Many of the royal kings (pharaohs) of ancient Egypt were married to their sisters or half-sisters. Many kings who were not themselves the son of a king, were married to the daughter or sister of a king.
This has led some Egyptologists, since the 19th century, to post an "heiress" theory: that succession was through inheritance in a matriarchal line. This theory has been applied to the Eighteenth Dynasty, and thought to explain the justification Hatshepsut might have used to declare herself a king. But in the Eighteenth Dynasty, there are a number of instances where a king's mother and/or wife is known or suspected not to be royal.
Amenhotep I, predecessor of Hatshepsut's father,Thutmose I, was married to Meryetamun who may or may not have been his sister, and thus royal. Thutmose I was not the son of a royal woman. Thutmose I's wives, Ahmes (mother of Hatshepsut) and Mutneferet, may or may not have been daughters of Ahmose I and sisters of his son, Amenhotep I.
Thutmose II and III were not sons of royal women, as far as is known. Both were born of minor, non-royal wives. Amenhotep II's mother and Thutmose III's wife, Meryetre, was almost certainly not royal.
Clearly, royalty could be seen in the Eighteenth Dynasty as passing through either father or mother.
In fact, Thutmose III's desire to emphasize the legitimacy of the descent of his son, Amenhotep II, through the patrilineal line of Thutmose I, II, and III, may have been a major motive for removing images and inscriptions that documented that Hatshepsut had been a king.
Sources consulted include:
- Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. 2004.
- Gay Robins. Women in Ancient Egypt. 1993.
- Joyce Tyldesley. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. 2006.
- Joyce Tyldesley. Hatchepsut the Female Pharaoh. 1996.
Web sources on the "heiress theory":
All About Hatshepsut:
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut Issues
- Hatshepsut's History: The Trouble with Titles
- Heiress Theory
- Problems with Dating Hatshepsut's Life
- Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis II Marriage
Discovery Channel: Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen
- How Was Hatshepsut's Mummy Identified?
- Review: Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen
- Interview with Dr. Kara Cooney
- Different About.com Guide perspectives on the June, 2007, news:
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