Name _____________________________ Class _ Date ____________
First Empires in Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
The Egyptian and Nubian Empires
Key Terms and People
Hyksos invaders that ruled Egypt from 1640 to 1570 BC
New Kingdom period after the Hyksos rulers
Hatshepsut New Kingdom ruler who encouraged trade
Thutmose III warlike ruler; stepson of Hatshepsut
Nubia region of Africa bordering Egypt
Ramses II pharaoh and great builder of Egypt
Kush Nubian kingdom
Piankhi Kushite king who forced the Libyans out of Egypt
Meroë home and trading center of the Kush kingdom
Before You Read
In the last lesson, you read about the religion of the ancient
Israelites.
In this lesson, you will read about the interaction of Egypt and
Nubia.
As You Read
Use a chart to identify important events in the history of Egypt and
Nubia.
NOMADIC INVADERS RULE EGYPT 1. Why did Egypt fall to the Hyksos?
Who were the Hyksos?
The Hyksos were powerful, while Egypt
At the end of its second period of
was weak. They also had chariots.
glory, power struggles weakened Egypt.
New invaders, the Hyksos, arrived. They
had chariots. Egyptians had never seen
this type of machine before. The Hyksos THE NEW KINGDOM OF EGYPT
ruled Egypt for many years. Some The time from 1570 to 1075 BC is
historians believe that the Hyksos called the New Kingdom. In this third
encouraged the Israelites to settle there. period, Egypt was richer and more
Around 1600 BC, a series of warlike powerful than ever.
rulers began to restore Egypt’s power. Hatshepsut was one of the rulers of
Eventually, the Hyksos were driven the New Kingdom. She encouraged
completely out of Egypt. The pharaohs trade. Her stepson, Thutmose III, was
began some conquests of their own. more warlike. He and other New
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
43 Guided Reading Workbook
Name______________________________ Class ________________________ Date _____________
Lesson 1, continued
Kingdom pharaohs took control of THE KUSHITES CONQUER THE
Syria and Canaan in the east. Their NILE REGION
armies also moved south into Nubia. How did the Kushites rule?
This was a part of Africa near where the As Egypt grew weaker, the Nubian
Nile originated. Egypt had traded with kingdom of Kush became more
Nubia and influenced the region since powerful. Under Egyptian rule, the
the time of the Middle Kingdom. people of Kush accepted many Egyptian
The pharaohs of the New Kingdom traditions and customs. They felt that
did not build pyramids, like those who they had to protect Egyptian values.
had come before. Instead, they built A Kushite king named Piankhi moved
great tombs in a secret place called the into Egypt to force out the Libyans. He
Valley of the Kings. Some pharaohs also united the Nile Valley. He wanted to
built huge palaces for themselves or bring back Egypt’s glory. The Kushites
temples to the Egyptian gods. ruled Egypt for a few decades. Then the
Ramses II stood out among the great Assyrians invaded. They forced the
builders of the New Kingdom. He Kushites back to their homeland.
reigned from about 1290 to 1224 BC. 4. How did the Kushites view Egyptian
2. What was the relationship between culture?
Nubia and Egypt during the New
Kingdom? They valued the culture.
Egypt ruled Nubia.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MEROË
What was Meroë?
THE EMPIRE DECLINES The Kushite kings settled in the city
How did Egypt lose power? of Meroë, south of Egypt. Their
Around 1200 BC, invaders attacked kingdom entered a golden age. The city
the eastern Mediterranean. They played an important role in trade. Meroë
brought trouble with them. also became an important center for
Some of these invaders were called making iron weapons and tools.
the Sea Peoples. They attacked the Traders in the city took their iron
Egyptian empire. They attacked the goods to the ports of the Red Sea.
Hittite kingdom, too. These goods were taken on ships to
As Egypt’s power lessened, the land Arabia and India. The traders from
broke into many small kingdoms. People Meroë, in the meantime, brought back
from Libya began to invade Egypt. They jewelry, cloth, silver lamps, and glass
took control of the land around 950 BC bottles. The city thrived from about
and ruled it until 730 BC. They followed 250 BC to about AD 150. By AD 350,
the Egyptian way of life. Meroë had fallen to rival Aksum, a
3. Who invaded Egypt? seaport kingdom located farther south.
The Sea Peoples and people 5. Why was Meroë important?
It had many natural resources,
from Libya
and it was close to the Red Sea.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
44 Guided Reading Workbook
Name______________________________ Class ________________________ Date _____________
Lesson 1, continued
As you read about the Egyptian empire, fill in the chart below with the
dates and achievements of the rulers listed.
Name of Ruler Time of Reign Achievements
Queen Ahhotep around 1600 BC Helped restore Egypt's
power
Hatshepsut 1472–1458 BC Encouraged trade
Thutmose III 1458–1425 BC Increased the size of the
Egyptian empire
Ramses II 1290–1224 BC Was a great builder
Libyan pharaohs 950–730 BC Created cities, continued
Egyptian culture
Piankhi and his 751–671 BC United entire Nile Valley
descendants
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
45 Guided Reading Workbook
