Egyptian rule, since the Egyptian army of that time, could hardly resist the combined army of all Canaan.
But the process of uniting different tribes for a common goal did not have time to begin, it was prevented by the invasion of nomadic tribes from the east, whom the Egyptians called the Hyksos. To expel the invaders, the Egyptians reformed the army, significantly strengthening it. After the expulsion of the Hyksos (1552 BC), the Egyptians, chasing the nomads who had fled from Egypt, invaded Sinai, then Canaan, Syria, crushing everyone in their path, so strong was the rise of patriotic and predatory sentiments among the population of Egypt, especially in the military elite and among the youth.
Pharaoh Ahmose defeated the Hyksos and founded a new dynasty, marking the beginning of the New Kingdom. He and later his son Amenhotep I captured all of Sinai and the south of Canaan. Amenhotep died without leaving a son, and the husband of his sister Thutmose (1506-1494 BC), a professional military man, ascended the throne, further strengthening the army and led her to the east. He fought to the Euphrates River, sweeping away everything in his path. Thutmose was a gifted commander, and he had a very strong army for those times. Crossing the Euphrates, capturing the city of Carchemish and the regions around it, he set up his frontier posts there and went to Egypt.
There are many opinions about wars in the era of Hatshepsut, according to E. McGraw1 she, being a woman, could not be too warlike and built her own foreign policy with the help of diplomacy and bribery, according to V. I. Avdiev2, there were military campaigns, although they were led by the old generals of her father, but the latest research in Egypt itself showed that in her time a large campaign was undertaken in Nubia, about Eastern countries there are no such data, but a necklace of golden flies, the highest awards for bravery in the Egyptian army, was found in the tomb of the queen.
Hatshepsut removed her then-young nephew, Thutmose III, from power, and ruled for some time on his behalf, later she was able to crown herself. Probably offended and removed from the throne, the prince came to the conclusion that the system of governance of the conquered provinces that existed before him was incorrect and needed to be changed. He gathers an army, recruits new regiments and goes to the east.
By the end of Hatshepsut's reign, the states of Canaan restored their economy and army, destroyed by Thutmose I. Raya, the prince of Kadesh, stood out among the mass of petty local rulers. He rebelled and drove the Egyptians out of his city. After that, he lured the local princes over to his side one by one. He did not unite them into a single state, he gathered an alliance against Egypt, which was supposed to disintegrate immediately after the victory. He was supported by almost all the rulers of Canaan and Syria, and the war was supported by the entire population, since it was a war of independence. In some Egyptian papyri there are references to the fact that in the army of Raya there were not only men, but also women. In terms of numbers, it was approximately equal to the army of Thutmose (about 15-20 thousand), therefore the only superiority of the Egyptians was that Thutmose carried out a unified leadership in their army and any of his decisions was the law, but there was no unified leadership in the army of the allies. Formally, Raya was considered the leader, but his decisions could be challenged by the princes, and besides, unlike Thutmose, he did not have a special military talent. Here is a description of this campaign on one of the papyri of those times: “Both troops moved towards each other. The Egyptian army in the first month of the Shemu (winter) season reached the city of Ichem (near the western Carmel Range in Palestine). The pharaoh convened a council of war and announced that the enemy from Kadesh had settled in Megiddo, gathering around him the rulers of all the countries that had previously been subject to Egypt, starting with Mitannia, and said: “I oppose (His Majesty) in Megiddo. Tell me what you think about it?" The council suspected a trap. The road from Ichem to Megiddo narrows sharply. You will have to follow it in a column one at a time, man by man, horse by horse. The vanguard will enter the battle when the rearguard is still very far away. It is better to take a detour, so that all the troops arrive at once in Megiddo. Pharaoh rejected this plan and ordered to go along the mountain road ... ”The troops passed the mountains quite calmly and lined up on the battlefield. The coalition troops did not expect that the Egyptians would dare to go through the mountains and not only did not set up ambushes, but also did not send detachments to monitor the mountain path. The appearance of the Egyptians on the plain near Megiddo was a complete surprise for the command of the Syrian-Palestinian army. The Kadeshians and their allies managed to build an army for battle, but the formation was not thought out in advance and many mistakes were made, not enough reserves were allocated, and retreat routes were not thought out. The unexpected attack of the Egyptians from the mountains not only nullified the strategic superiority of the allies, but also put them in a disadvantageous position: their army was completely unprepared for battle.
