What is the identity of King Akhenaten?
King Akhenaten, also known as Amenhotep IV, Akhenaton, Ikhnaton, and Khuenaten, was a king of the 18th dynasty who governed ancient Egypt from “1353 B.C. to 1336 B.C.” His name means “useful to God Aten,”. He was the second son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiyee, and he governed Egypt when his father, King Amenhotep III, died after his 38-year reign. He wasn’t next in line to be a successor king until his older brother Thutmose died.
Life of King Akhenaten
King Akhenaten is regarded as the Heretic King because he united the ancient gods into only one deity, Aton (the hidden force beneath the sun disc), and he moved his capital from Thebes, which supported Amun, to his new city. In Modern Armarna, “Akhet Aton” means “Horizon of Aton,” and he orders the name of Amun to be removed from all of Egypt’s temples.
He ruled an empire that dominated Palestine, Phoenicia, and Nubia, but he was preoccupied with his new religion, and poetry for his new god, and neglected his empire, as a result of which he lost some of it in Asia. He was married to a woman who assisted him with his new religious beliefs; they saw themselves as intermediaries between God and people.
King Akhenaten was known as a Heretic king because he declared monotheism and prohibited polytheism by uniting the old gods into only one god, Aton “The Sun Disk,” and he moved his capital Thebes, which worshipped Amun, to Amarna, which became the new capital Horizon of Aton, and he ordered the name of Amun to be removed from all of Egypt’s temples.
He commanded an empire that dominated Palestine, Phoenicia, and Nubia, but he was preoccupied with his new religious revolution, writing poems and erecting temples for his new deity, and he neglected his kingdom, losing a large chunk of it in Asia as a result. He was married to Queen Nefertiti, who aided him in his new religious revolution, believing that they were the link between the gods and the people.
Family of King Akhenaton
Many historians believe he had Marfan Syndrome, a hereditary disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue and the face, which would explain his distinct facial characteristics shown in all of his sculptures. His wife was described as one of Egypt’s most beautiful ladies in history. He had six daughters, all of whom had the same problem. Apart from his primary wife and children, Tutankhamun had several women and children, including Smenkhkare, Tutankhamen, and Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife.
Achievements of King Akhenaton
The major goal of Akhenaton’s declaration of monotheism was to bring about a cultural revolution by unifying the Egyptian people under the Sun Disk God Aton. He desired to put a stop to 2,000 years of polytheism in order to quell the Cult of Amun’s rising influence since they controlled more territory and had more authority than the kings themselves.
So, in the ninth year of his reign, he declared himself the living embodiment of a single all-powerful deity Aton, the loving, ultimate creator, and sustainer of the world, in order to restrict their authority and fulfill his political objective. He also transferred the major capital from Thebes to Amarna and shuttered all the temples of Amun and the other gods, as well as removing all the names of Amun from all across Egypt, although this didn’t last long.
King Akhenaton’s Foreign Policy
He inherited a huge empire that held territory in enormous regions like Palestine, Phoenicia, and Nubia, but he was unable to establish diplomatic relations with other nations. The Amarna letters provide proof of his failure to maintain diplomatic and amicable relations with his supporters.
He was unconcerned with the development of his realm, preferring to spend his time making art and poetry for his new deity. His effort to make Aton the sole god of Egypt failed badly, and when his son Tutankhamun ascended to the throne, he restored Amun the primary deity of Egypt, and Thebes was reinstated as the country’s capital.
What was the date of King Akhenaten’s death?
In 1336 B.C., he died in the tomb of Merya II in his new city. They cleared his city after his death, and everyone fled Thebes to return to the old world and Amun. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has a statue of King Akhenaten.
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