Ancient Egyptian Social Structure
Ancient Egyptian society during the Old Kingdom was divided into two classes, the upper class and the lower class, and these two types of classes were recognised by some sources in history such as the Dahshur Decree and the Epitaphs of Ipuwer.
However, at the end of the Old Kingdom, specifically during the reign of its last king, Bibi II of the Sixth Dynasty, the first social revolution took place. Thus, following the end of the old state and after the first social revolution, Egyptian society became divided into three classes:
1- The upper class
2- The middle class
3- The lower class.
If we consider that this class pyramid, as we think of it, holds the upper class that includes the king, the middle class that includes the scribes and state employees, and the lower class that includes the common people, this is considered a wrong social pyramid.
Because the ancient Egyptian king was not included in the upper class of the social pyramid, but the king was outside the class pyramid because the ancient Egyptian in the era of the ancient state was a deity. The lower class has been called ‘the broad base of the social pyramid. This is because it is the class on whose shoulders the ancient Egyptian civilisation was built.
The upper class: It is the first social pyramid and the class that enjoys the greatest prestige immediately after the king and includes all members of the royal family, including his wife, princes, and princesses, and then includes within this class - after the members of the royal family - The minister (who is currently considered the prime minister), provincial governors, and nobles such as high priests, high scribes, army commanders, and police commanders.
The middle class: This is the class that struggled to find a place between the upper and lower classes, which emerged following the end of the Old Kingdom, and included scribes, civil servants in the government sector, engineers, doctors, and skilled craftsmen doctors, skilled craftsmen (artists, sculptors), and labourers associated with the royal works, who were supposed to be placed in the lower class but became the middle class due to their proximity to the king.
The lower class: the lowest strata of ancient Egyptian society, on whose shoulders the ancient Egyptian civilisation was built. Whenever we are referring to the lower class, it is imperative for us to understand that the same class operates on a social pyramid with small employees at the apex and quarry workers at the base.
Rights and duties of the upper class: The upper class was entitled to stay in palaces, the right to educate their children, and the right to make huge tombs, in addition to having the right to be transported on coffins on the shoulders of men at the time, and their duties included
Exempt from taxes.
The rights and duties of the middle class: The middle class had the right to
to live in large houses and they also had the right to send their children to
schools, and they also had the right to make cemeteries, which was
the best of their rights and it was their duty to pay taxes.
Rights and duties of the lower class: They had no rights as they were
They lived in small houses and their children were not allowed to go to school
Also, they were not allowed to make large cemeteries, and their duties included
Their duties included paying taxes.
Latest Articles
Admin
Aswan Governerate in Egypt
Aswan was known as ‘Sonu’ in ancient Egyptian times, meaning market, as it was a trading centre for caravans coming to and from Nubia. In the Ptolemaic era, it was called ‘Sin’ and the Nubians called it ‘Yaba Swan’. It was also known as the Land of Gold because it served as a great treasure or tomb for the kings of Nubia who lived there for thousands of years. Before the migration, Aswan's borders extended from Asna in the east to the border of Sudan in the south, and its inhabitants were Nubians, but after the Islamic conquest of Nubia, some Arab tribes settled there.
Admin
About Luxor Governorate in Egypt
The South Upper Egyptian area is home to the Egyptian governorate of Luxor. Its capital is Luxor, which was formerly Thebes, the capital of Egypt throughout multiple pharaonic eras. Its centers and cities are spread over both sides of the Nile River. The said governorate was established by Presidential Decree No. 378 of 2009, which was promulgated on the 9th of December of that year.
Admin
History of kafr El Sheikh Governorate
Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, located in the far north of Egypt in the Nile Delta, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, is characterised by the diversity of natural life and environments, and is one of the Egyptian cities that can be visited after the end of the first semester exams at universities and schools, as it features many diverse tourist and recreational places at symbolic prices within everyone's reach.
Admin
Egypt's New Administrative Capital
The New Administrative Capital is considered the project of the era because it reflects a perfect image of the future and progress on the economic, cultural, social and civilisational level, as the capital is considered the new capital of Egypt at the present time. The importance of the New Capital is that it is a comprehensive transformation of the future of buildings, services and national and mega projects in Egypt.
Admin
Al Gharbia Governorate
The Governorate of Gharbia is inclusive in the geographical area of The Arab Republic of Egypt which is in the African continent, more specifically in the region surrounding the Nile delta, between Damietta and Rashid governance. To the control of the region from the north is Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, from the south Menoufia Governorate, from the east – Dakahlia, Qalyubia Governorates, and to the west is the Beheira Governorate.
Admin
Hamata Islands (Qulaan Archipelago) in Marsa Alam
Each reserve has several sectors. In Wadi El Gemal Reserve, there is one of the natural areas called the Hamata area or Hamata sector in Wadi El Gemal Reserve. Its sectors are the perfect and most ecological, land and water, and host countless animals and plants found in the oceans and on the land.
