Napata
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Napata was a city on the west bank of the Nile river, some 400 km north of Khartoum, the present capital of Sudan. It was built around 1450 BC, by the Egyptians.
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[edit] The Rise of Napata
Since Early Dynastic times, Egyptians were interested in Nubia, an area very rich in gold. They soon controlled that trade, which did not profit to Nubians hitherto. Egypt so became an imperialistic power in Nubia. Egyptian customs, habits, religions spread into the land.
In 1075BC, the High Priest of Amun at Thebes, capital of Ancient Egypt, became powerful enough to limit the power of the king over Upper Egypt. It is the beginning of the Third Intermediate Period (1075BC-664BC). The sharing of the power in Egypt allowed Nubians to regain autonomy. They founded a new kingdom, Kush, and centered it at Napata.
They began exploiting gold to their own profit. The economical growth of Kush attracted some Egyptians, which left their country which was undergoing several politic troubles, including the Libyan power over part of Lower Egypt, the breaking of the whole land into various powerless kingdoms, and the menace of Assyrian conquest.
[edit] Kings of Napata and the conquest of Egypt
In 750BC, Napata was a developed city, while Egypt was still suffering political instability. King Kasha profited from it, and attacked Upper Egypt. His policy was pursued by his successors Piankhi, and Shabaka (713-698BC), who eventually brought the whole Nile Valley under Kushitic control. Shabaka also launched a monument-building policy in Egypt and Nubia. Overall, Kushite Kings ruled over Upper Egypt for one century and the whole Egypt for approximately 57 years. They constitute the Twenty-fifth Dynasty in Manetho’s work, Aegyptiaca.
Around 670BC, Assyrian King Esarhaddon (681-669BC) conquered Lower Egypt, but allowed Lower Egypt small kingdoms to still exist, in order to get them his allies against Ethiopians, who had been accepted with reluctance. When, King Assurbanipal succeeded Esarhaddon, Ethiopian King Taharqa convinced some rulers of Lower Egypt to break with Assyrians. However, Assurbanipal overpowered the coalition and deported the Egyptian leaders to his capital, Niniveh. He made Libyan chief Necho, ruler of Memphis and Sais. Necho I was the first king of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664BC-525BC) of Ancient Egypt. New Ethiopian King Tantamani (664-656BC) killed him the same year that Taharqa died, in 664BCE. But Tantamani was then unable to defeat Necho’s son Psammetichus, backed by Assyrians. Tantamani eventually abandoned the conquering policy, and went back to Napata.
Back at Napata, Ethiopians became interested only in developing their own kingdom, which underwent no conquest, notwithstanding the extending policies of Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Greeks.
[edit] Civilization of Napata
Napata began reaching its height after Tantamani came back from the war against Assyrians. Its economy was essentially due to gold. Egypt was an important economic ally. Napata could have traded on copper with a kingdom in Central Africa between the 8th and 9th Centuries (UNESCO, 2003). In 660BC, Nubians started exploiting gold, inaugurating the African Iron Age.
People of Napata were culturally egyptianized. Napatan paintings, writing script and other artistic and cultural forms were in Egyptian style. Egyptian burial customs were practiced and several Egyptian gods were worshipped. Moreover, the most important god was Amun, a Theban deity. Its temple was the most important at Napata and located on the foot of Jebel Barkal, the sacred mountain of Nubians.
[edit] The fall of Napata
Around 300BC, an Anti-Egyptian feeling was inciting the people of Napata to make their culture distinct from that of Egyptians. Furthermore, the capital was suffering politically and economically as well: Napata lost its economic influence since Egyptians were no longer autonomous (see The Late Period of ancient Egypt), the Napatan Region itself was desiccating, leading to less cattle and agriculture. Moreover, a powerful Persian raid had seriously affected Napata in 591BC. Finally, Napata was losing its role of economic capital to Meroë. The Island of Meroë, the Peninsula formed by the Nile and the Atbara courses, was an area rich in iron, which was becoming an essential source of wealth.
Meroe eventually became the capital of the kingdom of Kush, leading to the abandon of Napata.
[edit] References
Hornung, Erik.1999.History of Ancient Egypt, An Introduction. Translated from German by David Lorton. Grundzüge der ägyptischen Geschichte. New York, USA: Cornell University Press
Grimal Nicolas.1992. A History of Ancient Egypt. Translated from French by Ian Shaw. Histoire de L’Egypte Ancienne. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
Bianchi, Steven.1994. The Nubians. Connecticut, USA: Millbrook Press
Taylor, John. 1991. Egypt and Nubia. London, UK: The British Museum Press
UNESCO.2003.General History Of Africa Vol.2 Ancient Civilizations of Africa
