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The Theban Counteroffensive of 1580 BCE - The Rise of a Resurgent Egypt
Content:
In the year 1580 BCE, Egypt was in the throes of a pivotal struggle—the expulsion of the Hyksos, a Semitic-speaking people who had dominated the Nile Delta for over a century. Thebes, the southern power center of native Egyptian rule, spearheaded a fierce counteroffensive to reclaim the kingdom from foreign control.
By the late 17th century BCE, the Hyksos (ruling from their capital, Avaris) had weakened Egypt's central authority, introducing new military technologies (such as the composite bow and horse-drawn chariots) but also provoking resentment among native rulers. The Theban dynasty (17th Dynasty) began consolidating power, setting the stage for a war of liberation.
While 1580 BCE falls slightly before the final Hyksos expulsion, it likely marks a critical phase in Theban resistance. Kamose's campaigns (documented in the Kamose Stelae) describe raids deep into Hyksos territory, disrupting their alliances with Nubia and crippling their economic power.
The Theban counteroffensive reasserted Egyptian sovereignty, leading to the golden age of the New Kingdom—where pharaohs like Thutmose III and Ramesses II expanded Egypt into an empire.
Note: Exact records from 1580 BCE are scarce, and dating varies among historians. Some place Kamose's reign closer to 1550 BCE, meaning this "counteroffensive" may refer to early skirmishes rather than the decisive war.
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