Ancient Kush: Political History

Kingdom of Kush (All Facts)

• When Egypt was weak, it asserted its independence

• When Egypt was strong, it accepted its dependency

• However, throughout the centuries, it was never effectively colonized by Egypt

  • Never lost its sense of national and cultural identity in that time

• Its rulers, upon conquering Egypt, tried to be more Egyptian than the Egyptians themselves

• Its capital, at Napata, took on all the pretensions of Egyptian fashions

Piankhy / Piye (All Facts)

• King of Kush

• Defeated the Egyptian army at the Battle of Memphis

  • Gathered an armada of small boats and assaulted Memphis from the Nile River

• Became Pharaoh

Kashta (All Facts)

• King of Kush

• Brother of Piankhy / Piye

• Re-asserted Kushite independence from Egypt

• Expanded Kush, having occupied Thebes and Upper Egypt

Natasen (All Facts)

• Last Kushite King to be buried at Napata

Aspelta (All Facts)

• King of Kush

• Moved the capital from Napata to Meroe around 591 BC in response to an invasion by Psamtek II and the Egyptians, after they had sacked Napata

  • From his rule onwards, kings were buried at Meroe instead of Napata

Arkamani / Ergamenes (All Facts)

• King of Kush at Meroe

• Fostered friendly relations with the Ptolemaic pharaohs at Alexandria down the Nile River