The Egyptian chariots, followed by the infantry, attacked and inflicted a heavy defeat on their opponents. The enemy fled to Megiddo in complete disarray, the inhabitants dragged warriors to the walls on ropes, the gates were wide open. The Egyptian army could, pursuing the vanquished, break into the city and capture almost the entire army and its leaders remaining after the battle, but the Egyptian soldiers rushed to rob the enemy camp on the plain in front of the city, rip off gold jewelry from chariots, examine corpses in search of expensive weapons or jewelry. . The soldiers did not obey the orders of the generals and missed the favorable moment to take the fortress. After that, the Egyptians stood near Megiddo for a long time and took it only by starvation, and the main instigator of the uprising, Raya, managed to slip away.
The reasons for this behavior of the army are not clear, probably in the reign of Hatshepsut the troops did not receive a large salary and were fascinated by the sight of gold, although it is more likely that Thutmose's troops contained a lot of young recruits from peasants and artisans who had never seen such riches and even under the threat of serious punishment started to rob. The losses of the Egyptians were not very large, no more than one or two thousand people, but a complete victory over the rebels was not achieved. Raya, defeated, but not defeated, incited the princes to new uprisings, won the support of the Mitannian Empire, which entered the war with Egypt, and almost all of his reign, the pharaoh pacified the rebels.1
In total, for the entire time of his sole reign (1468-1436 BC), Thutmose made seventeen campaigns, during which he conquered vast territories in the east and south for his state, defeated the strong state of the Mitannians, which actually ceased to exist. The influence of Egypt was then so great that even the inhabitants of Cyprus paid him tribute. The last few years of his reign were completely peaceful. Thutmose introduced new system administration of the conquered territories. Previously, they were ruled by local princes, whose power was inherited. From the time of Thutmose, young heirs were taken to Egypt, where they were brought up at court, they were given an excellent education, they tried to instill a love for Egypt. Then they were sent to their homeland and put on the throne. Brought up in Egypt and looking at the Egyptians not as conquerors, but as a friendly people, and at the pharaoh as a ruler, they raised uprisings much less often. Subsequently, they themselves sent their children to Egypt, their example was followed by their dignitaries.
Thutmose greatly strengthened discipline in the army, the instigators of the "plunder near Megiddo" were publicly executed before the army, new commanders came, some of whom were not of noble birth, for example Amenemheb, an outstanding commander of that time. In his tomb there is his biography, from which it can be understood that he reached the highest positions in the army due to his military talent, military prowess and friendship with the pharaoh in his youth.
During the reigns of Thutmose's successors, the Egyptian kingdom consolidated its influence by brutally suppressing rare uprisings and conducting successful diplomacy. So his son Amenhotep II brought one hundred thousand prisoners from one campaign to Syria. In the reign of Amenhotep III, Egypt reached its highest power, but in military system A crisis was brewing for the state: due to frequent recruiting, the stratum of free peasants and artisans, who supplied the bulk of the soldiers to the army, gradually went bankrupt. The wars weakened the living forces of the Egyptian people, and Egypt could no longer send an army on a campaign almost every year, from which not all soldiers returned. Amenhotep III pursued a peaceful foreign policy, maintaining the authority of his country through diplomacy and gold rather than military force. The decline of Egypt's military power, revealed under Amenhotep III, became even more noticeable under his successor Amenhotep IV: At this time, Egypt no longer had sufficient military forces to defend its possessions in the east. In this regard, the Hittites moved further and further into Syria. An alliance of Syrian princes was formed there, supported by the Hittites. The cities subject to Egypt write numerous letters asking for help, but do not even receive a response. For example, the elder of the city of Tunip in eloquent words turns to the pharaoh, asking him to help him defend his city from Aziru, who separated from Egypt. He reminds the Egyptian king that under Thutmose III, no one dared to attack Tunip, since everyone was afraid of the Egyptian army, and now Tunip is constantly fighting off enemies. If the pharaoh's warriors and chariots arrive too late, Aziru will take over the city. "And then," Elder Tunipa threatens, "the pharaoh will have to grieve." For twenty years they wrote letters to the pharaoh and received no answer. With such prayers, the rulers of other cities turned to Egypt, in particular Tyre, Byblos. They all asked for Egyptian auxiliaries, as well as supplies for them and for the inhabitants of the besieged cities. The situation was exacerbated by the social struggle in cities. So, Rib-Adi, Prince Byblos asks the Egyptian governor in Syria to send troops as soon as possible, since he is afraid of the peasants, he expresses a clear fear that they will not kill him. But Egyptian pharaohs, forced because of the ruin in the first place of the laboring masses of the peasant population, had to abandon the militant policy of their predecessors and could not heed these pleas1.
