Dynasties XVIII to XX
The reassertion of Egyptian power and the building of an empire
New Kingdom
18th Dynasty
Most pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty acceded while still very young and no reference is made to brothers of the king although in a number of cases certainly more princes were alive at the time of death of their father. These young rulers did not possess much power over the military, the officialdom and the priesthood of Amen. The queen's palace also played an important role. All these parties tried to manipulate the king, who often only served to legitimise the government controlled by one faction or anothe
Ahmose I
city of Memphis
Ahmose I (Nebpehtire)
Ahmose I ("the moon is born") liberated Egypt from the Hyksos. It is thought that he was only ten years old when he assumed the throne. Both his fatherSeqenenre Tao and his brother Kahmose died fighting the Hyksos. Most scholars believe that his mother, the powerful Queen Ahhotep, acted as his co-regent for the early part of his reign and retained a great deal of influence with the king. He also relied heavily on sister-wife (Queen Ahmose Nefertari) and his grandmother (Queen Tetisheri) for support, and honoured their names throughout his reign
an officer in the Egyptian army, he was well placed to provide us with details of the king's campaigns. Apparently the early years of his reign were fairly quiet, and the Hyksos may even have made some gains. However, he resumed hostilities about half way through his twenty-five year reign launching attacks on Hyksos strongholds including Memphis and
Avaris and retaking Heliopolis. He laid siege to the Hyksos fortress at Sharuhen for six years, at last forcing them to retreat. The king then led his army to Nubia (Kush) imposing his control as far as the Second Cataract and installed a Viceroy in Buhen to manage the area.
While Ahmose I was in Nubia, Hyksos sympathisers led by Teti-en tried to seize the throne. However, his mother (Queen Ahhotep) quashed the rebellion and maintained power until the return of her son. For her bravery, the Pharaoh awarded her "the gold flies". The king then returned to Palestine, pushing as far as the Euphrates, to make it clear who was in charge. On returning home, he seemed content to allow local governors to get on with their jobs, rather than imposing central authority. He also encouraged support for his rule with gifts of land, and was careful not to forget those who had helped him regain control of Egypt. He did undertake some temple reconstruction at Abydos, and reopened the Tura limestone quarries, but left little mark outside Thebes. However, recent digs have found evidence of his palace in the Al-Dabaa area, close to the ancient Hyksos capital.
Ahmose I married his sister, Ahmose Nefertari , and the couple were blessed with a number of children. Two of their sons died at a young age (Sapair and Saamen), but the third went on to become Amenhotep I. As well as honouring his mother, the king respected his powerful sister-wife. She already held the title, "Second Prophet of Amun", an exceptional rank for a woman, and he gave her the title "God's Wife of Amun". This begun the convention of naming the chief wife of the pharaoh by this title.
Amenophis
Amenhotep I (Amenophis) was the son of Ahmose I, and ruled from c. 1546 to 1526. He undertook military campaigns in Libya and in Nubia (up to the 3rd cataract) using boats on the Nile to transport his army, and extended the boundaries of his empire by establishing a vice-royalty in Nubia
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/history18-20.htm
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