Viceroy of Kush explained

The former Kingdom of Kerma in Nubia, was a province of ancient Egypt from the 16th century BCE to 11th century BCE. During this period, the region was ruled by a viceroy who reported directly to the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Initially the position was titled “King’s Son of the Southern Countries” and “King’s Son, Overseer of the Southern Foreign Countries” but by the reign of Thutmose IV the title “King’s Son of Kush” appears and becomes standard.^[1]

The viceroy was responsible for overseeing the area north of the Third Cataract, which was divided into Wawat in the north, centered at Aniba, and Kush in the south, centered at Soleb during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt and later at Amara West. They were supported in this task by two deputies, a number of scribes, an overseer of cattle, and the priests of local Egyptian built temples.^[2]

Paintings in the tomb of Amenhotep Huy in the Theban necropolis depict some of the activities of a viceroy including overseeing the collection and tallying of tribute, and the delivery of said tribute by boat to the pharaoh in Thebes.^[3]

The title eventually lapsed under Piankh, who led an unsuccessful campaign against his rebellious predecessor Pinehesy. After this point the title is attested only in a few tomb inscriptions outside of Nubia such as one of the wives of Pinedjem II who was named 'Superintendent of Southern Foreign Lands and Viceroy Kush' for unclear reasons.^[4]

List of Viceroys

Below is a list of viceroys mainly based on a list assembled by George Reisner.

Name	width=15%	Dynasty	King (Pharaoh)	Comment
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ahmose I[5]	Possibly the first Viceroy.
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Amenhotep I and Thutmose I	Son of Ahmose called Si-Tayit
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Thutmose I and Thutmose II
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Hatshepsut
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Hatshepsut and Thutmose III	First attested in year 18, and serving until about year 22.
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Thutmose III	Attested in year 22 or 23 of Tuthmosis III.
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Amenhotep II
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Amenhotep III
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Akhenaten
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Tutankhamun	Buried in TT40
	Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ay and Horemheb	Son of the Viceroy Amenhotep called Huy
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Seti I and Ramesses II	Son of Paser and grandson of Amenhotep Huy
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II	Served as Head of the stable under Sety I and was later promoted to Viceroy.[6]
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II	Son of the High Priest of Min and Isis named Minmose. Related to the family of Parennefer called Wennefer.
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II[7]	He may have served either before or after Setau. Huy was also Mayor of Tjarw and a royal messenger to the Hatti. According to an inscription, he escorted Queen Maathorneferure from Hatti to Egypt.
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses II	Buried in TT300.
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	possibly a Viceroy under Ramesses II
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Merneptah[8]
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Merneptah, perhaps Amenmesse, and Seti II
	Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt	Siptah
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Setnakhte	Son of Kama.
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses III and Ramesses IV	Son of Hori I.
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses VI
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses VII and perhaps Ramesses VIII
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses IX	Son of Nahihor
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses IX[9]	Son of Wentawat.
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses XI	Played a role in suppressing the High Priest of Amun Amenhotep.
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses XI[10]
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses XI	Piankh was also the High Priest of Amun.
	Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt	Ramesses XI
	Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt	Menkheperre	The el-Hibeh archive mentions Akheperre who is a Third Priest of Amun and a Viceroy of Kush.[11]
	Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt	Siamun	Daughter of Smendes II and Queen Takhentdjehuti, and wife of the High Priest of Amun Pinedjem II. Buried in the cache in DB320
	Twenty-third Dynasty of Egypt	Osorkon III	The title of Viceroy is attested on the coffins of his grandsons.

See also

• Kingdom of Kush

Further reading

• George A. Reisner, The Viceroys of Ethiopia, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan., 1920), pp. 28–55.
• George A. Reisner, The Viceroys of Ethiopia (Continued), The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr., 1920), pp. 73–88.

Notes and References

1. Book: Valbelle, Dominique . The Oxford handbook of Ancient Nubia . 2020 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-049627-2 . Emberling . Geoff . New York . Egyptian Conquest and Administration of Nubia . Williams . Bruce.
2. Book: Edwards, David N. . The Nubian Past . Routledge . 2004 . 978-0415369886 . Lower Nubia in the New Kingdom.
3. Web site: The tomb of Huy, viceroy of Nubia in the reign of Tutʻankhamūn (no. 40) copied in line and colour by Nina de Garis Davies and with explanatory text by Alan H. ... v.4. . 2024-11-26 . HathiTrust . en.
4. Book: Edwards . David . The Nubian Past . limited . 2004 . Routledge . Oxon . 9780415369886 . 106, 117.
5. Edwards, The Cambridge ancient history, Volumes 1-3, 2000, pg 299 and 348
6. The Viceroys of Ethiopia (Continued) by George A. Reisner, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, vol. 6, No. 2. (Apr., 1920), pp. 73-88.
7. Kitchen, K.A., Ramesside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations, Volume III, Blackwell Publishers, 1996
8. Dodson, Poisoned Legacy: The Fall of the Nineteenth Egyptian Dynasty, American University in Cairo Press, 2010
9. P. Pamminger, Göttinger Miszellen 137 (1993), 79-86
10. Briant Bohleke, An Ex Voto of the Previously Unrecognized Viceroy Setmose, Göttinger Miszellen 85 (1985), 13-24
11. Gerard P.F. Broekman, The Leading Theban Priests of Amun and their Families under Libyan Rule, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 96 (2010), pp. 125-148