After the death of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1347-1337 BC), his widow, Queen Ankhesenpaamun promised to marry the son of the Hittite emperor Suppiluliuma and make him pharaoh. Suppiluliuma sends his eldest son to Egypt, but there the plot was discovered, and the prince, sent to Egypt, was killed. The former regent under the young Tutankhamun, the courtier Eie, came to power, who, with the support of the nobility, forced Ankhesenpaamon to marry him and became a full-fledged pharaoh. At this time, Suppiluliuma, angry at the death of his son, attacks the Egyptian provinces in Canaan and Syria. Eie, who overestimated his strength, tried to repel the attack on the provinces and was defeated. The main reasons for the defeat were technical backwardness and a small army compared to the Hittites, so Egypt lost almost all of its provinces in the east, retaining only one Sinai.
Under Pharaoh Horemheb (1333-1305 BC), reforms were carried out and Egypt resumed its warlike policy. Horemheb was a good commander and he managed to win back Canaan from the Hittites. After his death, the professional warrior Ramses I (1305-1303 BC) comes to power, who founded a new, nineteenth dynasty, who completes the reorganization of the army in order to strengthen it (see below). He and his successor Seti I (1303-1289 BC) returned southern Syria to Egypt. The wars of that time were very frequent, since they were not fought on the territories of the Hittite Empire proper and Egypt, but on the disputed territories of Syria and Phenicia, so the economies of the countries did not suffer from these wars and the rulers had the opportunity to recruit troops in large enough numbers for battles. Seti several long and successful military campaigns against the Hittites, but as soon as he returned to his capital, they again began to occupy part of the Egyptian lands. Seti I also founded new cities in the frontier zone, which were settled by the Egyptians and which contained large garrisons.
^ Military campaigns of Ramses II.
After the death of Seti, his son Ramses II (1289-1224 BC) comes to the throne, whom he crowned during his lifetime. Having ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five, Ramses decides to start military operations in Syria and Palestine. He is eager to take away from the Hittites the territories they seized from his predecessors and to reach the same frontiers as Thutmose III had two hundred years before him. By 1285, he again subjugates the state of Amurru, located on the Syrian coast. Returning to the new capital, Per-Ramses, built on his orders, located much north of the old capital, Waset (gr. - Thebes), he is preparing a second campaign to capture the fortress city of Kadesh, an active ally of the Hittites. Kadesh was located in the valley of the Orontes River and occupied an extremely advantageous position, here the path passed between Syria and Palestine on the one hand, between the Euphrates and mediterranean sea with another. To the one who owned it, the city provided power not only over Amurru, but over all of Syria.
In the spring of 1284, Ramses left the capital at the head of an army consisting of four detachments numbering five thousand people each and bearing the names of the gods: Amon, Ra, Ptah and Set. First, the army advanced along the Mediterranean coast, and then turned east towards Lake Tiberias. Advancing north through the Beqaa valley, the Egyptians, after an uninterrupted march of thirty days, reached a valley from which Kadesh was visible. The advance detachments of the naarins (mercenaries from among the "peoples of the sea"), the guards and the detachment of Amon, led by the pharaoh himself, were the first to approach the walls of the fortress. At this time, the detachment of Ra crossed the Orontes to connect with the pharaoh. The detachments of Ptah and Set were still far from the city.
Near Kadesh, two Babylonians came out to the pharaoh and told him that King Muwattallis was two hundred kilometers to the north with his army. Ramses ordered his troops to set up camp to the northwest of the fortress and decided to immediately begin the siege. Soon, two Hittite spies were captured near the camp, who reported that the enemy troops in the amount of 37,500 infantry and 3,500 chariots were within attacking range. It was the most powerful army that ever existed in the Middle East: 18 vassal states put up their troops along with the Hittite army. The pharaoh realizes that his opponent will take advantage of the surprise effect and that an attack is imminent; but he is not ready for a retaliatory strike, as his army is hopelessly scattered. The pharaoh urgently sends out messages in which he informs his troops about the current situation and asks them to speed up their arrival at the battlefield.
At this time, 2,500 Hittite chariots fell upon the detachment of Ra, whose warriors were unaware of anything, crossing the Orontes. Thousands of Egyptian soldiers died before they could take up arms. Those who managed to escape flee in the direction of the pharaoh's camp, sowing panic in the ranks of Amon's detachment. The Hittite chariots rush into the camp, sending the warriors of Amun's detachment to flight. Ramses with the guards is trying to resist. A robbery begins in the camp; the Hittites, confident of victory, share the trophies.
At this time, the Naarin corps, located away from the camp, attacked the Hittites from the rear. This inspired the warriors of Amon, who stopped their flight and joined the battle. Despite the reinforcements sent by Muwattalis, the Hittites are pressed towards the Orontes. As a result, Ramses' army escaped defeat but suffered heavy losses. The next day, the battle resumes, thanks to the support of two corps that came up later.
