Maat is the ancient Egyptian concept of order and balance in the world. It could be seen in the rising and setting of the sun, the annual flooding of the Nile, and the predictable course of the stars in the sky. Maat was also the goddess of physical and moral law of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that order and chaos was ever-present in the world and that Maat had to be maintained and strived for. It was the responsibility of everyone to maintain Maat, and the pharaohs were seen as the guardian of Maat due to their relationship with the gods.
Akhenaten in particular professed his adherence to Maat due to the turbulence of his rule; as he converted ancient Egypt to a monotheistic rule, diverging to the cult worship of Aten. He repeatedly emphasised his adherence to Maat on many monuments.
Akhenaten in particular professed his adherence to Maat due to the turbulence of his rule; as he converted ancient Egypt to a monotheistic rule, diverging to the cult worship of Aten. He repeatedly emphasised his adherence to Maat on many monuments.
Akhenaten offering a figure of the goddess of truth, Maat, to the Sun-disc, central symbol of his religion. (Tel-el Amarna)
Despite this adherence to Maat, Akhenaten did not ensure Egypt's prosperity. He diverted all funds from the Amun cult to Akhenaten and building an entirely new capital. Temple based economy resources were diverted and bureaucratic corruption increased. The resources that were formally administered to and from the Amun cult were redirected to Akhenaten. The abandonment of the system of divine estates led to the decline of a whole system of production and distribution without providing any new structure to replace it.
One of the main reasons why Akhenaten rule could be translated to a "complete failure" was due to the fact that he unsuccessfully tried to convert Egypt to a monotheistic religion. His son Tutankhamen later on converted Egypt back to its worship of more than one deity, in particular the cult worship of Amun. Another more significant reason was that he entirely changed the foundation of beliefs which ancient Egyptians lived by, which contradicts his position of maintaining Maat or prosperity within the Egyptian empire. This backlashed against him, as he was labelled the heretic king and banished off the list of Egyptian pharaohs by his own son, who also destroyed all monuments in relation to Akhenaten and the cult worship of Aten.
Alastair Sooke writes: Rebel, tyrant, and prophet of arguably the world's earliest monotheistic religion, Akhenaten has been called history's first individual. His impact upon ancient Egyptian customs and beliefs stretching back for centuries was so alarming that, in the generations following his death in 1336 BC, he was branded a heretic. Official king lists omitted his name.
Historian Barbara Watterson writes: By the ninth year of his reign, Akhenaten had proscribed the old gods of Egypt, and ordered their temples to be closed, a very serious matter, for these institutions played an important part in the economic and social life of the country. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. Atenism, however, was a very exclusive religion confined to the royal family, with the king as the only mediator between man and god.
Although may have been seen as a revolutionary due to him being the first known monotheistic ruler in the world, his conquests were unsuccessful and jeopardised Egypt's Maat, further defining the statement, "Akhenaten's rule was a complete failure".
Despite this adherence to Maat, Akhenaten did not ensure Egypt's prosperity. He diverted all funds from the Amun cult to Akhenaten and building an entirely new capital. Temple based economy resources were diverted and bureaucratic corruption increased. The resources that were formally administered to and from the Amun cult were redirected to Akhenaten. The abandonment of the system of divine estates led to the decline of a whole system of production and distribution without providing any new structure to replace it.
One of the main reasons why Akhenaten rule could be translated to a "complete failure" was due to the fact that he unsuccessfully tried to convert Egypt to a monotheistic religion. His son Tutankhamen later on converted Egypt back to its worship of more than one deity, in particular the cult worship of Amun. Another more significant reason was that he entirely changed the foundation of beliefs which ancient Egyptians lived by, which contradicts his position of maintaining Maat or prosperity within the Egyptian empire. This backlashed against him, as he was labelled the heretic king and banished off the list of Egyptian pharaohs by his own son, who also destroyed all monuments in relation to Akhenaten and the cult worship of Aten.
Alastair Sooke writes: Rebel, tyrant, and prophet of arguably the world's earliest monotheistic religion, Akhenaten has been called history's first individual. His impact upon ancient Egyptian customs and beliefs stretching back for centuries was so alarming that, in the generations following his death in 1336 BC, he was branded a heretic. Official king lists omitted his name.
Historian Barbara Watterson writes: By the ninth year of his reign, Akhenaten had proscribed the old gods of Egypt, and ordered their temples to be closed, a very serious matter, for these institutions played an important part in the economic and social life of the country. Religious persecution was new to the Egyptians, who had always worshipped many deities and were ever ready to add new gods to the pantheon. Atenism, however, was a very exclusive religion confined to the royal family, with the king as the only mediator between man and god.
Although may have been seen as a revolutionary due to him being the first known monotheistic ruler in the world, his conquests were unsuccessful and jeopardised Egypt's Maat, further defining the statement, "Akhenaten's rule was a complete failure".