Hatshepsut

Your name is Hatshepsut. You are a royal woman in the 18th dynasty of Egypt. You were born in Thebes, Egypt in 1539 BCE. It is the New Kingdom Era of Egypt, and the great kingdom is at its most prosperous. You are the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I and his wife, Ahmose. At a young age, you were married to your half-brother, Thutmose II. He ruled for 8 years, you as his queen. However, during his 8th year of rule, Thutmose II died. You and your husband did not have a son, only a daughter named Neferure. The only option for Egypt was to crown half-royal, Thutmose III, son of your deceased husband and one of his concubines. You decided to marry Thutmose III to your daughter in order to strengthen his rule, but Nefeure died a few years later. It is now around 1480 BCE. You begin to rule as regent for Thutmose III. Your main role is as guardian for the 10-year-old boy, and you are essentially co-ruling with him. Now that you are regent, you realize there is now more power in your hands. The Egyptian government lacks the powerful pharaoh it needs. Now might be the time to take advantage of that political power if you wish. You have an opportunity to show the people of Egypt that you are capable of being a strong ruler. The temple of Karnak, an important ceremonial center, is in need of a new pair of obelisks. Will you establish your religious devoutness and send an expedition to upper Egypt for granite used for those two obelisks? Keep in mind, this is a bold move. The people of Egypt may feel that you are attempting to take the young king's place, becoming suspicious of you instead of trusting you. [[Yes, send the expedition->Sent the expedition]] [[No, too risky, do not send the expedition->Did not send the expedition]]

Great! You sent the expedition, and it went well. The obelisks have been acquired for the temple. Although it was a bold move, the subjects of Egypt trust your ability to respect your kingdom's religion by improving their religious environment. This may be helpful for your potential future plans... [[Continue->Big plans]]

That's fine! You're not sure what would have happened. It could have been a great political move, or it could have got you accused of meddling in royal affairs, who knows? Hopefully, you do not appear weak or passive to the people of Egypt... [[Continue->Big plans]]

The year is 1478: You're sick of being regent. If Thutmose III is too young to rule, why can't you rule in his place until he is grown? You are concerned for the Egyptian government. With you and the future king "co-ruling" the great country, it is susceptible to attack and economic decline. The New Kingdom of Egypt is the most prosperous era Egypt has ever seen, and you want to maintain that. But you believe what it needs in order to maintain that greatness, is a strong ruler. You believe you can be this ruler and allow your kingdom to continue to flourish. However, do not think it will be so easy. You may be a part of the royal family, but you are still a woman. You would be the first woman ruler to serve in the place of king-pharaoh, a male title, during this era of greatness in Egypt. Your people may not accept you; they may view you as incompetent or weak, and it may lead to your death. But you know that you can show them that you are neither incompetent nor weak, you have the skill set to rule Egypt with an iron fist. Will you usurp the throne and claim yourself as the pharaoh of Egypt? [[No, there are too many risks->Remained Regent]] [[Yes, Egypt needs me as their ruler->Sponsorship]]

You decided to remain in your current position as regent and simply wait until Thutmose III is old enough to rule Egypt solo. Whether this is because you were too frightened of the consequences of taking the throne or you simply had no desire to rule, you gave up your opportunity to maintain Egypt's greatness. Until Thutmose III comes to age, you live constantly worried about the state of your kingdom and try your best to co-rule, although you do not seem to have much authority. The grand nation of Egypt ultimately declines in aspects of trade and international relations, military strength, and economic growth. When Thutmose III becomes the pharaoh, you live passively in your designated position until you die. The End. [[Try again?->Introduction]]

Although it is risky, you have decided to take charge and declare yourself as the sole ruler of Egypt. But, in order for this to succeed, you must choose a sponsor. Your people are not just going to accept you as their pharaoh if you simply claim the throne by yourself. You think of two decent options. 1. You could claim sponsorship from Thutmose III. After all, he is the future king, and perhaps your people will accept your position more if he is the one who encouraged you to take it. Showing that you have permission from a male who will also rule Egypt might do you some good. However, he is only a child. Considering you were assigned to co-rule with him, it might be said that he cannot make that sort of decision on his own. 2. You could claim sponsorship from your dead father's spirit, as well as the sun god Amon. Claiming that your father's spirit came to you and granted you permission to take his throne might solidify your rule since he was also the pharaoh, and a beloved one. Also, Amon is the god of your city, Thebes. Claiming that the god of your city has spoken to you and told you to take the throne and rule Egypt will appeal to your people. They will trust his decisions and will most likely accept you because of his word. Who will you choose? [[Thutmose III, future ruler of Egypt->Thutmose III sponsorship]] [[The sun god Amon and your father's spirit->Amon and father sponsorship]]

