Ancient Egypt | Social Structure, Classes & Hierarchy - Video ...

Ancient Egypt Social Structure
Rachel Payne Gill is a World Cultures teacher, and has her Master's in Education from Lamar university. She attended the Business school at the University of Houston where she received her Bachelor's in Business Administration. She is certified to teacher Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts for levels EC-8th grade. She has been a classroom teacher for more than 16 years and currently works at an international baccalaureate middle school located in Houston, TX.
How did social class affect ancient Egypt?
The social class of ancient Egypt kept the society very well-organized. The Egyptian kingdom lasted for many solid years due to the very efficient hierarchy.
What were the six social classes in ancient Egypt?
There were six social classes in the ancient Egyptian hierarchy. They were as follows: 1. the pharaoh, 2. government officials, 3. nobles and priests, 4. soldiers and scribes, 5. artisans and merchants, and 6. peasants and slaves.
What is the Egyptian social pyramid?
The Egyptian social pyramid refers to the social hierarchy of ancient Egypt. Like the great pyramids that were built by the Egyptians, their social structure also took on the shape of a pyramid.
Like the towering pyramids of Egypt, ancient Egypt also had an Egyptian social pyramid. The Egyptian hierarchy, or social structure, had the king, or pharaoh, at the top with complete power. The most elite social groups were near the top just below the pharaoh, and each subgroup slowly increased in population size as it reached to the bottom levels of society.
A Great Pyramid
My name is Anen, and I am an Egyptian. I suppose you would call me an ''ancient Egyptian.'' I lived at a time of the building of the Great Pyramids in the 2000s BCE. You might say that our Egyptian social structure looked quite a lot like a pyramid, too, and that's what I'm going to tell you about in this lesson. We'll start at the top of the social pyramid and work down.
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Who was at the top of Egyptian Society? At the top of the Egyptian social structure, or the Egyptian hierarchy, was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the ruler and considered to also be a god-king with divine powers. The pharaohs were the heads of the government and the holy leaders. As the head of government, the pharaoh had complete control over passing laws and ruling the land. As a holy leader, the pharaoh was an intermediary between the gods and Earth. Pharaohs were also considered to be part god themselves and oversaw all of the religious ceremonies. The word "pharaoh" originally meant "great house" but came to be interpreted as "king." Because the pharaohs were thought to be part god, the power of ruling the dynasty would pass to another person in the family, usually the male heir, or the pharaoh's son.
What social classes made up Egyptian society? The ancient Egyptian social structure consisted of six main Egyptian social classes. At the top of the hierarchy was the ruler, or pharaoh. Most pharaohs of ancient Egypt were men, but there were a few very powerful female pharaohs. When the pharaoh died, the power over the dynasty was passed down through the family bloodline, usually to the first-born son. The next powerful groups were the high government officials, and then the nobles and priests, who were appointed by the pharaoh. The soldiers and scribes were the next social class, followed by the merchants and artisans. At the bottom of the hierarchy were the peasants and the slaves.
The government officials came next in the social Egyptian hierarchy. Often nobles, or people related to the pharaoh, served as government officials, and they were also chosen by the pharaoh. The government positions were as follows:
The nobles in ancient Egypt were in the next elite class of people in the Egyptian hierarchy and consisted of people related to the pharaoh. Only nobles were appointed to serve in government positions or other important roles, such as scribe, physician, or military general. The priests were tasked with pleasing the gods by leading the religious ceremonies and rituals. One very important ritual was mummification. Some priests specialized in the preservation of a person's body after death, called embalming, usually of the upper class. Ancient Egyptians believed the soul and the body stayed together in the afterlife; therefore, the body needed to be preserved.
A scribe was considered to be a high-level role in the Egyptian hierarchy because scribes could read and write, which was not common in ancient Egypt. They were tasked with keeping written records, mainly government documents. They used a form of picture writing called hieroglyphics that involved hieroglyphs being painted onto papyrus (an ancient paper made of a reed plant) or etched into stone. The soldiers fought in any wars that arose and took care of domestic disputes or uprisings. Sometimes soldiers also served as overseers of construction and farming.
The artisans and merchants made up the middle class of the Egyptian hierarchy. The artisans were people who had a specialized trade, such as craftsmen and physicians. The merchants were the shopkeepers. They would buy in bulk from the traders and artisans and sell to the public.
