rise and fall of Meroe

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Introduction about the rise and fall of Meroe:

Rise

- Early Foundation: The Kushites had been influenced by Egyptian civilization very early. There were already cities during the New Kingdom period of Egypt. After the early 11th century BC, the power of the Kingdom of Kush gradually became strong. In 730 BC, it conquered Egypt and established the 25th Dynasty of Egypt.

- Relocation to Meroe: In 656 BC, the rule of the Kingdom of Kush in Egypt ended, and its power retreated back to the territory of Sudan. Around 590 BC, due to the invasion of the 26th Dynasty of Egypt, the Kingdom of Kush relocated its capital to Meroe.

- Geographical Advantage: Meroe was located at the transportation hub between the Nile River, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Lake Chad. It had trade contacts with Greece, Rome, Arabia and India, which promoted its economic prosperity.

- Rich Resources: The local natural resources were abundant, with substantial reserves of iron ore and timber, providing raw materials for the iron industry. The gold mining industry was a traditional one. During the Meroe period, the gold mining output surged, making Meroe one of the major gold production areas in the ancient world.

- Technological Development: The Kushites began to grow cotton around the 4th century BC, making Meroe the birthplace of cotton cultivation in the Nile River Basin. In addition, they improved the irrigation technology by learning from the Egyptian waterwheel. They also built dams to promote the development of animal husbandry.

Prime

- Economic Prosperity: From the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD, the slave state of Meroe reached its peak. Relying on natural resources, it promoted the prosperity of the iron industry and became the largest iron smelting center south of the Mediterranean Sea, known as the "Birmingham of Ancient Africa". Iron products and technologies continuously flowed to the west and south.

- Political Stability: The political system of Meroe gradually matured. The king and the queen ruled together, and the political power was relatively stable.

- Unique Culture: Culturally, it was influenced by Egyptian civilization and also integrated local characteristics, forming a unique Meroe culture. Egyptian gods were integrated with local gods, and its own script, the Meroitic script, was also developed.

Decline

- Environmental Problems: The excessive felling of timber led to environmental deterioration, bringing many adverse effects to the kingdom.

- External Shocks: Since the 2nd century AD, the tyranny of Rome in Egypt, the harshness of trade routes, and the rise of the Aksum Kingdom in the southeast had severely damaged Meroe's trade.

- Military Defeat: In 350 AD, King Ezana of the Aksum Kingdom led his troops down the Atbara River and destroyed the city of Meroe, and the Kingdom of Kush perished.