In the end, the Hittites and their allies were defeated, but at the cost of huge losses. The Hittite emperor sent ambassadors to Ramses offering peace. A peace treaty was signed in 1278, according to which Egypt renounced Kadesh and Amurru; a permanent border was established between states; a defensive offensive alliance was concluded and a treaty of mutual assistance was signed. This was the last war between Egypt and the Hittite Empire, peace in Palestine and Syria lasted for about a hundred years after that, broken only by the arrival of the “peoples of the sea2”.
^ Conquest of Numibia.
At that time, Nubia lay south of Egypt. Its population was made up of dark-skinned tribes, in terms of development, significantly lagging behind the Egyptians. The main wealth of the region was various rare species of trees (for example, ebony, which did not grow in Egypt, but was used in the manufacture of furniture and luxury goods), incense and various riches of wildlife: ivory for luxury goods, panther skins for priestly robes, ostrich feathers for decorating chariots and headdresses. Also in the desert there were rich gold deposits that attracted the Egyptian pharaohs.
The first trips to Nubia were already in the pre-dynastic periods, but the Egyptians did not attempt to conquer Nubia, the invasions were made only for the purpose of plundering and stealing slaves. The Nubian tribes could not resist the Egyptian army because of their technical backwardness and scarcity. During the period of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians began to gradually conquer Nubia through frequent military campaigns. So from one such campaign, Pharaoh Snefru drove 70,000 prisoners to Egypt (this is not so much compared to the numbers showing the number of prisoners captured by the pharaohs of the Early Kingdom during the suppression of frequent uprisings in Lower Egypt. One of the kings of the first dynasty boasted that he had driven 120,000 prisoners , and the king of the second dynasty, Horus-Khasekhem, at the foot of two of his statues depicted the corpses of rebels from Lower Egypt indicating their number: on one statue - 48205, on the other - 47209). During the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians gradually conquered Nubia to the second threshold of the Nile and built many fortresses on the new border, the largest of which was Buhen, which became a stronghold for trade with the Nubians and the inhabitants of continental Africa. On the walls of the tomb of one of the commanders of the pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty there is a description of a campaign in Nubia, from which it can be assumed that the invasions were in the nature of easy military walks. The Egyptians surrounded the villages and exterminated in an unequal battle men dressed in the skin of panthers and armed with a wooden shield and a large cleaver or spear with a flint tip, sometimes there were also bows.
Although at first the Egyptians met with serious resistance to their attempts to conquer Nubia, they quickly learned how to maintain peace in the conquered lands. At the same time, the Nubians adopted many features of Egyptian culture, religion, language, writing, and architecture. Under the influence of Egypt, a class society developed in Nubia and prerequisites for the unification of tribes into one state. The Nubian administration was organized along the Egyptian lines. It was headed by a governor who bore the title "Royal son of Kush" (Kush is the Egyptian name for Nubia). The country was divided into districts, governed by local officials. Thanks to such a control system, uprisings in Nubia were quite rare and the Egyptians almost did not pacify the population of the conquered lands, but were engaged in the seizure of new territories.
Subsequently, the Egyptians lost control of Nubia in the first and second transitional periods, but with the advent of the New Kingdom, the Egyptian army not only returned the previously conquered lands, but also brought the borders to the fourth threshold. In the reign of Thutmose III, the Egyptians even reached the fifth threshold, marking the maximum expansion of Egypt to the south. The Nubians adopted the culture of the Egyptians and became quite loyal subjects.
Libyans lived to the west of the Nile Valley. Their skin color was lighter than that of the Egyptians. Judging by some data, the area of settlement of the Libyans extended up to Atlantic Ocean. They were tribes of hunters, nomadic pastoralists and primitive farmers; their living conditions in the dry steppes were unfavorable. Only in the coastal valleys of the northwestern part of Africa are conditions more suitable for agriculture, but even here it could not yet develop during the Eneolithic. class society arose among these tribes much later than among their neighbors in the Nile Valley.
You can also learn about the first wars with the Libyans from various chronicles of the times of the Old Kingdom, but they were of a local nature. During the First Intermediate Period in Egypt, crop failure and famine forced the Libyans to occupy the fertile lands of the delta and even gain a foothold there for some time. However, they were soon driven back, and after the unification of Egypt, they completely lost the opportunity to raid, since the Egyptian pharaohs were building a whole network of fortresses on the border with Libya. After that, systematic predatory campaigns of the Egyptian army began in Libya with the aim of robbing and stealing slaves. Resistance was insignificant due to the poor development of the tribes, especially in military affairs. The Libyan warrior was armed with a bow (not composite, but made of one tree), arrows with flint tips and a battle ax, more often also made of flint. The Libyans apparently did not have protective equipment, and the soldiers went into battle in loincloths or capes made of animal skins.
