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With the disintegration of the New Kingdom of Egypt around 1070 BC, Kush became an independent kingdom centered at Napata in modern northern Sudan.
Establishment
January 1069 BC: With the disintegration of the so-called New Kingdom of Egypt around 1070 BC, Kush became an independent kingdom centered at Napata in modern northern Sudan.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was a period of political instability that followed the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI and coincided with the Late Bronze Age collapse.
1.1.Secession of Thebes and of Nubia
With the disintegration of the New Kingdom around 1070 BC, Kush became an independent kingdom centered at Napata in modern northern Sudan.
1.2.Secession of Leontopolys
Was a secessionist Egyptian Dynasty during the the Third Intermediate Period.
January 714 BC: Contemporary with the last phase of the Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt, there were some kings who ruled from Leontopolis over the western part of the Nile Delta and part of Middle Egypt. Iuput II ruled over Leontopolis from 754 to 720/715 BC.
1.3.Secession of Sais
The Twenty-Fourth Dynasty was a short-lived group of pharaohs who had their capital at Sais in the western Nile Delta.
January 719 BC: The Twenty-Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, ruled by pharaohs such as Tefnakht and Bakenranef, lasted from around 732-720 BC. Their capital was located at Sais in the western Nile Delta. This period saw a brief resurgence of Egyptian power before being conquered by the Kingdom of Kush.
1.4.Nubian Conquest of Egypt
As ruler of Nubia and Upper Egypt, Piye took advantage of the political weakness of Egypt during the third intermediate period.
January 720 BC: As ruler of Nubia and Upper Egypt, Piye took advantage of weakness of Egypt's rulers by expanding Nubia. Despite Piye's successful campaign into the Delta, his authority only extended northward from Thebes up to the western desert oases and Herakleopolis.
January 712 BC: Shabaka, Piye's successor, attacked Sais and defeated Tefnakht's successor Bakenranef.
January 712 BC: Usermaatre Osorkon IV had to face the power, and ultimately submit himself to the Kushite King Piye during Piye's conquest of Egypt.
1.4.1.Piye´s Campaign against Thebes
Was a military campaign of ancient Kushite King Piye against Thebes.
January 720 BC: The first Nubian ruler to push north was Pianki, considered the founder of the dynasty, who conquered Thebes and defeated a first coalition between the rulers of the XXII, XXXIII and XXIV dynasty but who did not complete the work retreating to Napata after the victory.
1.4.2.Conquests of Shebitku
Ancient Kushite King Shebitku, the son of King Piye, was able to conclude the conquest of all Ancient Egyptians territories that his father had started.
January 705 BC: Shebitku was a pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Kushite Dynasty. He successfully conquered the Nile valley, including Upper and Lower Egypt, around 707/706 BC. This expansion of territory brought Hermopolis under the rule of the Kingdom of Kush.
January 705 BC: Shebitku was a pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Kushite Dynasty. He successfully conquered the entire Nile valley, including Upper and Lower Egypt, establishing his rule over the region by 707/706 BC.
January 705 BC: Shebitku was a pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, also known as the Kushite Dynasty. He successfully conquered the Nile valley, including Upper and Lower Egypt, around 707/706 BC. This territory was previously under the control of the city of Herakleopolis.
1.5.Piye´s First Campaign in Syria
Was a military campaign of ancient Kushite King and Egyptian Pharaoh Piye in Syria. .
January 719 BC: In 720 BC Egyptian pharaoh Piye sent the army in support of a rebellion, in Philistia and Gaza, against Assyria.
February 719 BC: The Egyptian army was defeated by Assyrian king Sargon II and had to leave the territories occupied in Philistia.
1.6.Piye´s Second Campaign in Syria
Was a military campaign of ancient Kushite King and Egyptian Pharaoh Piye in Syria. .
January 710 BC: In 711 BC Egyptian pharaoh Piye invaded again Philistia and Gaza.
February 710 BC: The Egyptian army is again defeated by the Assyrians and leaves Philistia.
1.7.Taharqa´s Campaign in Syria
Was a military campaign of ancient Kushite King and Egyptian Pharaoh Taharqa in Syria. .
January 699 BC: From the 10th century BC onwards, Egypt's remaining Semitic allies in Canaan and southern Aramea had fallen to the Mesopotamian based Assyrian Empire, and by 700 BC Egypt invaded Canaan.
February 699 BC: Assyrian king Sennacherib drove the Egyptians from the entire region of Canaan back into Egypt.