Most of the population in ancient Egypt was made up of peasants and enslaved people. The peasants were the laborers that did work such as farming, raising livestock, and keeping up the canals. The peasants paid heavy taxes to the government, sometimes more than half of all they produced. Peasants had the potential to move up in the social structure. The enslaved people were captured during war, were considered property, and directly served the royal family or upper-class citizens.
The ancient Egyptians had a very specific and well-organized social structure. There were six classes of society: (1) the pharaoh, or king, (2) government officials, (3) nobles and priests, (4) scribes and soldiers, (5) artisans and merchants, and (6) peasants and slaves. The pharaoh, or the king, was at the very top of the Egyptian hierarchy. The most powerful person next to the pharaoh was the vizier, who was the top government advisor. The rest of the elite included the royal family, other government officials, and priests. Another important government role was the head treasurer. This official oversaw collecting taxes, but unlike modern times, taxes were often paid in grains, animals, or textiles. The priests oversaw special religious ceremonies and rituals. One important ritual was embalming the body after death during the mummification process to keep the soul and body connected into the afterlife. Soldiers had a dual purpose in the Egyptian hierarchy. They fought battles in times of war, but in times of peace they were often tasked with overseeing laborers that were working on such things as farming and construction. The lowest class of the social structure was made up of the peasants and slaves. Peasants were the laborers and paid taxes. Peasants could move up in social status, but slaves could not. Slaves were people captured during war and were considered to be property of the upper class.
The Pharaoh
At the top of our pyramid stands our pharaoh, our supreme ruler, who is considered a god. The pharaoh is a sovereign lord, and his word is law. None of us dares to oppose him, or it would be off with our heads. Pharaoh's job is to protect and govern all the people of Egypt, to direct the army, to make laws, to maintain a food supply through grain taxes, to initiate and supervise building projects (like those Great Pyramids I mentioned), and to keep the rest of the gods happy so that Egypt prospers. You've probably heard of some of our most famous Pharaohs, like Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid at Giza, Ramses the Great, and Tutankhamen (better known as King Tut). We've even had a few female Pharaohs, including the great queen Hatshepsut.
High Government Officials
Of course, our pharaoh does not do everything alone. They appoints high government officials to help them, and they come next in our great social pyramid. The highest of these ministers is the vizier. He is the pharaoh's right hand man, who advises the pharaoh, supervises other officials, and acts as a chief judge for the most difficult court cases.
The chief treasurer supervises Egypt's wealth and is in charge of collecting taxes, which are nearly always paid in grain, animals, or cloth rather than money. Finally, the general of the armies serves as Egypt's highest military commander after the pharaoh. He gives the pharaoh plenty of advice about security matters and about making alliances with other nations.
Nobles and Priests
As we move down the social pyramid, we meet the nobles and the priests. Nobles are typically very wealthy, and they serve as lesser government officials to help the pharaoh run the country. They also govern Egypt's various regions and make sure that they stay orderly and law-abiding.
Priests keep the gods happy by performing religious rites in Egypt's many temples. Sometimes they offer advice and healings to the people. Priests are also responsible for ritual embalming. We Egyptians have a strong belief in the afterlife, and we think that the body and spirit stay together after death. Therefore, we are careful to preserve the body as much as possible (you would call the results a mummy) and place many items, like food, clothing, furniture, and even games, in the tomb for the dead person to use. The priests oversee this whole process. Priests are led by the high priest who supervises all their duties and advises the pharaoh in religious matters.
Soldiers and Scribes
Next, come the soldiers and the scribes. Soldiers, of course, fight Egypt's battles. They are divided into infantry, or foot soldiers, and chariot troops, who are excellent archers. In times of peace, soldiers have the job of supervising laborers on building projects and keeping enslaved people under control.
Scribes have a very important role in Egyptian life, and I should know because I'm a scribe. We are trained from a very young age, usually about five years old, and we spend about 12 years learning our hieroglyphs (Egypt's picture symbols). We have to learn more than 700 of those, and we practice writing them over and over again until we can do it perfectly. When we are finally prepared, we begin our jobs of official record keeping. We scribes write down important events and history; draw up contracts; maintain census records; figure out tax rates; document court cases; and monitor the food supply. As you can see, Egypt would have a tough time functioning if it wasn't for us scribes!
