The Ancient Egyptian mind and beliefs behind the New Kingdom imperial expansion

UID/HIS/04666/2013Perhaps one of the most recognizable elements of Ancient Egyptian iconography is the depiction of the dominance of enemies of Kemet by the Pharaoh. This establishes a direct connection with the most profound belief where Egypt was both the maatic centre of the Universe and should be maintained clean from those who were not Egyptian. It also reveals a central concern in the Egyptian mind: invaders must be kept at bay. Enters the New Kingdom and the political canvas from where it emerged seems to be, in fact, an implacable execution of that referred intrinsic belief taken to an extreme. It was, however, this belief that gave birth to an Empire. One proposes to analyse how a belief, applied to an unstable political scenario became one possible catalyst on the forge of an imperial dominion of Egypt over its surroundings. From the Old Kingdom until then, Egyptians mainly protected Kemet and its most immediate borders. However, always exploring, here and there, the “outside world”. But a change in view and action, one proposes because of a specific scenario to be here presented, originated a new approach and interaction of Egypt over the world that would last for several hundred years and change the political scenario, geographical frontiers and the sphere of influence Kemet had. The main challenge of this essay is to try and understand if the Egyptian New Kingdom Empire was, first, a response to protect Egypt from enemies that had dominated the Land for far too long, and second, maintained for a new imperialistic desire had eventually emerge on the mind of those who sat on the Throne of Horus?publishersversionpublishe