During the period of the New Kingdom, robberies continued, but under Thutmose I, the Egyptians completely captured Libya and began to collect tribute. Rare uprisings were brutally suppressed and until the end of the New Kingdom, the Libyans were tributaries of Egypt. However, during the time of Ramses III, taking advantage of the invasion of the "peoples of the sea", they tried to capture part of Egypt. Their army was defeated by the army of the pharaoh in battle and the Libyans again became tributaries of Egypt1.
^ Invasion and defeat of Egypt
Almost throughout the history of Egypt until the end of the New Kingdom, there were almost no invasions in Egypt proper (the Nile Valley). Many attempts ended with the capture of part of the Egyptian provinces, which were then reconquered. The victory over the Egyptian army did not mean victory over the whole country, Egypt had a very large amount of resources and could equip quite impressive forces to defend the country.
However, during periods of unrest, the so-called transitional periods, the country could no longer oppose a strong army to an external enemy. The economy during these periods was in a severe decline, constant internecine wars greatly reduced the army. During the First Intermediate Period, the only invasion was an attempt by the Libyans to settle in the fertile lands of the delta, but they did not pose too serious a threat to the country and were soon driven back by detachments of the nomarchs of the delta regions and middle Egypt.
At the turn of the XVIII-XVII centuries. BC. The XIII and XIV dynasties that ruled simultaneously in both parts of Egypt were swept away from the throne by the Asian tribes of the Hyksos who invaded the country. The heterogeneous hordes of newcomers for the most part consisted of West Semitic, that is, Amorite and Canaanite (at that time Canaan was out of control of Egypt) tribes. These were armed cattle-breeding detachments, to which individual non-Semitic groups also joined. By at least the names of some leaders who invaded Egypt are similar in sound to the "proto-Tigrid".
The invasion went through the eastern delta and, most likely, was not a decisive onslaught. Rather, the actions of the Hyksos can be characterized as a gradual penetration, to which the pharaohs ruling dynasties resistance could not be organized. Over time, the Hyksos kings act as pharaohs, taking all their titles. Aliens, having established themselves in the country, declare themselves admirers Egyptian gods and are trying in every possible way to win the trust of the people.
The Hyksos who settled in the lower reaches of the Nile ruled Egypt for at least 108 years. To a certain extent, the newcomers kept in touch with the original areas of their habitat. At least at this time, the number of finds of Egyptian origin in Palestine sharply increases, the nature of many of them indicates not so much trade as state relations. Their capital was the city of Avaris in the delta, but they failed to achieve a lasting unification of the occupied lands, their dominion extended only to the middle reaches of the Nile, and Egyptian dynasties ruled in Thebes and neighboring regions, who, having strengthened the economy and reorganized the army, subsequently expelled the invaders from the country .
The military defeats of the Egyptians in clashes with warlike newcomers at first look natural. The endless alternation of pharaohs on the throne and the lack of strong unity in the country greatly weakened the Egyptian army, and when meeting with a serious enemy, she could not resist. Troubled times they did not allow to fully train the troops, and the armament of the pastoral tribes that invaded the Nile Valley was an order of magnitude better than that of the defending side. It was the Hyksos who first introduced wheeled vehicles (and in military affairs, these are, first of all, chariots), they also showed an example of the widespread use of horses in battles.
The lessons of the first defeats taught the Egyptians a lot. Horse breeding began to be actively developed in the Nile Valley, and the first Egyptian chariots were soon built. The chances are gradually beginning to level out, because the Egyptians actively adopted advanced methods of warfare from their opponent, and the Hyksos lost strength in civil strife. In the end, Pharaoh Kamose and, after he died in battle, his successor Ahmose in 1555-1552. BC. finally expelled the Hyksos from the country.
By 1200 B.C. a terrible drought, followed by a terrible famine, leads to the migration of the Indo-European tribes of the Aegean islands to the southern coast of Asia Minor. Having destroyed and bled the Hittite Empire (which then ceased to exist), Cilicia, Cyprus, Crete, Greece and Palestine, those whom the Egyptians called "peoples of the sea" approached the borders of Egypt. Numerous tribes joined them, attracted by the wealth of neighboring countries. In 1177, they captured the state of Amurru and temporarily set up their camp here. Then they cross the border of the former Hittite Empire with Egypt and stumble upon the stubborn resistance of the Egyptian fortresses. At the same time, enemy ships are heading towards the Nile Delta.
