Geography Team 1Government Team 1Government in Ancient Egypt

What was type of government existed in Ancient Egypt?

Who was the leader?

Were there laws?

What happened if someone broke the law?

How is it similar/different from government today?

Government Team (list member first names & last initial)

Joe B., Lucas C., Giuseppe C., Nicklaus P., Ryan W.

JOB RESPONSIBILTIES: 

NICKLAUS P.-  VOCABULARY 

GIUSEPPE C.-  ILLISTRATER 

RYAN W.- RESEARCHER

JOE B.- EDITOR

LUCAS C.-  LIBRARIAN

 The people were made up of different classes. The unskilled workers were at the bottom of all the

people and the Pharaoh was at the top. He was the most powerful person in Egyptian government. He

made all the laws,owned all the land and was the head of religion as well. In ancient Egypt government

and religion were one thing.  Below the Pharaoh were the priests and nobles. The priests would be advisors

to the pharaoh and helped them make decisions. The Pharaoh also appointed others to help him rule

Egypt. There was a vizier who could be compared to a Prime Minister today. His main job was to carry

out orders from the Pharaoh and he was in charge of collecting taxes from the people. Underneath him

there were governors,scribes and overseers. All these positions helped to keep records,supervise the

farming of the land and watch over the peasants.

The early people of Egypt became very good in farming, crafts and trade. In time, this led to a need

for a type of government in the land. The Early rulers were village chiefs and elders. They developed

irrigation systems for surplus of goods which were used in times of need. The land was mostly desert, so

They needed a lot of goods to stay alive. Later in time, they made kingdoms and social classes which led

to the Ancient Egypt we know today.   

Ancient Egypt was a monarchy. It was controlled by pharoahs.  Pharoahs were leaders that were respected by

the people that lived there. There were many laws that the Pharaoh was in charge of making. A lot of the laws

had to do with the religion that they believed in, but all of them were made by the Pharaoh.

 The worst law to break was stealing from a tomb. The Pharoahs would punish the outlaw by killing them.

Most of the laws were about right or wrong.The little crimes were punished by hitting them with sticks

and rocks. For the big crimes, they would just kill them. It all depended on what the Pharaoh

thought.The Governments today have a lot in common with the Government of Ancient Egypt. Back then,

they used killing as a way to punish people like we do today with some crimes. A lot of the laws back then

had to do with right and wrong, and it's the same way today. Today, instead of a Pharaoh we have a

president who is our leader. The only difference is many people have to vote on laws to have them passed

and we also have a say in who will be our leader. Also, we don't worship our presidents.

  Resources:

  Library.thinkquest.org

  www2.sptimes.com

www.wikipedia.org 

www.google.com/images 

World history-Journy across time text book 

Macmillan Dictionary for Children

www.dictionary.com

WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Scribes- A person who keeps records of time.

Mediterranean- Inland sea of Europe, Asia, and Africa

Nile River- World's longest river flowing north from the heart of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.

Peasant- Someone who owns a small farm or works on a farm.

Taxes-Money that people and businesses pay in order to support a government.

Worship- Prayer, religious services and other acts done in honor of God.

Ancient- Having to do with times long ago.

Civilization- Complex society with cities organized government, art, religion,

                 class division, and a writing system.

Monarchy- Supreme power or sovereignty held by a single person. 

Irrigation-  To supply water to crops by artificial means, such as channels and pipes.

Surplus-  An amount greater than what is used or needed

Law- A rule made by the government that must be obeyed.

Government- The people who rule or govern a state or country.