Old Kingdom Administration The King

PALACE:

Pr - house Pr-nsw - kings house Pr aA - the great house Hwt-aAt - Great mansion aH / ist = dwelling of a king/divine being xnw - Residence = "inside" King

Prince

Hemiunu Titles

RANK VS. FUNCTIONAL

Overseer of the Army Sole Companion (of the King) 4th Dynasty

Snefru Khufu Djedefra Khafra (Nebka II??) Menkaura Shepseskaf (Queen Khentkawes) 4th Dynasty: Family members in administration

Snefru

Khufu Ankhaf

Khafre Queen A Khafre Queen B

Menkaure Ankhmare Vizier Khafre

Menkaure Duaenre

Vizier Shepsekaf Babaef Vizier

4th Dynasty

• “Bodily Son of the King” = member of the royal family, not necessarily a prince • Clear policy of keeping highest admin posts within the royal family • But princes were never the vizier for their father/king • Most important religious titles also given to royal family members 5th Dynasty

Userkaf Sahure Neferirkara Shepseskara Raneferef Niuserra Menkauhor Djedkara Unas Isesi-Ankh

Overseer of Works

Overseer of an Expeditionary Force 5th Dynasty

Userkaf Sahure Neferirkara Shepseskara Raneferef Niuserra Menkauhor Djedkara Unas 6th Dynasty

Teti Userkara Pepi I Merenra Pepi II Nitiqret [a reigning queen] Dynasty 4: Royal family = government positions

Dynasty 5 & 6 = outsourced to high officials tied to the royal family SHENYT-COURT [Snyt/Snwt]

KING

• srw = “noblemen” = “officials”

• Companion / Sole Companion of the king Court Factions: The Case of Pepyankh

I spent all that part of my life which I spent on a board of officials in a seal office to the very end. Never did I sleep with the seal far from me since I was appointed an official. Never was I placed under guard, never was I imprisoned. As for everything which was said in the presence of the officials, I emerged successfully on that score while it rebounded upon those who said it, since I was innocent of it in the presence of the officials, and, to be sure, they spoke concerning me in slander. URK I.223 Vizier tAyty sAb TAty = "Chief Justice and Vizier" Duties of the Vizier

Regulations for a sitting of the overseer of the city the vizier of the Southern City or of the Residence, in the bureau of the vizier.

The aba-staff at his arm, the thirty rolls laid out before him, The interior overseer on his right, the manager with access on his left, The scribes of the vizier at his hand, each aligned with the other, each in position. One person is heard after his fellow, without one of lower being heard before one of higher status; Then he is to enter for the greeting of the Lord To him are reported the timed l.p.h. when the condition of the Two Lands is sealing of the strongholds and reported to him in his House daily. He is to their timed opening, enter the palace with the treasurer standing at the northern pillar… To him are reported the condition of the fortresses of south and Then the treasurer is to come to hail him and north report to him saying: And the exit of everything exiting All your affairs are well and sound from the Domain of the King Every authority has reported to me saying All your affairs are well and sound, the Domain And there is reported to him the of the King is well and sound entry of everything entering the Domain of the King Then the vizier is to report to the treasurer As for anything entering or leaving saying: the territory of the Residence, All your affairs are well and sound, every store It is his commissioner that of the Residence is well and sound controls the entry and exit I have report of the timed closing and opening of strongholds by every authority. The overseers of dispute, officers, and overseers of districts report Once the two officials have reported to each their affairs to him other, then the vizier is to send word to open every gate of the Domain of the King It is not permitted that any official have power over judgment in his bureau. If accusation arises against one of these officials while in his bureau then he is to be brought to the court and it is the Vizier who prosecutes him concerning the penalty of his crime. As to any envoy sent by the vizier on a mission to an official from first to lowest: It is not permitted that he bow or be summonsed [before] that official. He is to say the message of the vizier, standing in front of that official. Saying his message and (then) going to his post. It is his message that brings the mayors and governors of domains to the court It is his messenger who declares the instr[uctions] [Should] the envoy return saying 'I was sent on a mission to such and such an official and he had me summonsed and he had something placed on my neck‘ and the case has been heard of the official and [the envoy ] [it is the vizier who punishes] from the case heard by the vizier in his bureau by means of any suppression in addition to the punishment by severing a limb. …. Now he is the one who fetches the district councillors, he is the one who sends them out, and they report to him the state of their districts he is brought every deed of conveyance and it is he who seals them. It is he who applies the terrain for every plot of land. As for any petitioner who would say 'our boundaries have moved‘ then it is checked that they are under the seal of officials It is he who appoints a member of the officialdom of Upper and Lower Egypt and the Abydene district of the Head of the South. They report to him anything that happens through them every four months. They are to bring him the relevant records with them and their board.