Ramses III, who ruled at that time in Egypt, being aware of the complexity of the situation, immediately begins to prepare for a rebuff. In order to strengthen the border between Egypt and Palestine, he sends part of the army there under the leadership of one of his sons, and in order to prevent the enemy from the sea, he builds a defensive line of ships along the Mediterranean coast of the country. Then he gathers in his capital, Per-Ramses, members of the government and his general staff in order to determine the battle plan and give appropriate orders. An urgent mobilization is being carried out, according to some sources, every adult Egyptian must join the army of the pharaoh (not a warrior, but an army servant, a porter).
When the pharaoh's army (approximately 30-40 thousand) reached the hilly region in Israel between the cities of Gezer and Lachish, the scouts discovered a column of the army of the "peoples of the sea." Chariots with warriors rode in front, followed by a detachment of infantry, and at the end of the column in carts pulled by oxen, women and children rode. Taking advantage of their advantage, the Egyptians attacked the enemy from the rear and surrounded him. Seeing the futility of resistance, many surrender, the rest were killed by the victors. The remnants of the land army of the "peoples of the sea" retreated from the borders of Egypt in disarray.
However, the danger from the sea remained. The invaders, concentrating on ships, seek to land on the coast of Palestine near the city of Gaza. Pharaoh reacts immediately. While the enemy was making maneuvers to land the soldiers on the shore, the Egyptian ships went on the attack. They surround the landed and bombard them with arrows, while the Egyptian army attacked from the land. Almost all the ships of the "peoples of the sea" that stood off the coast were badly damaged by the Egyptians, and those that managed to join the battle because of their small numbers were quickly either sunk or captured by the Egyptians. On the shore at this time the battle was also coming to an end. The Egyptian archers, having taken up good positions, under the cover of infantry, destroyed the still resisting enemies, but the battle was already won.
Thus, the Egyptians repulsed the onslaught of the "peoples of the sea", which had already crushed many states. The victory was mainly achieved due to skillful command, successful interaction between the army and navy, and also because of the mediocrity of the enemy commanders and their lack of a single leader. However, this victory was achieved after a huge overstrain of forces, and after the economic and political crisis in the country, a clear decline begins, ending with the fall of the New Kingdom and, a century later, Egypt1.
^ The structure and organization of the army in various periods of the development of the Ancient Egyptian state.
In the era of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptian army consisted of the bodyguards of the pharaoh and a small army of professional warriors to maintain order, as well as acting as a kind of police. Ordinary Egyptians were recruited into the army during times of war and lacked military skills, so victories were achieved by numbers. The end of the Old Kingdom was accompanied by a strong strengthening of the nomarchs, who got themselves impressive detachments of bodyguards and even recruited regiments of professional warriors. After the fall of the VI dynasty, civil strife began between the nomarchs, and they began to quickly increase the number of their troops. At this time, the number of tombs increases sharply, whose owners in their “life”, written on the walls, considered themselves warriors. These tombs are getting richer and bigger, and by the unification of the country they are already impressive in size.
In the era of the middle kingdom, the pharaoh detachments of nomarchs merged into a single army under the command of the pharaoh and engaged in conquest campaigns. However, nothing else has changed in the army, and it practically did not develop technically. This was one of the reasons for the conquest of the country by the Hyksos. The need to expel the invaders, as well as the desire to make Egypt a great power, required a radical
1Lesson 8
Subject: history.
Date: 03.10.11.
Teacher: Khamatgaleev E.R.
Purpose: to determine one of the most important functions of the ancient Eastern state - the robbery of neighboring peoples - and show that an aggressive policy beneficial to the top Egyptian society ruined the rest of the population.
During the classes
New concepts: chariot, foot soldiers.
Task 1 - terminological warm-up: peasants, artisans, nobles, dams, canals, pharaoh.
Task 2 - checking homework.
Listen to stories prepared at home (2-3 students).
Plan for learning new material
Egyptian army.
Egyptian conquests.
The results of military campaigns.
Studying the first question of the plan. Egyptian army.
Teacher's explanation
The Egyptian pharaohs sought consolidate your power, expand possessions and increase wealth.
Questions to the class:
With the help of whom or what could this be done? (With the help of the army and as a result of military campaigns.)
What was the Egyptian army?
Note to the teacher (historical background)
The scribes kept a strict record of the population, and by order of the pharaoh, every tenth young man was taken into the army. Slaves were not taken into the army, most of the recruits were from the peasants. Experienced commanders taught warriors to march and run in ranks, shoot from a bow, wield a spear and a dagger. Negligent warriors were beaten with sticks. In peacetime, warriors were often forced to break stone in quarries. It was hard and free work.
The outcome of the war largely depended on the action of the infantry, on its training and endurance.
vocabulary work
The infantry is the oldest branch of the ground forces. By armament, the infantry was divided into lightly armed - archers, and heavily armed, who had long spears, hatchets, shields, and sometimes curved swords. In the manufacture of weapons, the Egyptians widely used bronze. There were up to 30 thousand people in the infantry army, which at that time was considered a large army.
