The Queen who would rule as King, Part 1 Hatshepsut 1473-1458 BC

BY DAVE RANKIN

At the time of the passing of her husband and half-brother Tuthmosis the 2^nd, Hatshepsut was already a force to be reckoned with. Her father Djehutymes the 1^st or Tuthmosis the 1^st was a military genius and being daddy’s little girl didn’t hurt her either. There were many occasions where he would have his daughter by his side, to be schooled in military and state affairs. He knew being of full royal blood and crowned the “Wife of the God Amun,” Hatshepsut’s position on the royal stage was one of great importance.

After all, it was ordained by Amen-Ra himself that Hatshepsut was summoned by his request to be carved upon the potter’s wheel by the god Khnum. “Fashion for me the body of my daughter and the body of her ka,” said Amen-Ra, “A great queen shall I make of her, and honour and power shall be worthy of her dignity and glory.” Hatshepsut’s transition from wife of the Gods, to co-regent, and then pharaoh was definitely something of “dignity and glory.”

Tuthmosis the 2^nd was born sickly. He was rather frail, had a rare skin disease and an enlarged heart. When he ascended to the throne, he was in no condition to go out on excursions and lead military campaigns as other pharaohs did. He only ordered them at the influence of his wife. Hatshepsut was the true force of power during his reign swaying and controlling decisions in all matters.

The quelling of the Nubian uprising at the beginning of Tuthmosis the 2^nd reign was mentioned in the last entry of this series, Hatshepsut was an influential force behind the offensive attack. As his condition worsened, he became weaker and Hatshepsut took on a greater role. By the time Tuthmosis 2^nd, died she was now at the head of the throne. Her stepson Iset was a toddler and her daughter Neferure was also too young. Hatshepsut did exactly what so many women of the royal palace did before her; she became co-regent to the young boy.

She was no stranger to the position of regent as her father had elevated her to co-regent many years ago prior to his passing. However, this time around it was different. As much as Hatshepsut now did the same for Iset, she also became co-regent to solidify her power. No longer playing the role of dutiful wife, this was her time to shine. This was her time to show the people of Kemet who she really was.

One of her first major projects on the scene was the building of her mortuary temple at Deir-el-Bahri. Carved from out of the side of the mountain by hammer and chisel, it was an unprecedented sight to behold in those days. From the book, When We Ruled, the British scholar Robin Walker gives us an account of this magnificent temple. “Rather than build upwards from a base, the Mortuary temple was built downwards. The result is a pillared terrace structure that rises in three stages with two central ramps. The ramps are long and slope with a gentle gradient. Their position divides the temple into two symmetrical halves.”

Hatshepsut was deeply religious, and it is of no wonder that the entrance of the halls showed their dedication to deities: Anubis, Hathor, Asaur, and Ra. But her true patronage was for Amun. For the temple was supposed to be a “paradise” dedicated to him.

This feat was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to surprise the people of Kemet of what she was capable of. And since there were too many to list in this column, we shall continue to tell the story of The Queen who would rule as King in our next installment.