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Female Pharaoh Hatshepsut: Whenever one hears about the history of ancient Egypt, images of pyramids, mummies and powerful men come to mind. This is because the system at that time was male dominated and only a man could be king. But some women challenged this thousands of years old system. You must have heard about Queen Cleopatra. But very little is known about Hatshepsu. Hatshepsu was the first female queen of Egypt. He also ruled for a long time. But what happened was that after his death, efforts were made to erase his name from history.
History of Hatshepsu
Hatshepsu was born into a royal family. His father Thutmose I was the first king of Egypt. When the king died, Hatshepsu's half-brother Thutmose II became the new king of Egypt. Over time, Hatshepsu and Thutmose II were married. But the new king also died soon.
Breaking Egypt's thousands of years old tradition
In ancient Egypt, only the king's son could become king. So Thutmose II's son Thutmose III came to the throne, although he was very young. Thutmose III was Hatshepsu's stepson, but according to custom, Hatshepsu ruled until Thutmose III came of age. A few years after taking over the reign, Hatshepsu did something unheard of in Egypt. Queen Hatshepsu broke thousands of years of tradition and declared herself king. Never before had a woman become king of Egypt. Some historians believe that Hatshepsu took this decision because many people wanted to take away the kingdom from her. When Hatshepsu assumed the title of king, she was met with strong opposition. However, Hatshepsu maintained her hold on power and claimed descent from the royal family. He claimed that his father had declared him his successor.
Beard mandatory in statues and paintings
Hatshepsu and Thutmose III ruled ancient Egypt as kings together for 22 years. Meanwhile, Hatshepsu tried to create a new image for herself in the eyes of the common people. Hatshepsu ordered that her statues and paintings depict a male king with a beard and muscles. While serving as king, Hatshepsu began ambitious construction projects. His greatest achievement was the enormous monumental temple at Deir el-Bahri, considered one of the wonders of ancient Egypt. Trade also flourished under his rule. Overall, Queen Hatshepsu was a successful ruler of Egypt, who was also very popular among the people. But his step son did not accept this.
Attempt to erase Hatshepsu's name from history
Hatshepsu died in 1458 BC at the age of 40. As soon as Hatshepsu left, Thutmose III tore down statues of his stepmother and Egypt's first female king. He wanted to erase Hatshepsu's name from people's minds. Some historians believe that by doing this he wanted to strengthen his power. In this connection, he destroyed all the temples and monuments built by Hatshepsu. However, he could not succeed in his objective. Today, thousands of years later, people still remember Hatshepsu as a powerful female ruler.