It is he who appoints the muster of the army moved to follow the Lord north or south. It is he who calculates the arrears left in the Southern City and the Residence in accordance with what is stated in the Domain of the King. To him are brought the commanders of the crew of the ruler and the army board to be given the instructions of the army Major responsibilities of the vizier:

• Supervising civil administration • Running the royal secretariat • Supervising major building operations • Guaranteeing efficient operation of the economic system • Judiciary matters Below the Vizier

• Overseer of the treasury • Overseers of the Granary • Seal Bearers of the God • Royal Heralds • Overseers of the King's Documents • Overseers of Royal Scribes • Overseer of the Works False Door of Ptahshepses at Saqqara (D5) He was more valuable in the sight of the king that any servant: When his majesty favoured him because of the things (which he had done), his majesty allowed him to kiss his foot – he did not allow him to kiss the ground. Ptahshepses.

False Door of Nyankhsekhmet at Saqqara (D5) The chief physician Nyankhsekhmet addressed his majesty: “How I wish that this ka of yours, beloved of Re, would order that a stone false door be made for that tomb of mine in the necropolis!” His majesty had two false doors of Tura stone brought for him and they were placed inside the audience hall…and a workshop of craftsmen were then set to work on them in the presence of the king himself. This work was carried out daily, and the results were apparent every day in the court council. His majesty arranged for pigment to be placed on them, and they were decorated in blue. Biography of Weni at Abydos (D6) His majesty promoted me to judge and mouth of Nekhen, as he preferred me to any of his servants…I acted in the king’s name for the royal harem and for the six great mansions because his majesty preferred me to any of his officials, his nobles, or servants. When I requested from the majesty of my lord that a sarcophagus of white stone of Tura be provided for me, his majesty had the seal bearer of the god and a boat crew under his command cross over and bring back this sarcophagus from Tura… Never before had the like been done for any servant, for I was excellent in his majesty’s heart, I was rooted in his heart, and his heart was full of me…his majesty promoted me ….. Governing the Provinces: Nomes and the Nomarchs

White Chapel of Senwosret I at Karnak “Nomarchs” and the Misuse of Titles

Hry-tp aA X - ‘great chief of nome X’ HAty-a - ‘foremost of position’ HAty-a im.y-r Hm.w-nTr - ‘baron, overseer of the priests’ HAty-a im.y-r Hw.t-nTr - ‘baron, overseer of the temple’ HAty-a n X - ‘Baron of town X’

6th Dynasty

Teti Userkara Pepi I Merenre Pepi II Nitiqret [a reigning queen] Orders have been taken to (every) chief of a new settlement, companion, and overseer of priests to command that supplies be taken which are in his charge from every estate storeroom and from every temple; I make no exception therefrom.

(URK I 131.4-6, tr. Strudwick) Old Kingdom Bread Mould & Beer Jars

Egypt as a Fractal System

King: Figurehead of the State (comprised of the nomes, cities, household units). Acts as the patriarchal figure of the state, distributing and delegating everything needed by everyone else in the country. Later term “pharaoh” literally means “great house”.

Nome Level: Great Overlord of the Nome is the figurehead of the nome (comprised of cities and household units). Officials derive their worth from him.

Household Level: Male of the family acts as the figurehead of the household (comprised of single family unit), distributes wages and provisions to household. Patriarchal community.