Queen Hatshepsut was the first known woman pharaoh of Egypt. According to historians, she was the first woman of importance in the entire world. She was first the regent for her son during the eighteenth dynasty and later declared herself the ruler or pharaoh of Egypt. Here are some of Hatshepsut’s major accomplishments.
1. Hatsheput Was Married To Her Half Brother Thutmose II.
It was a tradition in ancient Egypt for new kings to marry the oldest daughter of their father. Thutmose II did not live long and his heir to the throne, Thutmose III, born to another wife, was not old enough to rule. There are precedents of the eldest or the first wife of the king to take up the job of a regent till the firstborn son is old enough to take over. Hatsheput did take up the job of a regent but after six years of rule she declared herself a pharaoh. She had the support of the priest and used a made up story that her mother was visited by Amon-Ra when she was pregnant, thus making Hatsheput holy or sacred or divine.
2. When Thutmose III Was Old Enough To Rule, He Was Made The Military Commander By Hatsheput.
While Thutmose III must be appreciated for his military prowess and his conquests, it is possible that had it not been Hatsheput making him a military leader instead of the pharaoh, he wouldn’t have been as strong and strategic, thus gaining the nickname ‘Napoleon of Ancient Egypt’.
3. Queen Hatsheput Managed To Build Large Armies.
The Egyptian army of the time was the largest in the world. She has massive conquests to her credit although she did not personally fight a single war.
4. Hatsheput Was a Wise Ruler.
She established trade routes, commissions construction projects, built temples and was one of the fairer rulers of Ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut oversaw the construction of major building projects across Egypt. The two large obelisks at Karnak were constructed during her reign. She built the Red Chapel. She recovered many plundered and looted artifacts, precious metals and articles from neighboring kingdoms.
5. Hatsheput Was Not Just Popular As a Woman Pharaoh.
She was one of the more accomplished rulers of the world at the time. Despite the military accomplishments, the most notable Hatsheput major accomplishments pertain to the economic development of the kingdom and prosperity of the ordinary people.