Great thinking. Your people cannot deny that religious legitimacy and trust their deceased ruler. They have accepted your claim and you have built their trust in you. Now that you have successfully claimed the Egyptian throne, you need to decide how you will portray yourself. The fact that you are a woman is quite controversial, and it might do you good to portray yourself to your people as a traditional, male king. Although you are a woman, you are still able to present yourself as a male king; dressing in traditional clothing and adopting the traditional male names. On the other hand, this will affect how you are portrayed in future monuments and records, and you want it to be known that you ruled Egypt as a woman. What will you do? [[Declare yourself as queen; act as a pharaoh but portray your femininity->Not dead, but exiled]] [[Initially portray yourself as a male, adopting the typical traditions and titles as "king"->Great start]]

Unfortunately, your reign, and your life, have come to an end. You have made the wrong decisions. Your doom began with your decision to choose Thutmose III as your sponsor when declaring your rule. The young royal has revealed to his subjects that he wants to be king, although his idea of the position is simply bossing people around. So, the people of Egypt do not think it is likely that the 10-year-old gave you his permission to rule. Not only do your people think this claim is a lie, but they will not accept that you are a woman. The people of Egypt believe that a woman is too weak and ignorant to ever rule their powerful kingdom, and that it is sure to crumble under you. You have been rejected from what you believe to be your rightful position. Not only this but you have also been rejected from Egypt. Because your subjects and government believe you to be a deceitful liar, they do not think exile is enough, and they execute you. [[Try again?->Introduction]]

Good thinking. Although there is still suspicion surrounding your rule because of your choice in sponsors, you have been accepted as ruler of Egypt. Although your citizens know that you are a woman, they are okay with your rule because of the position you have taken. You have adopted all the traditional male titles as well as dressing yourself in traditional male pharaoh clothing, which includes a false beard commonly worn by younger kings. This "illusion" has influenced your people into thinking you may be no different from a male pharaoh. Congratulations on your new position as king (female) pharaoh! [[Continue->Punt expedition]]

You are off to a great start! Because of your smart decision to claim sponsorship from Amon and Thutmose I, the citizens of Egypt have accepted you as their ruler! Although your citizens know that you are a woman, they are okay with your rule because of the position you have taken on. You have adopted all the traditional male titles as well as dressing yourself in traditional male pharaoh clothing, which includes a false beard commonly worn by younger kings. This "illusion" has influenced your people into thinking you may be no different from a male pharaoh. Congratulations on your new position as king (female) pharaoh! [[Continue->Punt expedition]]

Unfortunately, your people will not accept you as their "queen." Although you made a good decision in choosing who will sponsor your rule, they believe that only a male king is fit to rule Egypt. You, as a woman, are believed to be too weak and ignorant to rule the powerful kingdom of Egypt. Although, the opposite is true; you would have contributed to Egypt's greatness and kept the New Kingdom era prosperous. However, because you are a woman and wished to rule as one, you will never be accepted. It is believed that Egypt requires a king pharaoh to rule. But because your people believe you to be in connection with Amon and your father, they have decided not to anger their God and deceased king by letting you live. So, instead of execution, you have been sentenced to exile. You will spend the rest of your life poor and hungry, wandering the borders of your beloved kingdom. [[Try again?->Introduction]]