1.8.Assyrian conquest of Egypt
Were a series of Assyrian military campaigns that led to the conquest of Egypt.
1.8.1.Esarhaddon's first invasion
Was the first unsuccesful military campaign of Assyrian King Esarhaddon in Eygpt that resulted in the conquest of most of Egyptian Kingdom.
January 673 BC: In 674 BC. King Esarhaddon attempted to invade Egypt but was repulsed by Pharaoh Taharqa. The attempt was repeated in 671 BC with greater commitment, the Assyrian occupied Memphis and Thebes and Taharqa, severely defeated, was driven back to his Nubia.
February 673 BC: In 674 BC. King Esarhaddon attempted to invade Egypt but was repulsed by Pharaoh Taharqa. The attempt was repeated in 671 BC with greater commitment, the Assyrian occupied Memphis and Thebes and Taharqa, severely defeated, was driven back to his Nubia.
1.8.2.Esarhaddon's second invasion
Was a military campaign of Assyrian King Esarhaddon in Egypt that resulted in the conquest of the northern part of the Egyptian Kingdom.
January 670 BC: In -671 BC, King Esarhaddon of the Assyrian Empire launched a second conquest attempt in Egypt. This time, he successfully occupied key cities like Memphis and Thebes, forcing Taharqa, the ruler of Egypt, to retreat to Nubia after a severe defeat.
1.8.3.Kush conquers Egypt Back
The Egyptian Pharaoh Taharqa, that had been ousted by the Assyrians but still controlled Kush, invaded Egypt as far north as Memphis.
January 668 BC: The Assyrians only stationed their own troops in the north, and the native Egyptian puppet rulers installed by the Assyrians were unable to retain total control of the south of country for long. Two years later (669 BC), Taharqa returned from Nubia and seized control Egypt from the native vassal rulers as far north as Memphis.
1.8.4.Ashurbanipal's first invasion
Was a military campaign of Assyrian King Ashurbanipal that conquered southern Egypt (the northern part of the Kingdom was already under Assyrian control).
January 667 BC: Esarhaddon set about returning to Egypt to once more eject Taharqa from the south; however, he fell ill and died in the northern Assyrian city of Harran before departing. His successor Ashurbanipal sent a general with a small, well-trained army corps which easily defeated and ejected Taharqa from Egypt once and for all.
1.8.5.Ashurbanipal's second invasion
Was the second military campaign of Assyrian King Ashurbanipal in Egypt to reconquer the region after an invasion by the Kingdom of Kush.
January 662 BC: Egypt was still seen as vulnerable and Tantamani invaded Egypt in hopes of restoring his family to the throne. This led to a renewed conflict with Ashurbanipal in 663 BC.
June 662 BC: The Assyrians led by Ashurbanipal returned to Egypt in force. Together with Psamtik I's army, which comprised Carian mercenaries, they fought a pitched battle in north Memphis, close to the temple of Isis, between the Serapeum and Abusir. Tantamani was defeated and fled to Upper Egypt.
Military campaigns of Assyrian king Esarheddon.
January 672 BC: Esarhaddon raided Egypt in 673 BC. Two years later he launched a full invasion and conquered Egypt, chasing the Pharaoh Taharqa back to Nubia.
Military campaigns of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Psamtik II.
3.1.Incursion in the Kingdom of Kush by Psamtik II
Was a military campaign of Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Psamtik II against the Kingdom of Kush.
January 591 BC: Psamtik II led a foray into Nubia marching as far south as the Third or even the Fourth Cataract of the Nile, according to a contemporary stela from Thebes (Karnak), which dates to Year 3 of this king's name and refers to a heavy defeat that was inflicted upon the kingdom of Kush. As a result of Psamtik's devastating campaign, Kush's power was crushed, and its kings from Aspelta onwards lost any opportunity of ever regaining control of Egypt. Instead, the Nubian rulers decided to shift their capital further south from Napata to the relative safety of Meroë. Curiously, however, Psamtik II does not appear to have capitalized on his victory. His troops retreated back to the First Cataract, and Elephantine continued to be the southern border of Egypt.
February 591 BC: Psamtik II led a foray into Nubia marching as far south as the Third or even the Fourth Cataract of the Nile, according to a contemporary stela from Thebes (Karnak), which dates to Year 3 of this king's name and refers to a heavy defeat that was inflicted upon the kingdom of Kush. As a result of Psamtik's devastating campaign, Kush's power was crushed, and its kings from Aspelta onwards lost any opportunity of ever regaining control of Egypt. Instead, the Nubian rulers decided to shift their capital further south from Napata to the relative safety of Meroë. Curiously, however, Psamtik II does not appear to have capitalized on his victory. His troops retreated back to the First Cataract, and Elephantine continued to be the southern border of Egypt.
