Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

Erica Mock

Egypt is geographically isolated with welldefined boundaries, such as the Mediterranean Sea, deserts, and large barriers of igneous rock.1 As a result of such defensive barriers, Egypt was one of the world’s earliest and most magnificent civilizations.2 Since the Ancient Egyptian civilization dates back to 3100 BCE and consists of more than thirty dynasties, they clearly had a successful system of government. Egypt made sure the Pharaoh leading their country wanted the best for the country and its people, as well as their own legacy. By maintaining a strong government, military defense, and diplomatic relationships with other nations, they ensured the country would not have to endure wartime or fall to another empire. Another key role all Pharaohs had to possess while ruling was a relationship with the Egyptian gods. This relationship would make the gods happy and allow Egypt to stay in good standing with them. Among the rulers who had great success in achieving those goals was the first woman Pharaoh of Egypt, the mighty Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was one of the finest Pharaohs in Ancient Egyptian history due to her strong ties with other nations and her breathtaking architecture.

Hatshepsut did not just accidentally stumble into power—she was born into it. Hatshepsut was the oldest daughter of the mighty Pharaoh Thutmose I.3 She grew up around power and witnessed important decisions her father made. One of the important things she learned from her father was to cultivate a relationship with Amun-Re, the god whom Egyptians believed had created the universe. Hatshepsut built her own relationship with Amun-Re by engaging in the secret rituals that her father taught her.4 When she gained power as Pharaoh, she grew even closer to the Egyptian gods to the point where she was referred to as the wife of Amun-Re.5

Not only did she become close with Egyptian gods, but her father’s reign enabled her to develop close contact with powerful people and groups throughout the country, including the Senenmut, a highly respected official in the Egyptian government. During her reign, the Senenmut ruled over ninety-one offices in the state, making him one of the most powerful men in Egypt.6 Developing a strong working relationship with the Senenmut allowed Hatshepsut to rule more smoothly, since they were on good terms and were likeminded when it came to governing. Having the leadership background and the connections that Hatshepsut had before she even came to power helped her win over the common folk along with the ruling elite.

Hatshepsut further benefited from being an outgoing, educated woman, which was not

1 Dorothy Stannard, ed., Insight Guide Egypt (Singapore: APA Publication, 1998), 21.

2 Ibid.

3 Kara Cooney, When Women Ruled the World: 6 Queens of Egypt (Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2018), 105.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid., 123.

6 Barbara Watterson, The Egyptians (Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 1997), 129.

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

common for most Egyptian women.7 During this time, it was unpleasant to be a woman, but it was better in Egypt than in surrounding areas. Women had to conform to what their husband and/or sons wanted in the family, since they were the heads of the household.8 Thutmose I, however, broke from tradition since he saw a great future for Hatshepsut. He thus arranged for her and her brother, Thutmose II, to become one through marriage. Thutmose II was set to rule after his father’s death, and this marriage allowed Hatshepsut a way through the back door to have influence in Egypt’s future.9

During their marriage, they had a daughter, and one of Thutmose II’s concubines bore him a son, Thutmose III.10 In 1479 BCE, Thutmose II passed away due to poor health, leaving the throne to his only son, Thutmose III, who was only a child when his father passed away.11 Hatshepsut, Thutmose III’s stepmother, initially acted as regent, but that was not enough for her.12 With the empire flourishing in riches, expansion, and prosperity, Hatshepsut decided she had to obtain full power to keep her country strong. In 1473 BCE, she declared herself the first female Pharaoh of Egypt and proceeded to rule until her death in 1458 BCE.13

The move from being the wife of the Pharaoh, to acting regent, to claiming the throne for herself was bold. No one objected to her assuming the role of regent, since several other Queen mothers had done this, too.14 Yet no mother had gone so far as to take the throne for themselves until Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut knew female Pharaohs were unheard of, since Egypt had only been ruled by men, but being a woman did not stop her from leading Egypt successfully. She secured and expanded Egypt’s borders, enriched the elites, built homes for the gods, and engaged in risky trade adventures with faraway lands.15 The people of Egypt and the gods were pleased with her rule and did not consider her gender since she ruled as well as a male Pharaoh, if not better.

