Thutmose III and the battle of Megiddo (1457 BCE)

     The year is 1457 BCE, Thutmose III is now the new Pharoah and his goals seem to be focused on the military expansion of Egypt. I would have never thought that I would experience a battle, yet here I am. I believe this battle is called the "Battle of Megiddo". It seems that the battle involves the King of Kadesh, and the goal is a territorial expansion for Egypt. This is truly an interesting sight. 

    To better understand why this battle is being fought, I thought to learn more about Thutmose III. It turns out that Thutmose III claimed the throne when he was 10 years old, but since he was too young Hatshepsut took the reins instead. I also found out that Thutmose III erased Hatshepsut from all records as if she never existed. It seems that instead of Hatshepsut's approach to ruling, Thutmose III wanted to expand the power of Egypt. He enacted different campaigns to expand Egypt's land and power. This would explain the reason for the Battle of Megiddo. 



    I wanted to better understand the battle and the strategies used, so I found one of Thutmose III military scribes. The scribe told me that the King of Kadesh had started a rebellion against Egypt so that they wouldn't take Meggido. According to the scribe, Thutmose III directed his army towards a narrow pass that would lead them to the Qina Valley, which would be behind the opposing army. This resulted in a victory for Egypt, as well as plenty of spoils for the army. However, apparently, the looting resulted in the city doors becoming shut, however, due to Thutmose III having control of trade routes, the city surrendered. 

    After learning about his triumph, I researched how this benefitted Egypt. Apparently, this victory was huge for Egypt. It gave Thutmose III full control of Palestine and most of Syria, granting more power to Egypt and establishing it as an empire. 

    This was a very impactful battle for Egypt it seemed. It helped establish Egypt as an empire and I feel that it cemented Thutmose III's legacy. However, I'm sad that Thutmose III wanted to remove Hatshepsut from history, even though she had an impact on Egypt. It also seems that in my studies that this is the only recorded battle for Egypt. It seems that Thutmose III has described it among the temple walls. Although my time here had so far been impactful, I feel that there is more to be experienced. Hopefully the next pharaoh I research can be just as interesting as Thutmose III was. 

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