New Kingdom of Egypt

The New Kingdom, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the sixteenth century BC and the eleventh century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasties of Egypt. Radiocarbon dating places the exact beginning of the New Kingdom between 1570 BC and 1544 BC.[3] The New Kingdom followed the Second Intermediate Period and was succeeded by the Third Intermediate Period. It was Egypt's most prosperous time and marked the peak of its power.[4]

New Kingdom
c. 1550 BC–c. 1069 BC
New Kingdom in the 15th century BC
Capital	Thebes c. 1550 – 1352 BC 17th dynasty and 18th dynasty until Akhenaten Akhetaten c. 1352 – 1336 BC Akhenaten of the 18th dynasty Thebes c. 1336 – 1279 BC 18th and 19th dynasty until Ramesses II Pi-Ramesses c. 1279 –1213 BC Ramesses II of the 19th dynasty Memphis c. 1213 – 1069 BC from Merneptah of the 19th dynasty and 20th dynasty
Common languages	Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, Canaanite
Religion	Ancient Egyptian religion Atenism (during the Amarna Period)
Government	Divine absolute monarchy
Pharaoh
• c. 1550 – 1525 BC	Ahmose I (first)
• c. 1107 – 1077 BC	Ramesses XI (last)
History
• Established	c. 1550 BC
• Disestablished	c. 1069 BC
Population
• 13th century BCE	3[1] to 5[2] million
Preceded by Succeeded by Second Intermediate Period of Egypt Kingdom of Kerma Third Intermediate Period of Egypt Kingdom of Kush Philistia

Part of a series on the
History of Egypt
Prehistoric Egypt Prehistoric pre–3150 BC Predynastic 6000–3150 BC
Ancient Egypt Early Dynastic Period 3150–2686 BC Old Kingdom 2686–2181 BC 1st Intermediate Period 2181–2055 BC Middle Kingdom 2055–1650 BC 2nd Intermediate Period 1650–1550 BC New Kingdom 1550–1069 BC 3rd Intermediate Period 1069–664 BC Late Period 664–332 BC
Greco-Roman Egypt Argead dynasty 332–310 BC Ptolemaic dynasties 310–30 BC Roman and Byzantine Egypt 30 BC–641 AD Sasanian Egypt 619–629
Medieval Egypt Rashidun caliphate 641–661 Umayyad caliphate 661–750 Abbasid dynasty 750–935 Tulunid dynasty 868–905 Ikhshidid dynasty 935–969 Fatimid dynasty 969–1171 Ayyubid dynasty 1171–1250 Mamluk dynasty 1250–1517
Early modern Egypt Ottoman Egypt 1517–1867 French occupation 1798–1801 Muhammad Ali dynasty 1805–1953 Khedivate of Egypt 1867–1914
Late Modern Egypt British occupation 1882–1922 Sultanate of Egypt 1914–1922 Kingdom of Egypt 1922–1953 Republic 1953–present
Egypt portal
v t e

The concept of a "New Kingdom" as one of three "golden ages" was coined in 1845 by German Egyptologist Baron von Bunsen, and its definition would evolve significantly throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[5] The later part of this period, under the Nineteenth and Twentieth dynasties (1292–1069 BC), is also known as the Ramesside period. It is named after the eleven pharaohs who took the name Ramesses, after Ramesses I, the founder of the Nineteenth Dynasty.[4]

Possibly as a result of the foreign rule of the Hyksos during the Second Intermediate Period, the New Kingdom saw Egypt expand in the Levant, and during this time Egypt attained its greatest territorial extent. Similarly, in response to seventeenth-century BC attacks / raids during the Second Intermediate Period by the Kushites,[6][7] the rulers of the New Kingdom felt compelled to expand far south into Nubia and to hold wide territories in the Near East.