posted
Can anybody tell me how big was the bureaucracy in AE- during the Old Kingdom,Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom ?
I get the impression that although in theory all belonged to the King the nomarchs(heads of the nomes)held the real bureaucratic power and hence artisans(merchants) as well as the workers class were in the minority...
I do include the army,police etc as being part of the bureaucracy..
Also did that account for the weakening of the AE institutions and its eventual downfall as bureaucracy seemed to increase over time?
Posts: 305 | Registered: May 2006
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posted
In practice, the Pharaoh was the ruler of the whole nation and thus head of the federal government. Most Egyptians however, lived in local villages and so direct influence by the Pharaoh was rare unless they lived in a capital city like Nowet (Thebes) or Men-nefer (Memphis). Thus Nomarchs and other local governors were much more common and in the majority. The merchant population was even larger still, the class of all were farmers and agriculturalists who were the foundation of Egyptian society.
I guess you could say that bureacrats were quite 'big' in importance in keeping the country running but they were by no means a large number compared to the other classes. Above the beaurecracts were the priests, followed by the Pharaoh.
Posts: 26352 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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