In the II millennium BC. e. In Egypt, they began to breed horses brought from Asia. This made it possible to create a special chariot army. The war chariot was a small two-wheeled wagon, light and agile. It was usually harnessed to two horses. Two people were placed in the chariot: the owner of the chariot, who shot from the bow, and the driver. The charioteers were noble and wealthy Egyptians, who flaunted the agility of their horses, the wealth of harness and a separate chariot. There were up to 2 thousand chariots in the chariot army. It was divided into units of 25 chariots each. All the chariots were commanded by a nobleman, sometimes even a prince - the son of a pharaoh.
textbook material
Troops of foot soldiers. The rulers of Egypt sought consolidate your power, expand possessions and increase wealth. In order to lead the conquests, they needed a standing army - large and well trained. The scribes kept a strict record of the population, and every tenth young man was taken into the army for many years. Of these, detachments of warriors were formed, skillfully wielding one or another type of weapon. Some were armed with bows, others with spears, battle axes or daggers. Spearheads, axes and daggers were made of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze is harder than copper - bronze weapons gave the Egyptians an advantage over the enemy. However, bronze is not a very hard metal. We had to take care that the dagger did not bend upon impact - it was made short and massive.
The infantrymen defended themselves with small light shields, convenient in hand-to-hand combat. Enemy fortresses were stormed, placing long ladders against the walls.
The pharaohs were proud of the success of their warriors. Painters liked to portray as a military detachment goes on a campaign. The warriors go toe to toe, and the commander closes the column.
Detachments on chariots could travel long distances and suddenly attack the enemy.
Major battles usually went like this: when the scouts sent ahead reported about the approach of the enemy, the Egyptian army was preparing for battle. Archers came forward, showering the enemy with arrows from afar. Then came the chariots, bringing disorder into the ranks of the enemy. Then infantrymen armed with spears and axes entered the battle. The enemy, put to flight, was pursued in chariots.
The chariot was very expensive. Therefore, only noble Egyptians could become charioteers. The war for them was a way to further enrich themselves.
Pharaoh Thutmose's campaign against the city of Megiddo (from the Egyptian chronicle)
The army of Thutmose went on a campaign, the mountains blocked his path. The nobles warned: “You can get to the fortress through the gorge, but this path is too dangerous. It's better to take a detour." But Thutmose said: "I choose the shortest path in order to suddenly attack the enemies." The Egyptian army quickly passed the gorge and fought the enemy on the field near the fortress itself. Pharaoh rode ahead in a chariot glittering gold in the sun. The opponents could not withstand the onslaught and fled to the city. It was necessary to pursue them until the gates were closed behind the retreating ones. But the Egyptians thought only of plundering the enemy camp. Time was lost - the gates of the fortress slammed shut. Only after seven months of siege, the pharaoh's troops captured Megiddo and returned to Egypt with huge booty.
The study of the second question of the plan.
Instruction to the teacher
When opening a question, it is necessary to establish geographical position camps captured by Egyptian troops. To do this, along with the explanation, use the map.
Work in a notebook
Draw a diagram:
Directions of military campaigns
Egypt
Working with the class
Task 1. Read the 3rd section of the paragraph on your own and answer the question: why did these countries become the object of attack by the Egyptians?
Task 2. On the wall map, show the directions of the military campaigns of the Egyptians.
Teacher's explanation The largest conquests were made around 1500 BC. e. Pharaoh Thutmose III. Under him, the border of the Egyptian kingdom in Asia reached the river. Euphrates, and in Africa to the fourth threshold of the Nile.
textbook material
The army returns with booty. The pharaohs sent their troops to the south, to the west, to the northeast. South of Egypt was the country of Nubia. It was famous for its gold mines. To the west of Egypt lived tribes of Libyans who had large herds of cows, goats, and sheep. In the northeast, in Asia, very close to Egypt, was the Sinai Peninsula. It was rich in deposits of copper ore. Further north were the countries of Palestine, Syria, and Phoenicia.
The riches of neighboring countries have long tempted the pharaohs. When they had a well-trained and armed army with light war chariots, they began to make campaigns there almost every year. The troops returned with booty to the capital of Egypt, which was then the city of Thebes. drove cattle, carried valuable timber, gold, silver, woolen fabrics, vessels, jewelry.
The largest conquests were made around 1500 BC. e. pharaoh Thutmose. Under him, the Egyptians captured Nubia. The campaigns to Asia were also successful - the border of the Egyptian kingdom was pushed back to the Euphrates River. Only a few centuries later, the conquered peoples were able to free themselves from the power of the pharaohs.
