All Hail Hatshepsut!
Hatshepsut was an exceptional woman with unstoppable determination. She exceeded every woman in history with her impressive rise to power that was not only successful but historical. She showed extraordinary bravery and will power by going against a man; embracing her birthright and rising to power. She exemplified great intellect by deceiving the Pharaoh’s court claiming that the god Ahmen-Ra purposely engendered her and chose her to be the one and only great female Pharaoh in Egypt. Finally, she was a master politician and stateswoman. It was by her actions that Egypt multiplied into a prosperous and peaceful state throughout her entire reign.
Queen Hatshepsut was the first great woman in recorded history: the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Catherine the Great and Elizabeth I. Her rise to power went against all the conventions of her time. She was the first wife and Queen of Thutmose II and on his death proclaimed herself Pharaoh, denying the king’s son, her stepson, his inheritance. To support her cause she claimed the god Ahman-Ra spoke, saying “welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Hatshepsut. Thou art the King, taking possession of the Two Lands.” She convinced the Pharaoh’s court that the god Ahmen-Ra was her father. On the walls of her tomb is inscribed a story detailing the night the Theban god Ahmen-Ra approached her mother Aahmes in the form of Tuthmose I. Therefore illustrating that the god had actually had pre-destined her to be the great ruler of Egypt. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Tuthmose I and Aahmes, both of royal lineages, she was the favorite of their three children both of her brothers died young; when Tuthmose I passed away this put her in a unique position to gain the throne. But, to have a female pharaoh was unprecedented and most definitely unheard of. Tuthmose I, did have a son Tutmose II however, this son was not of full royal blood because he was birthed by a commoner Moutnofrit. But because he was a male he ascended the throne. Hatshepsut’s destiny was continuing to prosper because; Tuthmose II only reigned for 3 or 4 years. He died suddenly from what archeologists believe to be a skin disease. Hatshepsut, his half sister and wife, had only produced a daughter with him. However, he had a son through the commoner Isis. This son, Tuthmose III, was in line for the throne, but due to his age Hatshepsut was allowed to reign as queen. Hatshepsut was not one to sit back and wait for her stepson to age enough to take her place. As a favorite daughter of a popular pharaoh, and as a charismatic and beautiful lady in her own right, she was able to command enough of a following to actually take control as pharaoh. She ruled for almost 20 years and left behind more monuments and works of art than any Egyptian queen to come.
Hatshepsut, as a female, had many obstacles to overcome but she rose to the challenge. There was always a threat of revolt, especially as her bitter stepson came of age. Using propaganda and keen political skills, she deftly jumped each hurdle she faced. To tame the fears of her people, she became a “king” in all statuary and relief during her reign. She even dressed in the traditional garb of male rulers: the shendyt kilt, the nemes headdress with its uraeus and khat headcloth and the false beard. Although there were no wars during her reign, she proved her sovereignty by ordering expeditions to the land of Punt, in present-day Somalia, in search of the
