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Egyptian History & Civilisation

History of the 20th Dynasty and its Pharaohs
Overview with interesting facts and information about the civilization and history of the 20th Dynasty Pharaohs and Kings of the New Kingdom and the Rise of the Priests of Amun in ancient Egyptian history.

Twentieth Dynasty Dates: 1189–1069 B.C.E.

Ancient Egyptian History - 20th Dynasty Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on 20th Dynasty: The previous royal line of kings ended in chaos with the mysterious death of Queen Twosret. The queen had ruled Egypt with the aid of Chancellor Bay who attempted to usurp the throne of Egypt.

Fact 2 on 20th Dynasty: The ambitions of Chancellor Bay were thwarted and following the death of Queen Twosret, Setnakhte who became the founder of the 20th dynasty.

Fact 3 on 20th Dynasty: Pharaoh Setnakhtewas believed to be a grandson of Ramses II. He therefore claimed descent from one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs and secured his line from any other usurpers and the threat of civil war. 

Fact 4 on 20th Dynasty: He was succeeded by his son Ramses III, who was the last truly great pharaoh of ancient Egypt. 

Fact 5 on 20th Dynasty: Pharaoh Ramses III was faced with attacks from the Libyans and the Sea Peoples. Like his grandfather before him he was faced with securing the borders of Egypt from hostile attacks.  

Fact 6 on 20th Dynasty: The 'Sea Peoples' were the enemies of the 'land people' of Egypt who included seafaring raiders of the Hittite Empire - see map below.

Fact 7 on 20th Dynasty: Ramses III fought off the foreign attacks and defeated his enemies in two great land and sea battles.

Fact 8 on 20th Dynasty: Towards the end of his reign the government was beginning to crumble due to corrupt officials, the vizier was stripped of power and Pharaoh Ramses was challenged in a royal harem conspiracy.

Fact 9 on 20th Dynasty: The Harem Conspiracy: Queen Tiye was a consort of Ramses III. She plotted against her husband with fellow courtier conspirators in order to secure the throne of Egypt for her son, Pentaweret, rather than the rightful heir.

Fact 10 on 20th Dynasty: Pharaoh Ramses III "was murdered during the harem conspiracy by cutting his throat." The conspirators were punished by Ramses IV, the heir to the throne.

Fact 11 on 20th Dynasty: Ramses IV initiated building projects and trading expeditions to Sinai and Nubia. He started building two temples near Thebes, and completed the Temple of Khonsu at Karnak. He only enjoyed a short reign and was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

Fact 12 on 20th Dynasty: His son, Ramses V succeeded him. Government corruption continued and the priests also gained considerable power in Egypt. He died during a devastating smallpox epidemic which took a terrible toll in the royal family and the people of ancient Egypt.

Fact 13 on 20th Dynasty: The power of the priesthood of Amun continued to increase in the reign of Ramses V. Records show that the priests of the Amun Temples had over 80,000 people working for them and owned enormous amounts of land, cattle and hundreds of ships.

Fact 14 on 20th Dynasty: The control of the temple land and state finances was at the expense of Pharaoh.

Fact 15 on 20th Dynasty: The reign of the next pharaoh, Ramses VI, was uneventful, however his death was significant.  His tomb was broken into and ransacked by grave robbers who hacked away at his hands and feet in order to gain access to his jewelry.

Fact 16 on 20th Dynasty: The following reigns were marked by bad harvests and high prices of grain. The country experienced severe economic problems and more tomb robberies took place and the criminals were prosecuted.

Fact 17 on 20th Dynasty: Pharaoh Ramses XI was the tenth and last king of this royal line of kings. His reign was marked by the gradual disintegration of the Egyptian state and civil conflict. He was forced to share his power with Herihor, the High Priest of Amun, who ruled Thebes and Upper Egypt. Smendes, the governor of Tanis, controlled Lower Egypt.

Fact 18 on 20th Dynasty: When Pharaoh Ramses XI died he was buried by Smendes and, according to ancient Egyptian custom, this gave him the authority and right to ascend to the throne.

Fact 19 on 20th Dynasty: The remarkable period of the New Kingdom was over and the great Egyptian Empire was in decline, soon to be lost to foreign invaders from Libya.

Ancient Egyptian History - 20th Dynasty Fact Sheet

Definition of the 20th Dynasty
Definition: The 20th Dynasty of ancient Egypt consisted of a succession of kings from the same family who succeeded each other on the royal throne of Egypt by right of inheritance. The Kings of Egypt and pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty ruled during the time period known in ancient Egyptian history as the New Kingdom.

Twentieth Dynasty Dates: 1189–1069 B.C.E.

Ancient Egyptian Dynasties

Ancient Egytian Dynasties

Early Dynastic Period: 1st - 2nd Dynasties

The Old Kingdome 3rd - 6th Dynasties

1st Intermediate Period 7th - 10th Dynasties

The Middle Kingdom 11th - 12th Dynasties

2nd Intermediate Period 13th - 20th Dynasties

The New Kingdom 18th - 20th Dynasties

Post Empire 21st - 31st Dynasties

History of the 20th Dynasty Pharaohs
Overview with interesting facts and information about the Pharaohs and Kings of the New Kingdom period in ancient Egyptian history.

20th Dynasty Chronology - Succession and History of the Kings
The following 20th Dynasty Chronology details the names of the Kings and Pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty and the dates of the years during which they reigned, together with a map of ancient Egypt.

Chronology of the Kings

Name - Dates of Reign

King Setnakhte - c1186 - 1183 BC

King Ramses IV - c1151 - 1145 BC

King Ramses VI - c1142 - 1132 BC

King Ramses VIII - c1126 - 1121 BC

King Ramses X - c1107 - 1099 BC

Chronology of the Kings

20th Dynasty History
Discover fast, interesting fun facts about 20th Dynasty for kids with some amazing, cool and quick information about ancient Egypt and Egyptians. Ideal for children, homework, schools, teachers and kids of all ages! Find fascinating fun facts about the history and kings of this dynasty for kids and the history, culture and civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Egypt. Interesting, fun facts about 20th Dynasty for research, schools, students and kids of all ages.

Ancient Egyptian History

Egytian Time Periods

Prehistoric Egytpt 5000 - 3100BCE

Early Dynastic Period: 3100 - 2686 BCE

The Old Kingdom 2686 - 2181 BCE

1st Intermediate Period 2181 - 2134 BCE

The Middle Kingdom 2134 - 1782 BCE

2nd Interm ediate Period 1782 - 1550 BCE

The New Kingdom 1550 - 1069 BCE

3rd Interm ediate Period 1069 - 664 BCE

The Late Period 664 - 332 BCE

Ptolemaic Egypt 332 - 30 BCE

Roman & Byzantine Egypt 30 BCE - 641 CE

20th Dynasty
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and 20th Dynasty inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about 20th Dynasty will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptian History