Kingdom of Kush Kuluš | |||||||||||||
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1070 BC–AD 350 | |||||||||||||
Capital | Kerma; Napata; later Meroe | ||||||||||||
Common languages | Meroitic, Nubian | ||||||||||||
Religion | Nubian religion | ||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
King | |||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 1070 BC | ||||||||||||
• Capital moved to Napata | 780 BC | ||||||||||||
• Capital moved to Meroe | 591 BC | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | AD 350 | ||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||
• Egyptian phase[1] | 100000 | ||||||||||||
• Meroite phase[1] | 1,150,000 | ||||||||||||
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Today part of | Egypt Sudan |
Kush civilization had its center in the region of Nubia. This was in northern Sudan of today. We know about it through the Egyptians who moved south around 2500 BC. When the Middle Kingdom of Egypt ended, an independent kingdom of Kush developed. About 1500 BC Egyptians moved southwards again, but this time met organized resistance. Historians are not sure whether this resistance came from many city states or a single unified empire. The Egyptians won, and the region became a colony of Egypt under the control of Thutmose I. The region supplied Egypt with resources.
In the eleventh century BC internal disputes in Egypt caused colonial rule to collapse and an independent kingdom arose based at Napata in Nubia. This kingdom was ruled by locals who overthrew the colonial regime. But Kush had many beliefs and gods in common with Egypt.