| Viceroy of Kush inhieroglyphs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sa-nisut-n-Kush Sꜣ-nswt-n-Kꜣš King's Son of Kush | ||||||||
The formerKingdom of Kerma inNubia was a province ofancient Egypt from the 16th century BCE to 11th century BCE. During this period, the region was ruled by aviceroy who reported directly to the EgyptianPharaoh.
Initially the position was titled "King's Son of the Southern Countries" and "King's Son, Overseer of the Southern Foreign Countries" but by the reign ofThutmose IV the title "King's Son of Kush" appears and becomes standard.[1]
The viceroy was responsible for overseeing the area north of theThird Cataract, which was divided into Wawat in the north, centered atAniba, and Kush in the south, centered atSoleb during the18th Dynasty and later atAmara West. They were supported in this task by two deputies, a number of scribes, anoverseer of cattle, and the priests of local Egyptian built temples.[1][2]
Paintings in the tomb ofAmenhotep Huy in theTheban necropolis depict some of the activities of a viceroy including overseeing the collection and tallying of tribute, and the delivery of said tribute by boat to the pharaoh in Thebes.[3][1]
Use of the title King's Son of Kush seems to have lapsed afterPiankh, who led an unsuccessful campaign against his rebellious predecessorPinehesy, and Piankh's successorHerihor. After this point the title is rarely attested, and then outside of Nubia, for example for Neskhons (A), the wife ofPinedjem II who was named 'Superintendent of Southern Foreign Lands and Viceroy Kush' for unclear reasons.[1][4] The title of King's Son of Kush appeared with some frequency in the later22nd Dynasty and one of its Upper-Egyptian branches (often called the23rd Dynasty), apparently designating important officials (several of them from within the royal family) stationed atElephantine on the southern border of Egypt proper rather than effective administrators of the Nubian regions farther south.[5]
Below is a list of viceroys mainly based on a list assembled byGeorge Reisner, supplemented by Frédéric Payraudeau's prosopographical research of Theban officialdom.
| Name | Dynasty | King (Pharaoh) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmose called Si-Tayit | 18th Dynasty | Ahmose I[6] | Possibly the first viceroy. |
| Ahmose called Turo | 18th Dynasty | Amenhotep I andThutmose I | Son of Ahmose called Si-Tayit. |
| Seni | 18th Dynasty | Thutmose I andThutmose II. | |
| Penre | 18th Dynasty | Hatshepsut andThutmose III. | |
| Inebny called Amenemnekhu | Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt | Hatshepsut and Thutmose III | First attested in year 18, and serving until about year 22. |
| Nehi | 18th Dynasty | Thutmose III | Attested in year 22 or 23 of Tuthmose III. |
| Usersatet | 18th Dynasty | Amenhotep II | |
| Amenhotep | 18th Dynasty | Thutmose IV andAmenhotep III | |
| Merymose | 18th Dynasty | Amenhotep III | |
| Tuthmosis | 18th Dynasty | Akhenaten | |
| Amenhotep called Huy | 18th Dynasty | Tutankhamun | Buried inTT40. |
| Paser (i) | 18th Dynasty | Ay andHoremheb | Son of the viceroy Amenhotep called Huy. |
| Amenemopet | 19th Dynasty | Seti I andRamesses II | Son of Paser (i) and grandson of Amenhotep Huy. |
| Yuny | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II | Served as head of the stable under Sety I and was later promoted to viceroy.[7] |
| Heqanakht | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II | |
| Paser (ii) | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II | Son of the High Priest of Min and Isis named Minmose; related to the family ofParennefer called Wennefer. |
| Huy | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II[8] | He may have served either before or after Setau. Huy was also Mayor of Tjarw and a royal messenger to theHatti. According to an inscription, he escorted QueenMaathorneferure from Hatti to Egypt. |
| Setau | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II | |
| Anhotep | 19th Dynasty | Ramesses II[8] | Buried in TT300. |
| Mernudjem | 19th Dynasty | Possibly a viceroy underRamesses II.[8] | |
| Khaemtir | 19th Dynasty | Merneptah[9] | |
| Messuy | 19th Dynasty | Merneptah, perhapsAmenmesse, andSeti II | Possibly the future king Amenmesse.[10] |
| Seti | 19th Dynasty | Siptah | |
| Hori (i) | 20th Dynasty | Setnakhte | Son of Kama. |
| Hori (ii) | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses III andRamesses IV | Son of Hori I |
| Siese | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses VI | |
| Nahihor | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses VII and perhapsRamesses VIII | |
| Wentawat | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses IX | Son of Nahihor. |
| Ramessesnakht | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses IX[11][12][not specific enough to verify] | Son of Wentawat. |
| Pinehesy | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses XI | Played a role in suppressing theHigh Priest of AmunAmenhotep. |
| Setmose | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses XI[13] | |
| Piankh | 20th Dynasty | Ramesses XI | Also the High Priest of Amun. |
| Herihor | 20th Dynasty / 21st Dynasty | Ramesses XI | Also the High Priest of Amun and subsequently king in Thebes. |
| Akheperre | 21st Dynasty | Menkheperre | The el-Hibeh archive mentions Akheperre who is a Third Prophet of Amun and a viceroy of Kush.[14] |
| Neskhons (A) | 21st Dynasty | Siamun | Daughter of the High Priest of AmunSmendes II and Tahentdjehuti, and wife of the High Priest of AmunPinedjem II, her uncle. Died in c. 972 BC and buried in the cache inDB320.[15] |
| [Anonymous] son of Nimlot (C?) | 22nd Dynasty | Osorkon II | The name is lost, but his father might be the king's son Nimlot (C).[16] |
| Hatnakhte (or Nimlot?) | 22nd Dynasty / 23rd Dynasty | Takelot II | The reading of the name is uncertain.[17] |
| Pamiu (ii) | 22nd Dynasty / 23rd Dynasty | Osorkon III | Also Vizier and Third Prophet of Amun. The title of viceroy is attested on the coffin of his great-grandson Padiamonet (iii).[14][18] |
| Ankh-Osorkon (A) | 22nd Dynasty / 23rd Dynasty | Takelot III | Also Vizier. Son of Djedptahiufankh, the brother of Takelot III and son of Osorkon III.[19] |
Kushite monarchs and rulers | ||
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| Main topics |  | |
| Viceroys atKerma | ||
| Napatan | ||
| Early Meroitic | ||
| Late Meroitic |
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Ancient Egyptian titulary | ||
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| Royal titulary |  | |
| Religious titulary | ||
| Courtly and administrative titulary | ||