7 Cooney, 106.

Hatshepsut was content with their approval but wanted the people of her land to truly trust in her decision making. Thus, when she commissioned a statue, painting, or carving of herself, she demanded that she be depicted as a male. (To view the wall relief, see Figure 1 below.)16

Hatshepsut illustrated herself in this way to show her people that she had masculine features just like the previous leaders occupying the throne of Egypt.17 She knew she had the backing of the elites and powerful groups of Egypt because of her father’s former roles, but she wanted to have their support because of her actions as well. Her artwork was made as propaganda to promote the physical strength she gained, as well as the strength with which she ruled Egypt. The people of Egypt wanted their “Bull, and so she gave it to them.”18 She did so most notably by her commercialization of Egypt and her tasteful architecture.19

8 John Ray, Reflections of Osiris: Lives From Ancient Egypt (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 43.

9 Rosalie F. Baker and Charles F. Baker, Ancient Egyptians: People of the Pyramids (Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2001), 90.

10 Watterson, 100.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid.

13 The terms for the Egyptian leader can be used interchangeably: Queen, King, or Pharaoh. Watterson, 100; Baker and Baker, 90.

14 Baker and Baker, 90.

15 Cooney, 99-100.

16 "Thebes - Deir el Bahari (Temple of Queen Hatshepsut - relief on a wall of the Queen), 1."

17 Cooney, 144.

Hatshepsut knew she had to spread the Egyptian religion and influences to other lands like no other Pharaoh before her. To help achieve that, she created and maintained a well-organized military, ready to fight if needed.20 Many historians believe that Hatshepsut’s feminine nature precluded her from organizing any violent military expeditions, but, in reality, there were no physical wars during her time due to her leadership.21 She led Egypt peacefully through the connections that she built with her people and other nations. One connection that really put Hatshepsut and Egypt on the map was her expedition to the Land of Punt. It is believed that Punt was located in the East Sudan bordering Northern Ethiopia, nearly 1,200 kilometers away from Egypt.22 The two main reasons for this expedition were to please the god Amun-Re and to bring luxury goods back to Egypt.

When Hatshepsut announced her plan to voyage to the Land of Punt, the people of Egypt were confused as to why the female Pharaoh wanted to go to a land most had never heard of before and to which no other Pharaoh had ever gone. Hatshepsut explained that this expedition was not her idea but was a direct order from her divine father the god Amun-Re.23 Due to Hatshepsut’s close relationship with Amun-Re, she was able to communicate with him much more easily than any other Pharaoh. According to Hatshepsut, Amun-Re saw the Land of Punt as part of his land and wanted to connect the two countries under one religion.24 He thus pushed for an Egyptian leader to find Punt and save the land. Hatshepsut heard the calling and knew it was her religious duty to venture to Punt and spread Amun-Re’s ideas to the people.25 The Egyptians listened to their female Pharaoh and, more importantly, to their god and sent out an expedition to Punt.

18 Ibid., 145.

19 Watterson, 101.

This new connection did not just spread the word of Amun-Re but also created a new trading relationship between the two nations. Hatshepsut saw this possibility to both complete the mission for Amun-Re and complete a mission for herself to bring home new goods. While in Punt, Hatshepsut obtained many precious and luxurious items: aromatic gum, gold, ebony, ivory, leopard skins, live apes, and incense trees.26 Hatshepsut was thrilled to be able to bring back all these goods to her empire. She and her fellow Egyptians thus boarded five ships and set out for Punt from a Red Sea port.27 (To view the ships, see Figure 2.)28 The ships the Egyptians used were

20 Christelle Alvarez, Arto Belekdanian, Ann-Katrin Gill, and Solène Klein, Current Research in Egyptology (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2016), 114.

21 Ibid.

22 Watterson, 101.

23 Alvarez et al., 115.

24 Ibid.

25 Ibid., 116.

26 Watterson, 101.

27 Ibid.

28 'Egyptian soldiers in the expedition to the Land of Punt, (Temple of Hatshepsut, C, 1490 b.C.18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, Deir elBahari, Egypt)."

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

not the best option for a voyage through the Red Sea. Despite that, after twenty to twenty-five days on board, they made it to Punt.29

While the boats were being docked, Hatshepsut and Punt’s chief, Perehu, became acquainted with another. Hatshepsut then treated her people and the people of Punt to a feast of Egyptian food as a celebration of their arrival.30 By feeding both nations, she showed Punt the power that Amun-Re gave his female Pharaoh. Feeding all her people plus those of a foreign nation emphasized her ability to rule.31 In addition to a meal, Egypt gave Punt a modest present of a few weapons and trinkets.32 Not only did these actions demonstrate her power as Pharaoh; they also made the leaders of Punt build a stronger connection with her and Egypt, since they saw what Hatshepsut was capable of constructing. This encouraged the people of Punt to start their journey with the god Amun-Re and save their land from evil that they believed the devil would otherwise deliver.

