Being
neighbors, the kingdoms of Kush and Ancient Egypt shared many similar characteristics. They also
had a number of distinct differences. Let's look at some of these below:
Similarities
Both kingdoms monarchies
ruled by a single ruler with his (and occasionally her) nobility as well as priests who managed
the bureaucracy and affairs of state.
Both kingdoms built monumental
pyramids. While these pyramids differed somewhat in style, they required a large degree of
sophistication, organization, and division of labor to construct. They both utilized these
structures as royal tombs for mummified rulers and their families.
The
Kushites and the Egyptians were also both polytheistic. They even worshipped some of the same
gods, such as Isis, Thoth, and Osiris.
The Egyptians and the Kushites also
had their own forms of writing.
Differences
The Egyptian pharaoh was
seen as a god on Earth. He had total and supreme control and the final word on everything. The
Kushite monarchs on the other hand were still considered human and subject to the divine laws as
interpreted by their priests.
While both kingdoms relied heavily on the Nile
river for their agricultural needs, their relationship with it was different. By occupying the
upriver highlands, the Kushites were able to take advantage of the more predictable rains which
kept their section of the river well fed. The Egyptians occupied land with little rainfall and
therefore relied extensively on the annual flooding of the Nile.
Power in
Egypt was passed directly from the pharaoh to his eldest son. In Kush, the king's authority went
to his eldest brother upon his death.
Kush had access to more mineral wealth
than Egypt. Their kingdom had numerous iron mines as well as gold and other precious metals.
They also had good access to timber sources. Egypt, on the other hand, grew cash crops that did
not grow as well in Kush. This included papyrus and linen as well as grain. For this reason,
there was usually a thriving trade between the two kingdoms.
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