Victory Stela of Piankhi

Impact

The campaign detailed on the Victory Stela of Piankhi was a major milestone in the fight for Nubian control over Egypt, and the stela itself is one of the most extensive military documents dating to this time period. Before the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, the Nubians were generally under Egyptian control, as is evident in Middle Kingdom Egyptian forts in the region as well as a statement placed on the boundary stela of Sesostris III, of the nineteenth century bce. These forts were intended to house branches of the Egyptian military, which was in Nubia to maintain control over the country. The boundary stela states that no one—that is, no Nubian—is permitted to cross the border without permission. However, at the onset of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, the Nubians took advantage of unstable political conditions in Egypt and moved to conquer the land to the north. Following his victory, Piankhi returned to Nubia and began a large building program at Jebel Barkal, expanding the temple of Amun and making additional documentation of his victory in Egypt. It is thought that he never returned to Egypt, even though he was recognized as its ruler until his death.

Piankhi's precedent provided the incentive for his successors to embark on their own Egyptian campaigns. In his second regnal year, 715 bce, Shabaka began a drive into Egypt and eventually conquered Memphis. Because the Nubians were already very familiar with many aspects of Egyptian culture, including key concepts of Egyptian religion and kingship, they were able to portray themselves as rightful pharaohs rather than as foreigners. The Victory Stela of Piankhi thus marked the beginning of a long Nubian occupation of Egypt. Piankhi and his successors were able to maintain their control over Egypt until 656 bce, when Tanwetamani was expelled by the Assyrian army. After their expulsion from Egypt, the Nubians continued to rule in Nubia until the end of the Meroitic period (350 ce). The Nubian empire proved a noteworthy civilization in eastern Africa that prospered for twelve hundred years.

Owing to the abundance of contact between the Egyptians and Nubians, aspects of Egyptian culture became evident in Nubian society. This tendency is referred to as “archaism” and can be seen in both monumental and non-monumental remains. The Nubians adopted a connection with the Theban god Amun, which can be seen through their construction of a temple to Amun at Napata. The Nubian rulers likewise utilized Egyptian royal titles as well as Egyptian royal regalia. They built Egyptian-inspired pyramids and placed Egyptian-style grave goods within them. The Nubians also modified traditional Egyptian elements, making them uniquely Nubian. Headdresses were fashioned with double uraei (figures of sacred serpents) rather than a single uraeus, and there was the development of a new headdress known as the “Kushite cap.” Their Egyptian-style tendencies may have reflected a desire to legitimize the reigns of the various kings in both Egypt and Nubia in order to declare themselves restorers of ma'at—or the Nubian rulers might have simply been emulating aspects of a culture they appreciated and respected.