AMENHOTEP III AND ADMINISTRATION
Amarna Letter from Tushratta [King of Mitanni] to Amenhotep III
As we know, Amenhotep III's reign was peaceful. He was an incredible diplomat using various ways to maintain peace and prevent war. He was fairly successful apart from one military advance.
Amenhotep III's main way to keep peace was communication with surrounding empires such as Babylonia, The Mitanni and The Hittites. There are many messages sent to the pharaoh, which have become known as the Amarna Letters. They were also sent from Vassal Princes to the pharaoh to proclaim their loyalty . The letters are significant because they show Amenhotep's connection and power. The use of these tablets is strong evidence of his diplomacy. An amarna letter from a Vassal Prince in Schemen, known as Lab'ayu was written to Amenhotep III (pictured below) because he wanted to show his loyalty to Amenhotep. 'If the king should write to me [and say] 'plunge a bronze dagger into your heart and die!’ How could I refuse to carry out the command of the king?' In this quote it is proven the power Amenhotep III had through administration. Vassal princes would proclaim their loyalty to the king writing to him often. They would also denounce the rival princes who they were either attacking, or they were getting attacked by. They would often request gold, soldiers and other forms of provisions.
Amenhotep continued the foreign policy that was laid down by his predecessors strongly. By his reign the hard work of conquests had established Egypt a strong sphere of influence and power over societies in both to the north and south of Egypt. This meant that war was rare and that Amenhotep could maintain ma'at. Despite this, Amenhotep III did have one military campaign against Nubia in the fifth year of his reign. Sources such as the konosso stela from the first cataract and the tablet of victory from Amenhotep's mortuary temple record the event, yet the most detailed account is found in the Semna Inscription from the tomb of Merymose, who was the viceroy of Nubia. 'The might of Nimbare [Amenhotep III] took them in one hour, making a great slaughter - their cattle; not one of them escaped... The might of Amenhotep took them; the barbarians among them, male aswell as female, were not separated;’ The campaign is a strong example of Amenhotep enforcing foreign policy. Foreign policy also included Amenhotep's clever acts in the art of giving gold to great kings as well as marrying foreign princesses to possess in his Harem.
Through diplomatic marriages Amenhotep gained power over foreign civilizations. He married; two Mitanni princesses, two Babylonian princesses and one Arzawa princess, but he would not allow an Egyptian princess to marry a foreign king and be in their court. Evidence of this is in the Amarna letter pictured above. It is written by the king of Mitanni known to be as Tushratta. He is among the kings that sent Amenhotep a princess. He writes; 'my brother-in-law, who loves me, and whom i [also] love, speak as follows; thus says Tushratta the great king your father-in-law who loves you, the king of the Mitanni, your brother. Things are going well with me; may things go well with you, and with your house, my sister and your other wives...' Diplomatic marriages were the standard way in which alliances were formed with Egypt. This extract shows that Tushratta believes that he had an equal rank to Amenhotep. Marriage was a significant contribution to the role of administrator during Amenhotep's reign as it gave him power and alliance with the origins of which the princess had come from.
Through the gift of gold, to the great kings that surrounded Egypt, Amenhotep managed to fulfill his role as an administrator from a different angle. Gold was a desire and many asked for it, so Amenhotep complied. He never gave more than was needed to ensure that more was asked allowing those asking to have a dependence on Egypt. It gave Amenhotep superiority over other kings. D. Redford (historian) states 'Amenophis III took full advantage of the status and wealth of the country to fashion a court, a society; and an artistic taste that became proverbial for elegance' D.Redford is saying that Amenhotep took advantage of his endless supply of gold and used it to gain power and maintain peace throughout his reign. A quote from a primary source says ''So let my brother send gold in very great quantity, without measure -- that is what my brother should send me -- and let my brother send more gold than to my father. For in my brother's land gold is as plentiful as dust.' This is a request from gold from Tushratta and it gives proof that gold was an important aspect when it came to upholding peace with other kings at the time.
Administration was a highly important role during Amenhotep III's reign. Like his predecessors it was his responsibility to maintain ma'at. He did using words – instead of war. His methods of doing this are significant, through marriage to foreign princesses, handing out of gold and communication with great kings, sources tell the way Amenhotep III undertook his reign, which was in a diplomatic and peaceful way.
