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Vizier (Ancient Egypt)

 

 
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The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
  to serve the king, or pharaoh
Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt, only during the New Kingdom, specifically, during the middle of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt....
 during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists. The Instruction of Rekhmire, a New Kingdom text, defines many of the duties of the tjaty, and lays down codes of behavior.






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Imhotep Louvre
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
  to serve the king, or pharaoh
Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt, only during the New Kingdom, specifically, during the middle of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt....
 during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists. The Instruction of Rekhmire, a New Kingdom text, defines many of the duties of the tjaty, and lays down codes of behavior. The viziers are often appointed by the pharaoh, most from loyalty or talent.

Responsibilities

The viziers were appointed by the pharaoh, but often belonged to a vizierial family. The vizier's paramount duty was to supervise running the country, such as aprime minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
, at times even small details of it. All other lesser supervisors and officials, such as tax collectors and scribes
Scribes

Scribes is a programmers' text editor for GNOME with a simple design. It provides syntax highlighting, automatic word completion, smart indentation, pair character completion, and bookmarks....
, would report to the vizier. The judiciary was part of the civil administration and the vizier also sat in the High Court. However at any time, the king could exert his own control over any aspect of government
Government

Government is the body within any organization that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws, regulations, or rules. Typically, the government refers to a civil government -- local, provincial, or national -- but commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also administered by governing bodies....
, overriding the vizier's decisions. The vizier also supervised the security of the pharaoh
Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt, only during the New Kingdom, specifically, during the middle of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt....
 and the palace. The viziers often acted as the pharaoh's seal bearer as well, and the vizier would record trade. In the New Kingdom, there were two viziers, the vizier of Upper Egypt as well as the vizier of Lower Egypt.

Behavior Code

According to the Installation of the Vizier
Installation of the Vizier

The Installation of the vizier, alt. Instruction of Rekhmire, Regulation laid upon the vizier Rekhmire, is an ancient Egyptian text dating to the New Kingdom found in Rekhmire's tomb at Thebes....
, the vizier has certain traits and behavior that are required to be a vizier
  • Act by the law
  • Judge fairly
  • Do not act willfully or headstrong
Look at the Installation of the Vizier
Installation of the Vizier

The Installation of the vizier, alt. Instruction of Rekhmire, Regulation laid upon the vizier Rekhmire, is an ancient Egyptian text dating to the New Kingdom found in Rekhmire's tomb at Thebes....
 for more information.

Notable Egyptian Viziers

  • Hemiunu: Ruled under the reign of Khufu
    Khufu

    Khufu was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 B.C. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt....
    . Hemiunu is believed to have designed Khufu's pyramid.
  • Ptahhotep
    Ptahhotep

    Ptahhotep, sometimes known as Ptahhotpe or Ptah-Hotep, was an ancient Egyptian official during the late 25th century BC to early 24th century BC....
    : Ruled under the reign of Djedkare Isesi
    Djedkare Isesi

    Djedkare Isesi in Greek language known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty of Egypt....
    . He wrote the Maxims of Ptahhotep
    The Maxims of Ptahhotep

    The Maxims of Ptahhotep or Instruction of Ptahhotep is an ancient literary work attributed to Ptahhotep, a vizier under King Isesi of the Egyptian Fifth Dynasty....
    , which instruct people to follow a path of truth and kindness.
  • Ay
    Ay

    Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period , although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign....
    : Ruled under the reign of Tutankhamun
    Tutankhamun

    Tutankhamun , Egyptian language was an Ancient Egypt Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt , during the period of History of Egypt known as the New Kingdom....
    . After Tutankhamun died, he became pharaoh.
  • Ankhu
    Ankhu

    Ankhu was an Egyptian Vizier who lived in the Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt around 1750 BC.Ankhu is known from several monuments dating to the reigns of king Khendjer and Sobekhotep II, attesting that he served several kings....
    : Ruled under Khendjer
    Khendjer

    Khendjer was an Ancient Egypt Pharaoh of the Thirteenth dynasty of Egypt. The name Khendjer is poorly attested in Egyptian. Khendjer "has been interpreted as a foreign name hnzr and equated with the Semitic personal name hzr, [for] 'boar'" according to the Danish Egyptologist Kim Ryholt....
    . He was the presiding vizier when the Hyksos
    Hyksos

    The Hyksos were an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta, in the Twelfth dynasty of Egypt initiating the Second Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt....
     invaded Egypt.
  • Herihor
    Herihor

    Herihor was an Egyptian army officer and High Priests of Amun at Thebes during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses XI. While his origins are unknown, it is thought that his parents were Libyans....
    : Ruled under the reign of Ramesses XI
    Ramesses XI

    Ramesses XI reigned from 1107 BC to 1078 BC or 1077 BC and was the tenth and final king of the Twentieth dynasty of Egypt. He ruled Egypt for at least 29 years although some Egyptologists think he could have ruled for as long as 30 years....
    . He evantually stole the throne.


External links

  • The vizierate