Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt

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Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt
1650 BC–c. 1550 BC
Egypt during the Fifteenth Dynasty
Egypt during the Fifteenth Dynasty
CapitalAvaris
Common languagesEgyptian language
Religion
ancient Egyptian religion
GovernmentAbsolute monarchy
Historical eraBronze Age
• Established
1650 BC
• Disestablished
c. 1550 BC
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt
Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt
16th Dynasty of Egypt
Abydos Dynasty
Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt

The Fifteenth Dynasty was a foreign dynasty of ancient Egypt. It was founded by Salitis, a Hyksos from West Asia whose people had invaded the country and conquered Lower Egypt.[1] The 15th, 16th, and 17th Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Second Intermediate Period. The 15th Dynasty dates approximately from 1650 to 1550 BC.[2][3]

Dynastic history

The kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty are said to have been

Caanan)".[5][6] The kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty formed "the second Asiatic Kingdom in the Delta", covering an area which may have included Canaan itself, although the archaeological record is sparse.[7][8] The dynasty probably lasted for a period of about 108 years.[9][10]

The first king, also described as a Hyksos (ḥḳꜣw-ḫꜣswt, a "shepherd" according to Africanus), led his people into an occupation of the Nile Delta area and settled his capital at Avaris. These events put an end to the Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt.[4] There is no evidence of conflict at that time however, and the settling of the Canaanite populations could have occurred rather peacefully in the power vacuum left by the disintegration of the Fourteenth Dynasty.[6] Subsequent relations with Egyptian polities, however, were marked with violent conflict.[11]

Identity

The people of

Ramses II at the battle of Kadesh. This has generally been translated as "Western Asiatics" by Egyptologists.[12]

The term Hyksos was traditionally used to designate foreign chieftains, and more specifically "rulers of the Asiatics", already before the Fifteenth Dynasty and also after it.[12][13] It was not an official title of the rulers of the Fifteenth dynasty, and is never encountered together with royal titulature, except in one rare instance in an inscription from Tell el-Dab'a mentioning an unknown king and describing him as a Hyksos.[13] "Hyksos" was rather a generic term which is encountered separately from royal titulature, and in regnal lists after the end of the Fifteenth Dynasty itself.[13][14] In another instance, Khyan is thought to have used the title "Hyksos" early in his reign, and then abandoned it for traditional Egyptian titulature when he invaded the whole of Egypt.[13] Only the first four kings of the Fifteenth Dynasty are known to have used the naming "Hyksos", and after that royal titulature becomes purely Egyptian.[14]

Territorial extent

Apophis

Regular conflicts continued with the Egyptian dynasties to the south, the

Thirteenth Dynasty at Memphis. As Egyptian political power disintegrated at Memphis, new dynasties arose in the south, the Abydos Dynasty and the Sixteenth Dynasty at Thebes.[15]

The Fifteenth Dynasty at one point, after a period of about 20 years since its foundation, extended its rule as far south as

Apophis.[16] All of this is contested however. For Alexander Ilin-Tomich, the territory directly ruled by the Hyksos kings of Avaris was likely confined to the eastern Delta and the nature and extent of their control over Middle Egypt remains unclear.[17]

The Fifteenth Dynasty eventually ended with the conquest of Avaris by the Pharaoh Ahmose I.[4]

Trade

The trading relations of the Fifteenth Dynasty were mainly with

Apophis.[19] Trade relations with Cyprus were also very important.[20]

Religion

The relation of the Fifteenth Dynasty to Egyptian religious traditions was ambiguous, and they are said by commentators from the

Eighteenth Dynasty that "they ruled without ackowledging Re".[14] The dynasty is recorded as having destroyed Egyptian monuments and removed Egyptian statuary for booty, as well as plundering royal tombs, Ahmose complaining that "pyramids have been torn down".[21]

Rulers

Known rulers of the 15th Dynasty are as follows:[22]

Fifteenth Dynasty
Name Image Dates and comments
Salitis Mentioned by Manetho as first king of the dynasty; currently unidentified with any known archaeologically attested person. Ruled for 19 years according to Manetho, as quoted by Josephus.
Semqen Mentioned on the Turin king list. According to Ryholt, he was an early Hyksos ruler, possibly the first king of the dynasty;[22] von Beckerath assigns him to the 16th dynasty.[23]
Aperanat Mentioned on the Turin king list. According to Ryholt, he was an early Hyksos ruler, possibly the second king of the dynasty;[22] von Beckerath assigns him to the 16th dynasty.[23]
Khyan Ruled 10+ years.[9]
Yanassi
Khyan's eldest son, possibly at the origin of the mention of a king Iannas in Manetho's Aegyptiaca
Sakir-Har Named as an Hyksos king on a doorjamb found at Avaris. Regnal order uncertain.
Apophis
c. 1590?–1550 BC
Ruled 40+ years.[9]
Khamudi c. 1550–1540 BC

The 15th Dynasty of

Turin King list
indicates that there were six Hyksos kings, with an obscure Khamudi listed as the final king of the 15th Dynasty.

Number of kings named Apepi

Some scholars argue there were two Apophis kings named Apepi, but this is primarily because there are two known

Second Intermediate Period that these prenomens all refer to one man: Apepi I, who ruled Egypt for 40+X years.[24] This is also supported by this king's employment of a third prenomen during his reign: Nebkhepeshre.[25] Apophis likely employed different prenomens over the course of several periods of his reign. This scenario is not without precedent or parallel, since several kings, including Mentuhotep II, the famous Ramesses II, and Seti II
, are known to have used two different prenomens during their reigns.

References

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  17. ^ Ilin-Tomich, Alexander (2016). "Second Intermediate Period". UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology: 1–21.
  18. ^ .
  19. ^ .
  20. .
  21. .
  22. ^ a b c K.S.B. Ryholt: The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c. 1800–1550 BC, Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications, vol. 20. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1997, excerpts available online here.
  23. ^ see p. 120–121.
  24. ^ Kim Ryholt, The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period c. 1800-1550 B.C. by Museum Tuscalanum Press. 1997. p. 125
  25. ^ Kings of the Second Intermediate Period University College London; scroll down to the 15th dynasty

Bibliography

  • Kim Ryholt, The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period c. 1800-1550 B.C." by Museum Tuscalanum Press ()

External links

Preceded by
Dynasty of Egypt

1650−1550 BC
Succeeded by