Amenhotep III's main way to keep peace was communication with surrounding empires such as Babylonia, The Mitanni and The Hittites. There are many messages sent to the pharaoh, which have become known as the Amarna Letters. They were also sent from Vassal Princes to the pharaoh to proclaim their loyalty . The letters are significant because they show Amenhotep's connection and power. The use of these tablets is strong evidence of his diplomacy. An amarna letter from a Vassal Prince in Schemen, known as Lab'ayu was written to Amenhotep III (pictured below) because he wanted to show his loyalty to Amenhotep. 'If the king should write to me [and say] 'plunge a bronze dagger into your heart and die!’ How could I refuse to carry out the command of the king?' In this quote it is proven the power Amenhotep III had through administration. Vassal princes would proclaim their loyalty to the king writing to him often. They would also denounce the rival princes who they were either attacking, or they were getting attacked by. They would often request gold, soldiers and other forms of provisions.
Amenhotep continued the foreign policy that was laid down by his predecessors strongly. By his reign the hard work of conquests had established Egypt a strong sphere of influence and power over societies in both to the north and south of Egypt. This meant that war was rare and that Amenhotep could maintain ma'at. Despite this, Amenhotep III did have one military campaign against Nubia in the fifth year of his reign. Sources such as the konosso stela from the first cataract and the tablet of victory from Amenhotep's mortuary temple record the event, yet the most detailed account is found in the Semna Inscription from the tomb of Merymose, who was the viceroy of Nubia. 'The might of Nimbare [Amenhotep III] took them in one hour, making a great slaughter - their cattle; not one of them escaped... The might of Amenhotep took them; the barbarians among them, male aswell as female, were not separated;’ The campaign is a strong example of Amenhotep enforcing foreign policy. Foreign policy also included Amenhotep's clever acts in the art of giving gold to great kings as well as marrying foreign princesses to possess in his Harem.
Through diplomatic marriages Amenhotep gained power over foreign civilizations. He married; two Mitanni princesses, two Babylonian princesses and one Arzawa princess, but he would not allow an Egyptian princess to marry a foreign king and be in their court. Evidence of this is in the Amarna letter pictured above. It is written by the king of Mitanni known to be as Tushratta. He is among the kings that sent Amenhotep a princess. He writes; 'my brother-in-law, who loves me, and whom i [also] love, speak as follows; thus says Tushratta the great king your father-in-law who loves you, the king of the Mitanni, your brother. Things are going well with me; may things go well with you, and with your house, my sister and your other wives...' Diplomatic marriages were the standard way in which alliances were formed with Egypt. This extract shows that Tushratta believes that he had an equal rank to Amenhotep. Marriage was a significant contribution to the role of administrator during Amenhotep's reign as it gave him power and alliance with the origins of which the princess had come from.
Through the gift of gold, to the great kings that surrounded Egypt, Amenhotep managed to fulfill his role as an administrator from a different angle. Gold was a desire and many asked for it, so Amenhotep complied. He never gave more than was needed to ensure that more was asked allowing those asking to have a dependence on Egypt. It gave Amenhotep superiority over other kings. D. Redford (historian) states 'Amenophis III took full advantage of the status and wealth of the country to fashion a court, a society; and an artistic taste that became proverbial for elegance' D.Redford is saying that Amenhotep took advantage of his endless supply of gold and used it to gain power and maintain peace throughout his reign. A quote from a primary source says ''So let my brother send gold in very great quantity, without measure -- that is what my brother should send me -- and let my brother send more gold than to my father. For in my brother's land gold is as plentiful as dust.' This is a request from gold from Tushratta and it gives proof that gold was an important aspect when it came to upholding peace with other kings at the time.
Administration was a highly important role during Amenhotep III's reign. Like his predecessors it was his responsibility to maintain ma'at. He did using words – instead of war. His methods of doing this are significant, through marriage to foreign princesses, handing out of gold and communication with great kings, sources tell the way Amenhotep III undertook his reign, which was in a diplomatic and peaceful way.