 |
| Pharoah of Egypt: Hatshepsut. Why I don't call her a queen will be made clear soon enough. |
I told you we'd be talking about women who literally ruled today. Originally it was going to be Nefertiti but then I remembered one of the earlier and highly interesting Egyptian figures. The first thing to get out of the way is the complicated web of incest that is an ancient Egyptian family tree. Hatshepsut became queen after her father died when she was 12. As was tradtional, she became queen when she married her half brother and he took on the role of Pharaoh. Things got awkward however, when her half-brother husband died, he and Hatshepsut had no male heirs. The only one he did have was one by one of his secondary wives and thus, the child became the heir and Hatshepsut took on the role of regent for her stepson/nephew.
However, for reasons lost to history Hatshepsut was not content with merely being the regent and so, assumed power as a Pharaoh in her own right. That's right. Hatshepsut was not the "Queen of Egypt." The concept of a Queen as we often use it in Western countries connotates a female ruler with powers similar to but less than that of a king, presumably her husband. Patriarchal norms are a bitch that way and thus Hatshepsut did everything to take on the role of a true and right King of Egypt. By all accounts she played the game of a ruler masterfully! Improving her nation's economy tremendously she established new trade routes, commissioned impressive building projects and reigned relatively peaceably if accounts are to be believed.
 |
| The Egyptian version of a fancy sports car |
Pictured above is her temple. Proof that she played the ancient Egyptian dick measuring game as well as any male Pharaoh and then some. In fact, one of the more interesting facts about Hatshepsut is how much she went out of her way to establish her rule as legitimate. The Egyptians believed in something called Ma'at or the sacred order. Though in ancient Egypt women had a great deal more autonomy than many cultures in the ancient world this isn't one of the West African matrilineal societies like the Ashanti. Some believed that a female Pharaoh threatened the divine order of Ma'at and Hatshepsut knew she'd need to legitimize her reign.
Her most famous tactic was actually having herself depicted as a male. Often doing so with the traditional male ceremonial headress, beard and kilt in art and statuary.
This is a woman who was serious about being depicted, and thusly in a culture so focused on these kinds of depictions, seen, as the same as any ruler before her and though her nephew/stepson would eventually work to eradicate all trace of her he obviously didn't succeed completely and Hatshepsut is considered one of the greatest Pharaoh's of this period.
And with that, we wrap up today's profile for the 14th day of Women's History month. I think tomorrow we'll continue with women in politics but change continents. Don't go anywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment