The vizier in ancient Egypt | vizier’s installation and duties
In this article we will talk abut the Vizier in ancient Egypt and his power, rank, influence, and history. Egypt has a special geographical form, so it demanded careful administration. If administration was not good, it was difficult to maintain a centralized control over the whole land. the position of the vizier first appeared in the texts found in the tombs of the nobles and royal burials of the 1st dynasty especially a person called Hamaka, the minister of the king DEN.
Who was the vizier in ancient Egypt?
The vizier in ancient Egypt was the second position of the social pyramid after the king and the was the equivalent of the modern-day prime minister.
Who was the first vizier of Egypt?
According to our information, the first one who carried that title was Hamaka from the early dynastic period. Perhaps the most famous vizier during the Old Kingdom was Imhotep of the Pharaoh Djoser. Also, Imhotep the builder of the first Pyramid, the Step Pyramid and was later considered a god.
Who could be a vizier?
It was known that Pharaohs in ancient Egypt married many women but one of the them was the chief wife, daughter of a king and a queen. The sons from the chief wife will be the future kings but the sons from the secondary wives will be viziers, head of workers, scribes to make their mothers happy.
We can say that during the 4th Dynasty, viziers were exclusively the sons of kings from the secondary wives but from the 5th dynasty the situation changed. We have some historical proves that a vizier became a king such as Amenemhat I who was the vizier of Mentuhotep IV and the first Pharaoh of the 12th dynasty.
Another very famous vizier who became a king was AY, the vizier during the reign of the king Akhenaten and became a king after the death of Tutankhamun.
Vizier titles in Hieroglyphics
In ancient Egyptian language, the word for the vizier was tjaty and sometimes was written as djat, tjat.
Vizier position in the Middle kingdom and later
During the period between the Middle kingdom and the eighteenth dynasty (NEW KINGDOM), and particularly at the early part of the second intermediate period, the vizirate had achieved its highest point of authority VIS-A-VIS the crown. Meanwhile, we do not know exactly if the office of the vizier strictly hereditary at this point because we lost the early informative documents.
Although, the bewildering speed of the succession of the Egyptian kings at that period but the vizirate became the main source of the stability. Even in the great days of the New Kingdom, the office of the vizier has not lost the particular advantages which had been gained in the 13th dynasty.
It is possible that it was at that time, the formulations of the duties and responsibilities of the vizier was written down. These formulations were serving as a guide for actions and as a stimulation of conscience for vizier in the future.
During the 18th dynasty and later, as a result of the 2nd intermediate period and the division of the central authority.it was, for clearly good administrative reasons, the authority split into two
Vizier for the north of Egypt controlling the northern part of the Delta
Vizier for the south of Egypt controlling the southern part of Egypt
One more reason could be the increasing of the affaires of the government because of the unification of the two parts of Egypt Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. As a result, it was good for the institutions of the vizier position. But, seems that this division dates back to the preceding 2nd intermediate period.
Northern vizier vs Southern vizier
Unfortunately, little is known about the activities of the northern vizier whose base was probably at Memphis. On the contrary side, the vizier of Thebes was given particular advantage in the lottery of fame because the richness of material remains surviving from antiquity in the Theban area.
In the 19th dynasty, the political center of gravity in Egypt was shift to the north of the country. A new capital called Piramesse. As a result, the vizier of the north assumed greater importance than formerly. The Theban vizier retained his superior position in the bureaucratic hierarchy for his religious authority because Thebes remains the religious capital of Egypt.
The vizier have a superior position for the frequently deputized for the king in the great Theban occasion for he played a central role in all the ceremonies of life and death.
But we don’t know exactly the office of the vizier strictly hereditary at the period when it was occupied by Rekhmire
Installation of the vizier in ancient Egypt
The scene at the installation shown us how a person could be appointed as a vizier by the king and the king’s instruction to the vizier to the ways and Responsibilities of him high office.
These installations were found in many tombs where the tomb of User Amun, Hepu, Nebamun, hwy and other tombs during the 18th, 19th Dynasties. But the most interesting scene of the installation were depicted in Hwy’s tomb and Rekhmire tomb.
The installation was inscribed in tombs without the name of the tomb owner. The frequent use of the same texts during the great days of the New kingdom indicate that they served at the public statements which must be followed by the vizier.
The installations which copied on the walls of the tombs of viziers became like Ptah Hotep’s instructions, it had become fixed and established at an earlier date and was transmitted like wholly write.
In Rekhmire tomb, the installation was inscribed in the transverse hall in the southern section and on the west hall. We see a damaged figures of Thutmose III dressed in the grab of Osiris and is shown seated in a kiosk. Behind him in a human figure representing his KA, and a figure of Rekhmire which stood before the kiosk, had been totally destroyed.
The document written above this destroyed figures states the purpose of the ceremony which he delivered on this occasion mentioning the ethical duties of the vizier.
The duties of the vizier
We know from the texts that the duties of the vizier had two aspects, internal and external affairs. Meanwhile, the duties of the vizier takes its place in the decoration of the tomb as part of the scenes. The vizier was responsible of the day-to-day administration. There were many of officials helped him and represented the reports to him then he represented them to the king and the vizier carried out his duties from the royal headquarters.
We final in Rekhmire tomb many of the external affairs of the vizier like collect taxes from upper and lower Egypt, trades and crafts for which he was responsible. Inspecting finishing and wine making in the area and many other scenes show the vizier carried out his duties.
The external affairs include the relation between Egypt and its neighbors like the scene which depicted the exception of the foreign people and their tributes.
Some of the very famous viziers in ancient Egypt
Imhotep
Kagemni
Hem iunu
Ankh-khaf
Ptah shepses
Ptah-hotep
Mereruka
Djau
Amenemhat
Senmut
Rekhmire
Aper-el
Ramose
Khaemwaset
Heri hor
Si sobek
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