Artisans and Merchants
On the next level of our great social pyramid, we find the artisans and merchants. Egypt is a very wealthy country, and we love the beautiful and often useful works of art created by our artisans, who are jewelers, painters, carpenters, sculptors, potters, weavers, stone carvers, and metalworkers. The merchants sell these goods within Egypt and trade them with other nations for valuable items, like ebony and cedar, elephant tusks, and even giraffe tails that serve as fly whisks for the wealthy.
Peasants and Enslaved People
Finally, we've reached the bottom of the pyramid, and here we meet the peasants and enslaved people. There are more of these people in Egypt than any other social class. Some peasants are farmers who grow Egypt's food, and they pay much of what they grow in taxes. Other peasants are unskilled laborers who work in quarries or on the Pharaoh's building projects. The peasants work very, very hard and are usually very, very poor. They live in mud brick houses and eat whatever happens to be on hand.
They are still better off than enslaved people, though. Enslaved people are usually foreign captives taken in war. Some of them work in the palaces of the pharaoh or the nobles. Others work in temples or mines. Many labor away on the pharaoh's building projects. Enslaved people are considered property that their owners can buy or sell as they wish.
Social Mobility?
After all of this, you might wonder whether it is possible for Egyptians to change their social class. Yes, it is! I'm a prime example. I come from a family of peasants, but I worked hard, learned to read and write, and became a scribe. Someday, I might even work my way up further through the ranks of the government. Perhaps I'll even attain my dream of being chief treasurer. It isn't unheard of, if someone has enough talent and ambition.
Lesson Summary
Let's take a moment to review. Egypt in my day, ancient Egypt to you, had a social structure that looks a lot like a pyramid. At the top is the pharaoh, who is the supreme ruler. They are assisted by the high government officials, namely, the vizier, the chief treasurer, and the general of the armies. The nobles serve as lesser government officials and govern Egypt's regions.
Priests keep the gods happy, perform temple rituals, and are in charge of embalming the dead for the afterlife. Soldiers fight for Egypt and supervise building projects. Scribes keep official government records. Artisans make a wide range of beautiful and useful items, which merchants sell in Egypt and trade abroad.
At the bottom of the social pyramid, we find the peasants, who are farmers and unskilled laborers, and the enslaved people, who are typically foreign captives taken in war. Enslaved people work in the households of the wealthy, on building projects, or in temples and mines.
Thank you for joining me on this little tour of Egypt's social pyramid. This is the scribe Anen wishing you a good day!
Learning Outcomes
Following this lesson, you should be able to:
Explain the social structure of ancient Egypt
Describe the roles of each level in ancient Egypt's social pyramid
Recall whether social status could change in ancient Egypt
Video Transcript
A Great Pyramid
My name is Anen, and I am an Egyptian. I suppose you would call me an ''ancient Egyptian.'' I lived at a time of the building of the Great Pyramids in the 2000s BCE. You might say that our Egyptian social structure looked quite a lot like a pyramid, too, and that's what I'm going to tell you about in this lesson. We'll start at the top of the social pyramid and work down.
The Pharaoh
At the top of our pyramid stands our pharaoh, our supreme ruler, who is considered a god. The pharaoh is a sovereign lord, and his word is law. None of us dares to oppose him, or it would be off with our heads. Pharaoh's job is to protect and govern all the people of Egypt, to direct the army, to make laws, to maintain a food supply through grain taxes, to initiate and supervise building projects (like those Great Pyramids I mentioned), and to keep the rest of the gods happy so that Egypt prospers. You've probably heard of some of our most famous Pharaohs, like Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid at Giza, Ramses the Great, and Tutankhamen (better known as King Tut). We've even had a few female Pharaohs, including the great queen Hatshepsut.
High Government Officials
Of course, our pharaoh does not do everything alone. They appoints high government officials to help them, and they come next in our great social pyramid. The highest of these ministers is the vizier. He is the pharaoh's right hand man, who advises the pharaoh, supervises other officials, and acts as a chief judge for the most difficult court cases.
