Victory Stela of Piankhi

Context

Egypt underwent many foreign invasions following the end of the Twentieth Dynasty (ca. 1190–1069 bce), which was marked by the death of Ramses XI. During his reign, many acts and periods of upheaval occurred, including robberies of the royal tombs, worker strikes, and the civil war of Panehsy, the “King's Son of Cush” (that is, governor of Cush, or Kush—the province of Nubia). The Twenty-first through Twenty-fifth dynasties cover a period referred to by scholars as the Third Intermediate Period, a time of civil unrest under a weak central government. The Twenty-fifth Dynasty, beginning in the eighth century bce, was a time of foreign rule in Egypt, as the country was controlled by the Nubians, with additional foreign forces attempting to exert their authority over Egypt. Historians are uncertain as to the events leading up to the Nubian conquest of Egypt, but it is believed to have begun sometime during the reign of either Alara or Kashta, rulers who were sparsely documented. The Egyptians and Nubians had contact with each other from the earliest times, with documentation of expeditions to Nubia by Egyptian dignitaries dating to as early as the Sixth Dynasty (ca. 2345–2181 bce). Through their contact, the Egyptians gained access to various natural Nubian resources, with the primary one being gold. The abundance of gold in Nubia may have contributed to the development of the name Nubia since the ancient Egyptian word for “gold” is nbw.

Takeloth III and Osorkon III were coregents ruling Egypt when the Nubians, led by Piankhi's father, Kashta, began their northward march into Egypt sometime during his reign. Kashta's name occurs only in relational mentions on the monuments of his descendants. He may not have progressed beyond the first cataract of the Nile at Aswan, where he erected a dedication stela on the island of Elephantine. Kashta's northward march marked the first attempt of Nubian expansion into Egypt after the New Kingdom.

Piankhi succeeded Kashta around 747 bce, and he began his first campaign into Egypt shortly thereafter. This campaign, which probably took place in Piankhi's fourth regnal year, may have resulted in the extension of Piankhi's rule to Thebes and the installation of his sister Amenirdis I as “God's Wife of Amun,” one of the most important positions held by women in ancient Egypt. Afterward, Piankhi returned to Nubia, where he enlarged the Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal. In his twentieth regnal year, Piankhi invaded Egypt again. This latter campaign resulted in the defeat of Tefnakhte (or Tefnakht), ruler of Sais. After defeating Tefnakhte, Piankhi returned to his capital city of Napata, where he erected a victory stela in his twenty-first regnal year.