Study of the third question of the plan.
To show the difference in the results of the military campaigns of the pharaoh, nobles and ordinary warriors, you can make a table together with the teacher.
Working with the class
Draw and complete the table:
The results of military campaigns
The prisoners are turned into slavery. From the conquered countries, Egyptian soldiers drove crowds of people. The winner had the right to kill the vanquished. If he spared the prisoner, then he became the master of his life and death. Captives could be turned into slaves, branded, like cattle, and sell.
At the celebrations in honor of the victory, the people rejoiced, seeing the indestructible power of their ruler. The pharaoh divided the booty and gave the captives to commanders and charioteers who distinguished themselves in battle. Many thousands of foreigners had to cultivate plots of land belonging to the Egyptian temples and the pharaoh.
An ordinary soldier got only the hardships of a camp life. The Egyptians described his fate in this way: he wanders through the mountains and deserts; like a donkey, he carries on his back supplies of drink and stale cakes; suffers hunger and thirst; like cattle, eats grass and drinks rotten water. In battles he receives wounds, and beatings from his commanders. Serves he is away from his wife and children, returns home sick. His family is in poverty without a breadwinner: the fields are empty, crops are trampled by hippos and destroyed by birds.
Pharaohs often distrusted Egyptian warriors. For their protection, they preferred a mercenary army of foreigners. The mercenaries, who received payment from the treasury, seemed to the pharaoh a more reliable support in case of a conspiracy of nobles or indignation of ordinary Egyptians.
Homework: read and retell §9; answer questions on p. 48; draw conclusions from the table.The inscriptions of the Egyptian pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom are full of indications of numerous military campaigns organized to conquer Nubia and the regions of southern Syria. The pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom paid particular attention to the conquest of Nubia, this country rich in gold.
Amenemhat I (2000-1980 BC) made a military campaign in Nubia, conquering some of its areas, which he proudly reports in his Teachings. Senusret I continued his policy of conquest and several times made military exoduses to the south, reaching Wadi Halfa, as evidenced by a commemorative stele erected here by the military commander Mentuhotep. This stele depicts the king in front of the god Montu, "the lord of Thebes", who in that era was considered the inspirer and patron of the conquest of the Theban pharaohs. With great pride, undoubtedly exaggerating his military merits, the king says, turning to God: “I have thrown at your feet, good god, all the countries that are in Nubia.”
The strictly canonical artistic composition clearly depicts how widely religion was used in those days to justify wars of conquest. On the relief covering this stele, the god of war is represented, who leads and, as it were, passes to the king a string of bound captives, symbolizing the conquered Nubian cities. Under the head and shoulders of each captive, an oval contains the name of the captured city. The successful campaign of Senusret I (about 1980-1935 BC) to the country of Kush (Nubia) is also described in the autobiography of the Beni Hassan nomarch Ameni. This nobleman considered it his special merit that he followed the king, "when he sailed upstream to destroy his enemies in four foreign countries." Concretizing this somewhat general phrase, Ameni proudly says that he "passed through Nubia, swam upstream" and "expanded the borders", and "there were no losses in his troops" . Obviously, in this era, the Egyptians conquered the Majai tribes. The nomarch of Elephantine, the nobleman Sirenput, in his inscription in Aswan says that he was informed about the delivery of products from the region of the Majais as a tribute to the princes of foreign countries.
Pharaoh Senusret III (1887-1849 BC) made the largest conquest campaigns to the south, who during his reign four times went to war against Nubia. His campaigns led to the final conquest of Nubia. Senusret III not only conquered Nubia up to the region of the 2nd threshold, but also built a number of Egyptian fortresses here, the ruins of which have survived to our time in Semne, Kumme and in a number of other places, giving a vivid idea of the development of fortification in Egypt in this period. era. These fortresses were supposed to protect the southern border of the Egyptian state and prevent the Nubian tribes from making campaigns in the areas belonging to Egypt. In solemn inscriptions found in the southern border region, Senusret III announced his victories and conquests in Nubia, where he established a new border of the Egyptian state, significantly pushing it south. By order of the pharaoh, from now on, not a single native had the right to cross this border, with the exception of those who went to trade in a special place intended for this. Obviously, the Egyptian government, waging a stubborn struggle to completely conquer Nubia, had every reason to fear uprisings among the recently conquered freedom-loving tribes of East Africa. The later Egyptian pharaohs, who continued the policy of conquest of Nubia begun by Senusret III, preserved the memory of his extensive conquest, considering him the first conqueror of Nubia and honoring him in the Egyptian temples of Nubia as the guardian god of this country. The memory of the conquest activity of Senusret III survived until late times, in particular in the writings of Greek and Roman writers.
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