Hatshepsut, along with the Egyptians on the five boats, completed a voyage no other dynasty was able to accomplish. Once they returned from the voyage, Hatshepsut displayed her new goods in her Mortuary Temple, which represents the second element demonstrating her power. Hatshepsut designed a courtyard in the center of her temple to plant the thirty-one incense trees that the Land of Punt gifted her, which she had transported back in rooted baskets.33 (To view the incense trees, see Figure 3.)34 Hatshepsut ordered the incense trees planted in the center of her temple to continue to establish her power with the people of Egypt. The incense trees, along with the other tropical plants in her temple, were symbolic of how she was dominating another country. This gained even more respect from her own people. Hatshepsut’s other great project during her reign was her breathtaking Mortuary Temple.

In the 18th dynasty, the government realized that there were tombs from the great temples of previous Pharaohs that had been robbed. To prevent that from happening to her, Hatshepsut broke the tradition of being buried in a pyramid and instead created her Mortuary Temple at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings where she would be buried.35

The Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari was also designed as propaganda for Hatshepsut’s reign. The location, the medium, and, more importantly, where she had the temple placed all served to promote her power. The Temple looked quite different compared to other Pharaohs' temples, but it represented her difference as being the first female Pharaoh. In addition to the difference between temples, her temple was considered the holiest of holy places, since Amun-Re had blessed it.36

The Senenmut, the Chief Royal Architect, who was a great friend of Hatshepsut, designed the temple for her.37 He set the temple in a spectacular natural amphitheater against the backdrop of cliffs and partially hollowed out natural rocks.38 (To view Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari, see Figure 4.)39 Hatshepsut worried about the approval of her people, so she wanted them to see that everything she did was for them, even creating her Mortuary Temple. Instead of transporting foreign materials to build her temple, she had workers carve the temple out of the natural landscape the land of Egypt had to offer.40 The Temple thus looks as though it was formed from the land, and that is how Hatshepsut wanted it to appear. She hoped people would see her like her temple that was built from the natural root of Egypt, ruling only in their best interest.

29 Watterson, 101.

30 Ibid.

31 Alvarez et al., 116.

32 Watterson, 162.

33 Alvarez et al., 116.

34 Nina de Garis Davies, "Men from Punt Carrying Gifts (Tomb of Rekhmire)."

35 Stannard, 226.

36 Watterson, 160-161.

In addition to the medium from which the Mortuary Temple was constructed, it is also positioned on the same axis as the sunrise and sunset.41 Many other holy historic memorials were placed on the same axis for the reason that it seemed as though the gods were shining their light on her temple all through the day. Repeatedly, Hatshepsut used her natural surroundings to incorporate Egypt’s beauty into everything she created. This is possibly the reason she ruled the land so well: she truly loved Egypt and all the natural beauty and wanted other Egyptians to be able to reminisce about the beauty she saw.

Hatshepsut’s Temple was placed at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings, which was a burial area for powerful nobles and Pharaohs, whose tombs

37 Stannard, 227.

38 Stannard, 226; Watterson, 160.

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen were no longer being placed in their temples.42 It is significant that Hatshepsut was one of the first Pharaohs to be buried with the nobles and common people of Egypt instead of by herself. She truly was a ruler for Egypt’s people and thought of herself as one of them. And what better place to construct her Mortuary Temple than right in front of the people she ruled during the 18th dynasty? Once again, she showed that the temple was not just for her but for her people, too.

Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple was more than a monument; it was a testament to her accomplishments while ruling. Throughout the Temple, Hatshepsut created an outline of her life before, during, and after her time as Pharaoh. If visitors were to tour the temple, they would see relief walls depicting important events in Hatshepsut’s life, including her birth, her powerful military, her travels to the Land of Punt, and the transformation of many godly temples she reconstructed during her reign. (To understand what a visitor would see, consult Figure 5.)43 Again, this was Hatshepsut and the Senenmut’s plan not only to glorify Hatshepsut as the first female Pharaoh of Egypt but also to demonstrate that she ruled Egypt better than any other Pharaoh.

Unfortunately, if someone went to Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari today, they would not see the clear pictures she created. Hatshepsut ruled until her death in 1458 BCE, when she was succeeded by her stepson,

39 Carole Reeves, "Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1498-1483 BCE)." (Note that these dates are incorrect and do not match Hatshepsut's reign.)

40 Giulio Magli, Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 191.

41 Stannard, 192.

42 Stannard, 226.

43 Leonard Currie, "Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Egypt."