New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt | DAILY BELLRINGER

Today we're looking at the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. Hello, welcome to the Daily Bellringer World History. Please don't forget to subscribe and take a look at the questions down in the description. Also, don't forget to check out DailyBellringer.com where you'll find more resources that go with many of the Bellringer videos. In modern times, historians have divided the history of ancient Egyptians into three major time periods. The Old Kingdom from about 2700 BC to 2200 BC, the Middle Kingdom from close to 2050 BC to 1800 BC, and the New Kingdom from 1550 BC to 1100 BC. In between these time periods were periods of unrest, with the First Intermediate from 2200 BC until 2050 BC, and the Second Intermediate from 1800 BC to 1550 BC. The New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt is considered to be when Egypt truly made itself into an empire, with its borders reaching their furthest extent. Additionally, some of the most well-known and powerful pharaohs of Egypt's history would rule during this time period. It was also during this time Egyptian pharaohs and high officials began the practice of building elaborate hidden tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The Middle Kingdom period had come to an end, with the rise of the Hyksos in Lower Egypt and Nubian power in Upper Egypt, both outside invaders. Around 1550 BC, Amos I drove the Hyksos out of Egypt, marking the beginning of the New Kingdom. Amos sought to create a buffer zone between the heart of Egypt and outside invaders, so he ordered military campaigns to push further north and south, expanding the borders of the empire. Pharaoh Amenhotep I then reinforced his father's expansion efforts by strengthening and securing Egypt's borders. Other rulers in the line of pharaohs continued to strengthen and expand the empire over the next several years. One ruler, Hatshepsut, who ruled from 1479 to 1458 BC, would become the most powerful female ruler Egypt would ever know. She would be the ruler behind more building projects than any pharaoh except Ramses the Great. Upon Hatshepsut's suspicious death, her son Thutmose III took power and led Egyptian armies in over a dozen campaigns to fight enemies bordering Egypt. Eventually, Egypt would reach what is considered the peak of its power and wealth under Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled from 1386 to 1353 BC. His successor, Akhenaten, interestingly banned Egypt's traditional polytheistic religion, or a belief in many different gods, in an effort to halt the growing power and influence of some Egyptian priests. He moved the capital from Thebes to a city he built, Akhenaten, where he ignored the responsibilities of the pharaoh to the empire and instead focused on developing a new religion for Egypt. Akhenaten died in 1336 BC and is considered by many Egyptians one of the worst pharaohs in their history. His young son, however, would be one of the most famous pharaohs in history, primarily due to the discovery of his tomb filled with artifacts and treasures in 1922. Tutankhamun, or King Tut, would re-establish Egypt's old religion and move the capital back to Memphis. Eventually, this line of pharaohs came to an end with the ascension of Ramses I to the throne and then his son, Seti I. Seti I's son, however, would be considered the pharaoh of pharaohs. Ramses II, or Ramses the Great, ruled for 66 years, from 1279 to 1213 BC. Ramses would build more monuments and have more inscriptions done in his honor than any other ruler. During Ramses II's reign, Egypt flourished. He moved the capital from Thebes to a city he built near Avaris in the north of Egypt. Ramses would sign the first recorded peace treaty in history with the Hittites, who were invaders from the north and additionally protected Egypt's borders from other invasions. It is recorded that Ramses had over 50 sons and 50 daughters, and he lived for 96 years, an extremely old age for the time. Upon Ramses II's death, there were several years of turmoil and conflict over the throne of Egypt until Egypt's last strong pharaoh, Ramses III, took the throne and ruled from 1186 to 1155 BC. Ramses III, like many other pharaohs, devoted much of his effort to fighting off invasion and securing the empire's borders. When Ramses III died, there was again fighting and confusion over the throne as his sons competed for the rule of Egypt. At about this same time, Egypt began to experience several years of drought and food stores began to dwindle. Division began to grow between upper and lower Egypt, and many religious priests began to again grow in power. Combined with years of fighting wars to expand the empire and protect the borders, the empire's resources had been severely depleted. The rule of Ramses XI would basically mark the end of the new kingdom, as by this point rulers in the south of Egypt claimed more power than the pharaoh. Egypt again entered into a time period of conflict and unrest, which would eventually leave them vulnerable to invasion by outside invaders who would take control and the reign of ancient Egypt would come to an end. So with that, hopefully you learned something, and thanks for watching.