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Social Classes

The ancient Egyptian society had been perceived in a number of ways. Ramses the third, when looking at his subject thought of them as nobles, administrators, soldiers, servants and the general denizens of ancient Egypt. Whereas, Herodotus, a foreigner who visited Egypt during the ancient times viewed them as belonging to different classes.

They were, distributed with respect to their jobs or professions. However, he did not put the slaves into any category. He did not consider them fit enough to be grouped together with the other men and women.

The social class of ancient Egypt was at different extremes. There existed a huge gap between the people from different social classes. This was prevalent ever since the Pre dynastic time and was further enhanced as time passed.

At the time when ancient Egypt was unified, the small band of elite upper classes of men reigned along with the assistance of scribes who ran the administration. The administration presided over the general populace. Then came the peasants or the farmers and they were extremely poor, with a hand to mouth existence.

The labourers were absorbed instantly into the work and numerous projects everywhere. This phenomenon reached its absolute peak during times when the pyramids and the tombs and the temples were made. These jobs pulled in all the manual labour that could be bought.

This development put the pharaoh in the utmost lofty position in the society. This immediately proceeded the time during which the king's wealth started diminishing which also led to the diminishing of the powers of the king and the royal families.

The noblemen and their families took up the mantle after this decline. Even the nobility, when they came into power, depended on the scribes to a very large extent. The scribes, therefore, continued to be in a position of power throughout the history of ancient Egypt.

The nobility were separate from the centre of administration unlike those of the royal ones, who were mainly under the influence of the pharaoh. The scribes were the academicians and the scholars. They were recipients of a good and elite education consisting of reading, writing, mathematics, etc.

This ground knowledge enabled them to govern the country in a just and efficient manner. They were also trained in some specific professional thing, for example, medicine, mathematics, architecture, etc. They were also ranked according to their capabilities even in this selected group of people.

The priests and military personnel were taken from all strata of the society and were a completely different group of their own. The labour was in majority throughout. They were mainly peasants, farm workers, etc and looked down upon by everyone alike. They were worked hard and often ruthlessly.

The outcasts also existed; however, not much information about them is available. All this apart, most people in ancient Egypt were complacent with their status and position in the society.


Money & Coins Recreation Part 1 Trading of Goods
Famous Monuments Recreation Part 2 Translation Of Hieroglyphics
Mummies / Mummification Religion Part 1 Transportation System
Music in Ancient Egypt Religion Part 2 Viziers Ranking
Musical Instruments Religious Beliefs Famous Wars Fought
Myths Part 1: Creation, Eye of Ra Sarcophagus Weaponry & Chain of Command
Myths Part 2: Death Children's Schools Common Weapons Used in War
Names and Meanings Science and Technology Women's Life Part 1
Numbering System Role of Scribes Women's Life Part 2
Obelisks Designs Life of Slaves & Slavery Status of Women
Paintings Style, Colours Social Classes in Ancient Egypt British Museum and Ancient Egypt
Papyrus Invention Soldiers in the Army Burial Tombs In Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs Dynasties Sphinxes - majestic monuments Concept of Afterlife
Pottery Designs Common Sports Played Farming In Ancient Egypt
Priests' Role Famous Statues Common Food and Drink
Process Of Embalming Symbols and Meanings King Tutankhamun of Egypt
Famous Proverbs Tattoos and Designs Sun God: Ra
Queens Part 1: Cleopatra Technology Advancements The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt
Queens Part 2: Other Queens Temples' Significance Valley of The Kings
Popular Quotes Commonly used Tools Pictures/Photos

This page last updated in Jan 2014
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