Golden Age 554
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The Nubian king Shabaka enshrines Horus and Hathor
Around 1166 BC, Ramses III died. Over the next 80 years or so, the politically turbulent 20th Dynasty went through eight kings, from Ramses IV to Ramses XI. Since the names of the kings were called "Ramses", some people also called the 20th Dynasty the "Era of Ramses".
Several kings of the 20 dynasties, from Ramses IV onwards, were suspected of gaining supreme rule through usurpation. There are still a few buildings and expeditions scattered around, but the whole country has inevitably fallen at a rapid pace. During the reign of Ramses VII, ancient Egypt completely lost control of the Sinai Peninsula, and after Ramses IX succeeded to the throne, he could only shrink in the capital of the Nile Delta, which was comparable to that of Zhou Tianzi in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of China.
By the time of the last king, Ramses XI, Egypt had formed a de facto three-legged pattern — King Ramses XI, the religious leader Holy Hall, and the governor of the Nile Delta, Mendes. Around 1085 BC, Ramses XI died, and Herrijol and Mendes formally divided Egypt, with the former controlling southern Egypt and the latter controlling northern Egypt. The once-mighty Egyptian Empire collapsed, the New Kingdom period came to an end, and history entered a long third intermediate period.
The third intermediate period differs from the first two "intermediate periods" in that the first intermediate period is the transition period between the Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom, and the second intermediate period is the transition period between the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom, after which ancient Egypt ushered in a revival. However, the Third Intermediate Period did not bring another revival to ancient Egypt, and the ancient Egyptian civilization gradually declined in the long chaos and never returned to its former glory.
Egypt in the Third Intermediate Period was divided and occupied by several major powers. The political forces in Egypt itself rose and fell, the so-called 21st to 24th dynasties, and at most there were 5 "kings" who stood side by side. In addition, Libyans camped in the western and northern parts of the delta, while the area south of Thebes was occupied by Nubians.
The third intermediate period is fragmented Egypt
After more than 300 years of division, around 727 BC, the ruler of the Delta region, Tefnakert of the 24th Dynasty, eliminated some of the nearby separatist forces and marched to Upper Egypt. But at this time, the ruler of southern Nubia, Piansi, took advantage of the situation, and he made an agreement with the monks of Thebes in exchange for the support of religious forces, and finally defeated Tefnakert. Around 716 BC, Shabaka, son of Piansi, invaded Egypt again, and fought all the way to the Nile Delta, formally unifying the country and establishing the 25th Dynasty. Since the rulers came from Nubia, this dynasty is also known as the "Nubian Dynasty" in ancient Egyptian history.
Shabaka, with Memphis as its capital, vigorously pursued a policy of "Egyptianization". He imposed a gentle rule on the native Egyptians, and is said never to sentence criminals to death, but to force them to build dikes as punishment. Shabaka visited the Egyptian gods, renovated the Karnak Temple to some extent, and after his death followed the ancient Egyptian tradition and was buried in a mausoleum in the shape of a pyramid.
The Nubian Pyramids in the northern part of the Republic of Sudan
The main external threat to the 25th Dynasty was the West Asian power, the Assyrian Empire, and during The reign of Shabaka, the two countries maintained a semblance of peace. After his death, the two sides finally clashed as the expansion of the Assyrian Empire threatened Egypt itself. Shabakar's successor, his nephew Shabataka, sent troops to help Jerusalem resist the Assyrian army, thwarting the enemy. After succeeding to the throne, Shabataka's brother Taharka continued to support Palestine against the Assyrian Empire, which led to a large-scale war between Assyria and Egypt.
Around 671 BC, the Egyptian army was defeated and Memphis fell. Later, the 25th Dynasty counterattacked twice to regain the lost territory, but was soon defeated again by the Assyrians. Eventually, the kings of the 25th Dynasty were forced to retreat to southern Nubia, abandoning rule over Egypt, and the Nubian dynasty came to an end.
The Nubians, who have been deeply influenced by their northern neighbors for thousands of years, have made an effort to save the dying Egypt. With the defeat of the 25th Dynasty by the Assyrian Empire, their futile efforts to save ancient Egyptian civilization were ultimately defeated, and ancient Egypt fell into an even more serious predicament.