The Enemy Within: Internecine Conflict in the Second Kingdom of Kush

The Second Kingdom of Kush, an African kingdom once located in modern-day Sudan, was one of the most powerful empires in the ancient world. Classical authors held Kush in great esteem, labeling it the progenitor of all civilization, responsible for the spread of art, science, and culture. Ideas of Kushite primacy endured until the mid-nineteenth century AD, when Richard Lepsius’ study of the Egyptian language’s alleged northern roots attributed cultural precedence to Egypt and its northern ancestors. In more recent years, scholars like William Adams have classified Kush and its African context as “persistent”, only attaining dynamism through its Mediterranean influences. Through an event-based study of political conflict and rivalry amongst Kushite royals, this thesis explores the complications and agency of Kush itself—challenging notions of its African persistency