The First Great Woman in History

Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt 1500 years before Christ was born in the Eighteenth Dynasty. I was just introduced to this all powerful woman and although she was certainly not the 1^st female ruler of Antiquity she was the most influential and Noble. She ruled with a firm but sensible hand for more than 20 years. Hatshepsut was unique as she challenged the supremacy of the male. During her times there was not even a word for “queen” or “empress”. She was the daughter of Thotmes I who was the conqueror of the known world but was stricken with Paralysis. She even had a prime minister “Nehusi” (which in Egyptian means “full blooded Negro”) that was positioned as second in command.

This great woman had built the first awe inspiring temple (Deir-el-Bahari) and Obelisks just to hail triumph over her detractors. She ruled over a time of great wealth and prosperity. Gold was so plentiful it was no longer weighed but measured by the bushel baskets. Hatshepsut controlled Egypt by announcing to all that she was really a “man”….to this no one disputed. Eventually through a nefarious act, she was most likely killed by her husband/half brother Thotmes III. Once out of the way (in an act of resentment) Thotmes had all traces of her removed from plain sight. So effective was he that she was forgotten for over 300 years. Nevertheless she was the only woman ruler buried in the Valley Of Kings.

What I love about this story is that it shows the power of women to fight oppression and male dominance. A woman of color was effectively the ruler of the then known civilized world. Her roots were from southern Egypt which was and still is very much mixed with the pure Negroes of the Sudan. So, the next time you see an African-American woman demeaning herself by not portraying the dignity of a Queen, remind her that she is a descendent of Hatshepsut’s rule…

Milano Flascucci~