Conquests by Achaemenid ruler Cambyses II.
January 523 BC: Cambyses improved the Empire's strategic position in Africa by conquering the Kingdom of Meroë and taking strategic positions in the western oases.
Were a series of conquests that were carried out by Alexander III of Macedon (known as Alexander "The Great") from 336 BC to 323 BC. Alexander conquered the Persian Empire and also expanded his kingdom into the Indian Subcontinent.
5.1.Alexander's War in Persia
Were the military campaigns by Alexander the Great King of Macedon in the territories of the Achaemenid Empire.
5.1.1.Campaigns of Alexander the Great against the Achaemenid rebel Satrapies
Were a series of military campaign by Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, in the regions of the Achaemenid Empire that had become de facto independent after the collapse of the Empire.
August 330 BC: The Macedonian Empire did never control the Kushite region, south of Egypt, which reverted to an independent Kingdom.
Was a War between the Kingdom of Kush and the Ptolemaic Kingdom resulting in the latter conquering Kushite territory as far south as modern-day Port Sudan.
January 269 BC: Ptolemy II defeated the Kingdom of Kush in war, gaining the Ptolemies free access to Kushite territory and control of important gold-mining areas south of Egypt known as Dodekasoinos. As a result, the Ptolemies established hunting stations and ports as far south as Port Sudan, from where raiding parties searched for war elephants. Hellenistic culture would acquire an important influence on Kush at this time.
Was a revolt in Nubia, the southenmost part of the Roman province of Egypt.
January 28 BC: Egypt's first prefect, Cornelius Gallus, had to put down an insurrection in the south of the province and lead an army south to establish a protectorate. At the end of the military campaign, the prefect placed the southern border at Syene and entrusted northern Nubia (the region called Triakontaschoinos) which extended for 300 km to the south (almost up to Wadi Halfa) to a tyrannus.
After an invasion of the southern territories of Roman Egypt by the Kushite Kingdom, the Romans invaded Kush under Elius Gallus going as far as putting Meroe (central Sudan) under siege.
January 23 BC: Simultaneously with the departure of Aelius Gallus for Arabia, the Kushites of the north of present-day Sudan attacked the Egyptian province, in particular the cities/forts of Syene, Elephantine and Philae, leading to the appointment of a new prefect of Egypt, a certain Gaius Petronius. The latter with the forces left to defend the province (another 10,000 armed), was forced to intervene, managing to beat an army of 30,000 Kushites and forcing them to retreat south of Pselchis. However, not satisfied with having taken numerous prisoners two years earlier and having occupied the city of Pselchis, he decided to make a campaign in the country of the Kushites. He first occupied the city of Qasr Ibrim, and then decided to push further south to Napata, one of their two capitals, completely destroying it and enslaving its inhabitants. On the contrary, the second capital, Meroe, managed to save itself from the Roman siege.
After a second invasion of the southern territories of Roman Egypt by the Kushite Kingdom, the Romans invaded Kush again.
January 21 BC: Following a new attack by the Kushites of Queen Candace, the prefect of Egypt Petronius was forced again to lead his armies in the south of the country. Again the Kushite forces were beaten and driven back.
February 21 BC: In -21, Upper Egypt was under attack by the Kushites led by Queen Candace. The Roman prefect of Egypt, Petronius, had to lead his armies to defend the territory. The Kushite forces were defeated once again and pushed back.
Was a peace treaty of Roman Emperor Diocletian with the Nubian Nobatae and Blemmyes tribes that moved Rome's borders north to Philae.
January 299: Diocletian travelled south along the Nile the following summer, where he visited Oxyrhynchus and Elephantine. In Nubia, he made peace with the Nobatae and Blemmyes tribes. Under the terms of the peace treaty Rome's borders moved north to Philae.
January 331: Around 330, Ezana of Axum led his army into the Kingdom of Meroë, conquering and sacking the town itself.
Disestablishment
January 351: In the mid-4th century, Kush attacked Axum, perhaps in a dispute over the region's ivory trade. Axum responded with a large force, sacking Meroe and leading to the collapse of the civilization.
Selected Sources
Faulkner, R.O. (2003): The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry, Yale University Press, p. 368ff
Kingdom of Kush
