The New Kingdom empire was won by an army very different from the forces of the Old Kingdom. Over two thousand years, Egypt's military changed from part-time levies into a professional standing army with chariots and foreign troops.
Key idea
Egypt's army grew from local levies raised for campaigns and expeditions into the standing army of the New Kingdom, with chariots, infantry divisions and foreign troops. Horses and chariots came into Egypt around the Second Intermediate Period.
| Period | The army |
|---|---|
| Old Kingdom | levies of men called up by officials for a campaign or a quarry expedition, as Weni describes |
| Middle Kingdom | more permanent troops; garrisons in the Nubian forts; Nubian scouts called the Medjay |
| New Kingdom | a professional army: chariotry, infantry divisions named after gods, archers with the composite bow, foreign units |
| Late Period | Greek and Carian mercenaries alongside Egyptian soldiers |
Why it works
Fighting the Hyksos and then the great powers of Asia demanded something new. A chariot, light and fast, carried a driver and an archer with a powerful composite bow, and could strike, wheel and strike again. Chariots and horses were expensive and needed skilled crews and constant training, which only a full-time, state-paid army could provide.
The New Kingdom army
- At Kadesh Ramesses II's army marched in four divisions named for Amun, Ra, Ptah and Seth.
- Charioteers were an elite; the king himself was shown charging in his chariot.
- Foreign soldiers served too: Nubian archers, Medjay, and Sherden warriors (from among the Sea Peoples).
- Veterans received land, so the army became a class with a stake in the state.
Worked example: When did chariots arrive?
A drawing shows Khufu's army riding chariots. What is wrong with it?
- Khufu reigned c. 2589–2566 BC, in the Old Kingdom.
- Horses and chariots came into Egypt around the Second Intermediate Period, c. 1650–1550 BC.
- That is about a thousand years after Khufu.
Answer: Khufu had no chariots; they arrived about a thousand years later.
Common mistake
Thinking chariots were always Egyptian. Horses and chariots came into Egypt around the Second Intermediate Period, probably from western Asia, and transformed warfare in the New Kingdom.