You have chosen to claim Thutmose III as your sponsor when claiming the throne. Your people think it's a bit odd, considering he is only a child and can be easily influenced, but they accept the claim wearily. Now that you have successfully claimed the Egyptian throne, you need to decide how you will portray yourself. The fact that you are a woman is quite controversial, and it might do you good to portray yourself to your people as a traditional, male kind. Although you are a woman, you are still able to present yourself as a male king; dressing in traditional clothing and adopting the traditional male names. On the other hand, this will affect how you are portrayed in future monuments and records, but you want it to be known that you ruled Egypt as a woman, what will you do? [[Declare yourself as a queen, act as a ruler but do not adopt the male traditions and titles->Execution]] [[Initially portray yourself as a male, adopting the king traditions and titles->not dead, but suspicious]]

Now that you are officially pharaoh of Egypt, your main goals are to keep your family's claim to the throne secure while legitimizing your own rule. You have decided to use your time as pharaoh to establish your influence over Egyptian culture and make your reign memorable. It is now your 6th year of reign, 1472 BCE. So far everything has been going smoothly. You have begun to restore more religious monuments throughout Egypt. You have also started a major project you will work on throughout your life; your monument at Deir el-Bahri, on the west bank of the Nile. You have decided to inscribe the walls of your monument with reliefs documenting important moments of your life. Right now, all that is inscribed there is the image of Amon granting you the right to be king and the image of your father's spirit claiming you as his "co-ruler" and sponsoring you in arguing your right to rule. But now you're planning something big: you want to reestablish a trade with a foreign land under Egyptian influence called Punt. Egypt had been in commercial trade with Punt since the 5th Dynasty, but it lapsed during the turbulent years of the second intermediate period. This trade route provides goods that are essential to Egypt's economic development and international markets. However, you have never come in contact with the Puntites before, and you do not know how they will react to your request. There are two ways you could go about reestablishing this imperative trade: 1. You could take it by force. You have been presented with an opportunity to show your people that you are a powerful ruler able to lead Egypt through potential political disputes. If you were to travel to Punt and simply declare that you are their ruler and order them to begin trading with Thebes again, you would be seen as strong and fierce. However, this route does have the potential risk of being rejected and attacked by the Puntites. 2. You could go about it peacefully. You can show up to Punt and make them aware that you are respectful of their independent culture and simply ask to trade with them again. You could become friends with their ruler and hope that they agree to your trade request. However, this route does have the potential risk of being seen as weak or passive among the people of Egypt, missing your opportunity to show off your leadership skills. What will you choose? [[Take it by force->Attacked]] [[Go about it peacefully->Success in trade]]

You sent 5 boats to the land of Punt, the journey taking about a month. You arrive and discover that the Puntites are also ruled by a queen. You speak to their queen and declare, "Because your country is under Egyptian influence, as pharaoh of Egypt I demand that you reestablish trade with us in Thebes and grant us your goods in exchange for ours." Your plan did not go as expected. The people of Punt do not simply bow to you and accept your demand. They feel disrespected and tell you that they are their own country and will not bow down to you only because you are pharaoh of Egypt. Since you have only brought 5 boats worth of men with you, the people of Punt attack. Although it is a small country, your people are outnumbered. Your men fight back, but it is not enough. Some are taken hostage while others are killed. In the end, you are captured and end up in a sacrificial ceremony to the God of Punt. You are killed for your lack of respect to their kingdom and definitely not seen as a strong ruler in the future. [[Try again?->Introduction]]

You have decided to respect the culture of Punt and attempt to respectfully ask for the trade between your countries to continue. You send 5 boats, and the journey takes around a month. You arrive and discover that the Puntites are also primely ruled by a queen. You and your people discover and learn to appreciate the culture of Punt. You are captivated by the flora and fauna of the land as well as the traditions of the Puntites. You order a small shrine to be built on their land, in honor of Amon and the Puntite queen. Because of your people's respect and appreciation for the country, you were able to reestablish the fruitful trade between Egypt and Punt. The resources acquired from this trade include religious items such as myrrh and frankincense, as well as panther leopard and cheetah skins, ebony, gold, and spices. These resources not only expand your kingdom's trade but also contribute to its wealth. For you, this trip represents crucial economic development while also showing your people that you are capable of great achievements. You make sure to have your expedition to Punt described in detail in the sculpted reliefs at your monument. [[Continue->Celebration]]

The year is 1462 BCE, your 16th year of reign. You have spent your time as pharaoh still strengthening your family's claim to the throne and legitimizing your independent rule. Shortly after your expedition to Punt, you sent two more expeditions to Upper Egypt and Sinai to acquire rock for various monuments. You inscribe these monuments with portrayals of you as a queen chosen by the gods with the mission of strengthening Egypt from the damage left by the Hyksos invasion, two centuries prior to your rule. You have renovated the Thebes temple to Amon by adding 4 new obelisks, all nearly 100ft tall. Whether you were launching building projects or overseeing the building or improvement of temples, you made sure it was all thoroughly documented in the reliefs in your monument at Deir el-Bahri. However, that all may be coming to a crashing halt. Thutmose III has now come of age, now nearly 26 years old. He has grown up to become a powerful military commander and has fought for Egypt in foreign campaigns. All of this makes him quite eligible for the throne, maybe even preferred over you. Suddenly, an idea hits you. In Egyptian tradition, it is common for pharaohs to hold a special celebration to commemorate their rule during their 30th year of reign. However, perhaps if you were to hold that celebration now, your people would be reminded of their love and respect for you as their leader. This may solidify your place as pharaoh and grant you extra years in the position. But what do you know? This could be completely unnecessary, and you should just wait to hold your celebration at the traditional 30-year mark... if you make it there. Also, you should be aware that choosing to celebrate now may send the message that you are unsure of your strength as pharaoh. This may cause Thutmose III to win the favor of your people and claim his place as pharaoh. What will you do? [[Hold the celebration now->Four more years]] [[Unnecessary, keep ruling peacefully->Overthrown]]

Congratulations! Your plan, and party, are a success! Your celebration draws the attention of your subjects from all over Egypt and hundreds of people join to celebrate your rule and praise you as their ruler. You have ensured your place as queen pharaoh. Thutmose III sees that you are strong and that the citizens of Egypt respect you as their pharaoh, causing him to second guess overthrowing you. You are able to rule in peace for the next 4 years, and you use this time to make sure your rule is known, and your death is planned. You build more monuments with your name on them and keep even more records of your various achievements. When you die, you order your people to place you in a royal cache in the tomb of Amenhotep with your body poised in the traditional manner of a king; with your arms crossed over your chest to hold the crook and the flail, symbols of kingship. You die of natural causes in 1458 BCE, having ruled for 20 long years. After your death, Thutmose III makes an attempt to erase all evidence that you ever ruled the kingdom of Egypt. He and his followers defaced or destroyed many of your monuments, reliefs, and statues, as well as omitted your name from the list of pharaohs. To some Egyptians, it is as if you had never ruled. Whether Thutmose III was ashamed that a woman had ruled in his place for so long, or because you had essentially overthrown his rule, there are various attempts to disrespect your rule or remove you from history. However, your habit of recording all your achievements succeeded, and you are remembered fondly in the future. Your legacy is remembered, along with the fact that a woman ruled one of the most powerful ancient kingdoms during its height. During the 18th dynasty of Egypt, the nation was able to flourish because you stepped up and claimed kingship, continued your family's legacy and accomplished all that a male pharaoh could have, and more. The End. [[Play again?->Introduction]]

Thutmose III has decided it is his time to rule. Now that he is grown, he believes that you took away his rightful place as king. Although Egypt most likely would have crumbled under the control of a 10-year-old, Thutmose III thinks he would have made a much better ruler than you. He believes in military strength, so he does not recognize the fact that you kept your family's claim to the throne, made many important religious contributions, and provided Egypt with old and new prosperous trade routes. Because he is in command of Egypt's military, he is able to overthrow you easily, claiming his position as king pharaoh. You only live for the next 4 years, and you die in 1458 BCE. Thutmose III, now king, is furious and ashamed that you were able to rule Egypt for as long as you did. Because you were not in any position to plan your death during your last years, Thutmose is able to erase your rule from history. All the hard work you put into your reign is destroyed. He and his followers defaced or destroyed many of your monuments, reliefs, and statues, as well as omitted your name from the list of pharaohs. It is almost as if you never ruled. Thutmose III was angry, believing you had stolen his rule from him, and ashamed that a woman ruled in his place for so many years. You are erased from history and forgotten. [[Try again?->Introduction]]