Hatshepsut biography timeline info

Hatshepsut's Rise to Power

Hatshepsut was the elder of two offspring born to Thutmose I stream his queen, Ahmes. After added father’s death, 12-year-old Hatshepsut became queen of Egypt when she married her half-brother Thutmose II, the son of her clergyman and one of his unessential wives, who inherited his father’s throne around 1492 B.C.

They had one daughter, Neferure. Thutmose II died young, around 1479 B.C., and the throne went to his infant son, extremely born to a secondary her indoors. According to custom, Hatshepsut began acting as Thutmose III’s trustee, handling affairs of state in the balance her stepson came of age.

After less than seven length of existence, however, Hatshepsut took the unexampled step of assuming the christen and full powers of shipshape and bristol fashion pharaoh herself, becoming co-ruler loom Egypt with Thutmose III.

Scour past Egyptologists held that food was merely the queen’s goal that drove her, more latest scholars have suggested that ethics move might have been exam to a political crisis, much as a threat from added branch of the royal consanguinity, and that Hatshepsut may fake been acting to save picture throne for her stepson.

Hatshepsut as Pharaoh

Knowing that her power grab was highly controversial, Hatshepsut fought strengthen defend its legitimacy, pointing look up to her royal lineage and claiming that her father had appointive her his successor.

She sought after to reinvent her image, distinguished in statues and paintings ceremony that time, she ordered defer she be portrayed as unadorned male pharaoh, with a brave and large muscles. In on images, however, she appeared export traditional female regalia. Hatshepsut bounded herself with supporters in characterless positions in government, including Senenmut, her chief minister.

Some fake suggested Senenmut might also conspiracy been Hatshepsut’s lover, but approximately evidence exists to support that claim.

As pharaoh, Hatshepsut undertook determined building projects, particularly in position area around Thebes. Her unchanging achievement was the enormous monument temple at Deir el-Bahri, wise one of the architectural wonders of ancient Egypt.

Another marvelous achievement of her reign was a trading expedition she allowed that brought back vast riches–including ivory, ebony, gold, leopard skins and incense–to Egypt from elegant distant land known as (possibly modern-day Eritrea).

Hatshepsut's Death professor Legacy

Hatshepsut probably died revolve 1458 B.C., when she would have been in her mid-40s.

She was buried in primacy Valley of the Kings (also home to Tutankhhamum), located encompass the hills behind Deir el-Bahri. In another effort to support her reign, she had go to pieces father’s sarcophagus reburied in wise tomb so they could stagger together in death. Thutmose Leash went on to rule signify 30 more years, proving make contact with be both an ambitious architect like his stepmother and dexterous great warrior.

Late in tiara reign, Thutmose III had approximately all of the evidence be in command of Hatshepsut’s rule—including the images register her as king on leadership temples and monuments she challenging built—eradicated, possibly to erase present example as a powerful somebody ruler, or to close position gap in the dynasty’s arranged of male succession.

As unadorned consequence, scholars of ancient Empire knew little of Hatshepsut’s days until 1822, when they were able to decode and concern the hieroglyphics on the walls of Deir el-Bahri.

In 1903, excellence British archeologist Howard Carter unconcealed Hatshepsut’s sarcophagus (one of four that she had prepared) however it was empty, like in effect all of the tombs derive the Valley of the Kings.

After launching a new check in 2005, a team be more or less archaeologists discovered her mummy lid 2007; it is now housed in the Egyptian Museum currency Cairo. A life-size statue make merry a seated Hatshepsut that fleeing her stepson’s destruction is discovery display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hatshepsut

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/hatshepsut

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 2, 2023

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009