View source for Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt

{{Short description|Ancient Egyptian dynasty}}
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt
|era               = Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
|government_type   = [[Absolute monarchy]]
|nation            = 
|image_map         = Golden Mask of Psusennes I.jpg
|image_map_caption = Gold funerary mask of pharaoh [[Psusennes I]]
|image_flag        = 
|flag              = 
|flag_type         = 
|year_start        = 1077 BC
|year_end          = 943 BC
|p1                = Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt
|flag_p1           = 
|s1                = Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt
|flag_s1           = 
|capital           = [[Tanis]]
|common_languages  = [[Egyptian language]]
|religion          = [[Ancient Egyptian Religion]]
|event_start       = 
|event_end         = }}
The '''Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt''' (notated '''Dynasty XXI''', alternatively '''21st Dynasty''' or '''Dynasty 21''') is usually classified as the first Dynasty of the [[Ancient Egypt]]ian [[Third Intermediate Period of Egypt|Third Intermediate Period]], lasting from 1077 BC to 943 BC.

== History ==
After the reign of [[Ramesses III]], a long, slow decline of royal power in [[Egypt]] followed. The pharaohs of the Twenty-first Dynasty ruled from [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]], but were mostly active only in [[Lower Egypt]], which they controlled. This dynasty is described as 'Tanite' because its political capital was based at Tanis. Meanwhile, the [[High Priests of Amun at Thebes]] effectively ruled Middle and Upper Egypt in all but name. The later Egyptian Priest [[Manetho]] of Sebennytos states in his Epitome on Egyptian royal history that "the 21st Dynasty of Egypt lasted for 130 years".<ref>Kenneth A. Kitchen, The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt (1100–650 BC), 3rd edition, 1986, Warminster: Aris & Phillips Ltd, p.531</ref>

==Pharaohs of the 21st Dynasty==
{{main|List of pharaohs}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Dynasty XXI Kings of Egypt
! style="width:130px" |Pharaoh 
!Image!! style="width:150px" |[[Prenomen (Ancient Egypt)|Prenomen]] (Throne name) !! style="width:120px" |[[Horus name|Horus-name]] !! style="width:120px" |Reign !! style="width:60px" |Burial !! style="width:200px" |Consort(s)
!Comments
|- 
| [[Smendes]] / Nesbanebdjed I
|[[File:Canopic_Smendes_Met.jpg|133x133px]]|| Hedjkheperre Setepenre || Kanakhtmeryreseuser Amunkhepesheferseqamaat
 || 1077 - 1051 BC || unknown || [[Tentamun (21st dynasty)|Tentamun]]
|Only controlled [[Lower Egypt]] during his reign. Founder of the 21st Dynasty.
|- 
| [[Amenemnisu]]
|[[File:Bowcap_Amenemnesut_Psusennes_by_Khruner.jpg|100x100px]]|| Neferkare Heqawaset || (unknown) || 1051 - 1047 BC || unknown || 
|
|-
| [[Psusennes I]] / Hor-Pasebakhaenniut I
|[[File:Golden_Mask_of_Psusennes_I.jpg|136x136px]]
| Akheperre Setepenamun|| Kanakhtemdedamun Userfausekhaemwaset || 1047 - 1001 BC || NRT III, [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]]|| [[Mutnedjmet (21st dynasty)|Mutnedjemet]] <br> Wiay
|Precise length of reign unknown. Either 41 or 46 years.
|- 
| [[Amenemope (pharaoh)|Amenemope]]
|[[File:Amenemope Mask Crop.jpg|alt=|150x150px]]
| Usermaatre Setepenamun || (unknown) || 1001 - 992 BC || [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]] || 
|Manetho writes in his Epitome that Amenemope ruled Egypt for 9 years.
|-
| [[Osorkon the Elder]]
|[[File:Seal_Aakheperre_Osorkon_Petrie.jpg|150x150px]]
| Akheperre Setepenre || (unknown) || 992 - 986 BC || unknown || 
|Osorkon the elder ruled Egypt for 6 years. 
|-
| [[Siamun]]
|[[File:Relief Siamun Petrie.jpg|150x150px]]
| Netjerkheperre Setepenamun || Kanakhtmerymat Sameryenamunperemhauef || 986 - 967 BC || unknown || 
|Siamun is believed to have ruled Egypt for 19 years. Egyptologists have amended Manetho's figure of 9 years for this king to [1]9 years based on a Year 17 known for him in the Karnak Priestly Annals
|-
| [[Psusennes II]] / Hor-Pasebakhaenniut II
|[[File:Statue_CG42192_legrain.jpg|150x150px]]
| Titkheperure Setepenre || (unknown) || 967 - 943 BC || unknown || 
|
|}

== Timeline of the 21st Dynasty ==
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea  = top:100 bottom:100 right:100 left:100
AlignBars = early

DateFormat = yyyy
Period     = from:-1077 till:-925
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:-1077

Colors     =
  id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
  id:PA   value:green
  id:GP   value:red

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =
  barset:Rulers

PlotData=
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
  barset:Rulers

  from: -1077 till: -1051 color:PA text:"[[Smendes]] ([[1077 BC]] &ndash; [[1051 BC]])"
  from: -1051 till: -1047 color:PA text:"[[Amenemnisu]] ([[1051 BC]] &ndash; [[1047 BC]])"
  from: -1047 till: -1001 color:PA text:"[[Psusennes I]] ([[1047 BC]] &ndash; [[1001 BC]])"
  from: -1001 till: -992 color:PA text:"[[Amenemope]] ([[1001 BC]] &ndash; [[992 BC]])"
  from: -992 till: -986 color:PA text:"[[Osorkon the Elder]] ([[992 BC]] &ndash; [[986 BC]])"
  from: -986 till: -967 color:PA text:"[[Siamun]] ([[986 BC]] &ndash; [[967 BC]])"
  from: -967 till: -943 color:PA text:"[[Psusennes II]] ([[967 BC]] &ndash; [[943 BC]])"
  barset:skip
</timeline>

==Footnotes==
{{Egyptian Dynasty list}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Jaroslav Černý, Studies in the Chronology of the Twenty-First Dynasty, [[JEA]] 32 (1946), 24-30

== See also ==
* [[Family tree of the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, and Twenty-third Dynasties of Egypt]]
* [[Theban High Priests of Amun]]

== External links ==
* http://www.narmer.pl/dyn/21en.htm

[[Category:Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt| ]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 11th century BC]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 10th century BC]]
[[Category:Dynasties of ancient Egypt|21]]
[[Category:Nile Delta]]
[[Category:11th-century BC establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:10th-century BC disestablishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:Tanis]]