Egypt's Dynasties: 20th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt

Relief from the Sanctuary of Khonsu Temple at Karnak depicting Ramesses III. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty and is considered to be the last great New Kingdom king to wield any substantial authority over Egypt.

Succeeding his father Sethnakhte who reigned for three years, Ramesses III (c.1182-1151 BCE) saved Egypt from foreign invasion but failed to solve internal problems (political conspiracies and weakened social structures) that led to the disintegration of the Egyptian state 80 years after his death. Ramesses fought off Libyan invasions in his fifth and eleventh year. He also claimed to have held back a horde of invading Sea Peoples who were sweeping down the eastern Mediterranean coast towards Egypt.

Despite these external successes, royal power declined and Egypt lost its Asiatic colonies which were conquered by the Sea Peoples, even if in the Medinet Habu texts describing the battle of Ramesses III the Egyptians claim that they settled them as vassals in Southern Canaan.

During the reigns of Ramesses III or IV most centres of Egyptian power in Canaan were destroyed and Ramesses VI withdrew from Serabit el Khadim, the copper mines of Timna and possibly Megiddo. During this time the temples became richer at the expense of the pharaohs; Ramesses III for instance attempted building only one major structure. Government was corrupt and inefficient, and Ramses himself was the target of an assassination plot before being succeeded by his son Ramesses IV in 1151 BCE. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

Until the end of the 20th Dynasty the empire shrank and ambitious royal building programs failed. Government was impeded by the independence of officialdom, as offices became hereditary, and corruption and inefficiency increased. Its influence in the Middle East declined. The New Kingdom ended in turmoil under Ramesses XI.

Decline of 20th Dynasty of Egypt

As happened under the later 19th Dynasty, this group struggled under the effects of the bickering between the heirs of Ramesses III. For instance, three different sons of Ramesses III are known to have assumed power as Ramesses IV, Ramesses VI and Ramesses VIII respectively. However, at this time Egypt was also increasingly beset by a series of droughts, below-normal flooding levels of the Nile, famine, civil unrest and official corruption, all of which would limit the managerial abilities of any king. The power of the last king, Ramesses XI, grew so weak that in the south the High Priests of Amun at Thebes became the effective defacto rulers of Upper Egypt, while Smendes controlled Lower Egypt even before Ramesses XI's death. Smendes would eventually found the 21st Dynasty at Tanis.

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Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt

Tomb Robbing

Decline of 20th Dynasty of Egypt