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Essay: Egypt -- how did rulers maintain their power?

Over the centuries, those with great ambition have gone to great lengths to receive the power they had worked so long and hard for. So it was for many rulers in Ancient Egypt. From its beginning in ( approximately) 3200 BC, theirs was the struggle for power: economic power, religious power, historical power and racial power. Because these leaders used power based on construction, power based on the exploitation of others, and power based on the assassination or death of another who was in their way, it can be said that the Egyptian leaders indeed used a variety of different means to gain and later maintain political power.

Construction-based power was excersized throughout the early and late periods of Ancient Egypt. This was first achieved by Djoser, who used the construction of the first pyramids to gain economic and religious power. When the rainy season came, the waters of the Nile would rise well beyond their banks. This meant that the Egyptians had to move into the desert surrounding them, where there was little food, and less money to make. Djoser fixed this predicament by having the populus build a steppe pyramid. They would be paid for their work throughout the rainy season. The Pharoh Djoser demanded money from the wealthy aristocrats of Egypt to pay all of the workers. Thus, he bankrupt his competition, became popular with the common man, and was made the superpower of Egypt in that time. Later, Djoser's descendants perfected his design: they made the sides of the pyramids flat and the builders buffed them until the pyramid's exterior was covered with glass. This became a religious symbol because when the Pharoh died, it was aid that he would travel to the point of the pyramid, towards the setting sun, and join the gods. Another example of construction based power was the obelisk. This feat was created by Hapchetsut, the first female ruler of Egypt. To establish her power, she built obelisks everywhere in Egypt symbolizing masculinity, and covered them with stories testifying to her greatness. The steppe pyramid, flat-faced pyramid, and the obelisk helped the leaders of Egypt gain and maintain economic, religious, and racial power.

In addition to construction-based power, power gained through the exploitation of others was a popular way to gain power in Egypt. As stated previously, Djoser gave his people a paying job while bankrupting his competition. Hapchetsut also exploited others for her personal gain: specifcally, Thutmose III, her late brother/husband's second wife's son (in other words, her half- or step- son). To bring glory to herself, Hapchetsut sent Thutmose III to Punt, where he would either die or succeed in conquering the land. Either situation benefitted Hapchetsut; if Thutmose died, she wouldn't have to worry about him taking the throne, and if he conquered the land she would receive the glory and honour given by the Egyptians for bringing back exotic goods and gold. Another Pharoh, Akhenaton, shut down all of the religious powers by telling the population that all of the gods were dead, the exceptions being himself and the sun god, Aton. This meant he received all of the religious power as well as the gold that normally went to the temples. The exploitation of others was a very benefitial way to maintain power in Egypt.

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