The chief treasurer supervises Egypt's wealth and is in charge of collecting taxes, which are nearly always paid in grain, animals, or cloth rather than money. Finally, the general of the armies serves as Egypt's highest military commander after the pharaoh. He gives the pharaoh plenty of advice about security matters and about making alliances with other nations.
Nobles and Priests
As we move down the social pyramid, we meet the nobles and the priests. Nobles are typically very wealthy, and they serve as lesser government officials to help the pharaoh run the country. They also govern Egypt's various regions and make sure that they stay orderly and law-abiding.
Priests keep the gods happy by performing religious rites in Egypt's many temples. Sometimes they offer advice and healings to the people. Priests are also responsible for ritual embalming. We Egyptians have a strong belief in the afterlife, and we think that the body and spirit stay together after death. Therefore, we are careful to preserve the body as much as possible (you would call the results a mummy) and place many items, like food, clothing, furniture, and even games, in the tomb for the dead person to use. The priests oversee this whole process. Priests are led by the high priest who supervises all their duties and advises the pharaoh in religious matters.
Soldiers and Scribes
Next, come the soldiers and the scribes. Soldiers, of course, fight Egypt's battles. They are divided into infantry, or foot soldiers, and chariot troops, who are excellent archers. In times of peace, soldiers have the job of supervising laborers on building projects and keeping enslaved people under control.
Scribes have a very important role in Egyptian life, and I should know because I'm a scribe. We are trained from a very young age, usually about five years old, and we spend about 12 years learning our hieroglyphs (Egypt's picture symbols). We have to learn more than 700 of those, and we practice writing them over and over again until we can do it perfectly. When we are finally prepared, we begin our jobs of official record keeping. We scribes write down important events and history; draw up contracts; maintain census records; figure out tax rates; document court cases; and monitor the food supply. As you can see, Egypt would have a tough time functioning if it wasn't for us scribes!
Artisans and Merchants
On the next level of our great social pyramid, we find the artisans and merchants. Egypt is a very wealthy country, and we love the beautiful and often useful works of art created by our artisans, who are jewelers, painters, carpenters, sculptors, potters, weavers, stone carvers, and metalworkers. The merchants sell these goods within Egypt and trade them with other nations for valuable items, like ebony and cedar, elephant tusks, and even giraffe tails that serve as fly whisks for the wealthy.
Peasants and Enslaved People
Finally, we've reached the bottom of the pyramid, and here we meet the peasants and enslaved people. There are more of these people in Egypt than any other social class. Some peasants are farmers who grow Egypt's food, and they pay much of what they grow in taxes. Other peasants are unskilled laborers who work in quarries or on the Pharaoh's building projects. The peasants work very, very hard and are usually very, very poor. They live in mud brick houses and eat whatever happens to be on hand.
They are still better off than enslaved people, though. Enslaved people are usually foreign captives taken in war. Some of them work in the palaces of the pharaoh or the nobles. Others work in temples or mines. Many labor away on the pharaoh's building projects. Enslaved people are considered property that their owners can buy or sell as they wish.
Social Mobility?
After all of this, you might wonder whether it is possible for Egyptians to change their social class. Yes, it is! I'm a prime example. I come from a family of peasants, but I worked hard, learned to read and write, and became a scribe. Someday, I might even work my way up further through the ranks of the government. Perhaps I'll even attain my dream of being chief treasurer. It isn't unheard of, if someone has enough talent and ambition.
Lesson Summary
Let's take a moment to review. Egypt in my day, ancient Egypt to you, had a social structure that looks a lot like a pyramid. At the top is the pharaoh, who is the supreme ruler. They are assisted by the high government officials, namely, the vizier, the chief treasurer, and the general of the armies. The nobles serve as lesser government officials and govern Egypt's regions.
Priests keep the gods happy, perform temple rituals, and are in charge of embalming the dead for the afterlife. Soldiers fight for Egypt and supervise building projects. Scribes keep official government records. Artisans make a wide range of beautiful and useful items, which merchants sell in Egypt and trade abroad.
At the bottom of the social pyramid, we find the peasants, who are farmers and unskilled laborers, and the enslaved people, who are typically foreign captives taken in war. Enslaved people work in the households of the wealthy, on building projects, or in temples and mines.
Thank you for joining me on this little tour of Egypt's social pyramid. This is the scribe Anen wishing you a good day!