The Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt was the third and final ruling family of Egypt's New Kingdom. This period lasted from about 1189 BC to 1077 BC. Many pharaohs during this time were named "Ramesses," so it's also called the Ramesside period. This dynasty saw the start of a difficult time for Ancient Egypt. It happened during a big crisis across many ancient lands, known as the Bronze Age Collapse. Egypt also faced attacks from groups called the Sea Peoples. Even though Egypt fought them off, the kingdom became much weaker.

A Time of Change and Challenges
- Pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty
- Why the Dynasty Declined
The Sea Peoples and Their Impact
Pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty
Timeline of Rulers
Royal Family Tree
Images for kids
See also

A Time of Change and Challenges

After Queen Twosret, the last ruler of the 19th Dynasty, died, Egypt faced a period of internal conflict. This fighting for power ended when Setnakhte became pharaoh. He started the 20th Dynasty.

Setnakhte and his son, Ramesses III, had to deal with a huge challenge: invasions by groups known as the Sea Peoples. These invasions were part of a larger crisis that affected many ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea. This difficult time is often called the Late Bronze Age collapse.

The Sea Peoples caused a lot of trouble for Egypt. They attacked many lands, and some ancient writings describe how these lands were destroyed. Even powerful empires like the Hittites, who were rivals of Egypt, fell apart because of these invasions.

Ramesses III bravely fought against the Sea Peoples. He won important battles, like the Battle of Djahy and the Battle of the Delta, in his 8th year as pharaoh. These victories saved Egypt from the same fate as other civilizations. During this dynasty, many grand temples were built to show Egypt's strength. However, these temples also showed that priests were gaining more power than the pharaohs.

The 20th Dynasty slowly became weaker. This happened because of changes in the weather, arguments within the royal family, and the growing influence of priests and nobles. After Ramesses XI, the last pharaoh of this dynasty, died, there was a time of confusion. Eventually, Smendes, an important Egyptian noble, became the first pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty.

Pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty

During this dynasty, the power of the pharaohs slowly decreased. The High Priests of Amun, who led the main Egyptian religion, gained more and more influence. They became very important in connecting the gods with the people.

Setnakhte: Starting the Dynasty

Setnakhte brought stability back to Egypt after the civil war. He might have also fought off early attacks from the Sea Peoples. He ruled for about 3 to 4 years before his son, Ramesses III, took over.

Ramesses III: The Great Defender

Ramesses III is famous for defending Egypt from many invaders. In his 5th year, he defeated a group of Libyan invaders. His biggest achievement was defeating the Sea Peoples in major battles during his 8th year. These victories saved Egypt from destruction. He even settled some of the defeated Sea Peoples in lands like Canaan.

Ramesses III also faced challenges at home. In his 29th year, the first recorded labor strike in history happened. Workers building royal tombs stopped working because they didn't receive their food. There was also a plot to remove him from power. Queen Tiye and her son Pentawer were involved in a plan to harm the king. The plot failed, but the king died. His son, Ramesses IV, became the next pharaoh and punished those involved.

Ramesses IV: A Builder King

Ramesses IV started his reign with big building plans, much like the famous Ramesses the Great. He sent many workers to quarries to get stone for new temples. He expanded his father's temple at Karnak.

However, Ramesses IV also faced problems with feeding his workers. The High Priest of Amun started to help pay the workers. This showed how much power the Temple of Amun was gaining. Ramesses IV also created the Papyrus Harris I, a very long scroll celebrating his father's achievements.

Ramesses V: Facing New Dangers

Ramesses V ruled for only about 4 years. He died from smallpox, a serious disease. During his rule, workers building his tomb had to stop because of attacks from Libyan raiders. This showed that Egypt was becoming less safe. A document from his time, the Wilbour Papyrus, shows that the Temple of Amun controlled most of Egypt's land and money.

Ramesses VI: Tutankhamun's Hidden Tomb

Ramesses VI is well-known because his tomb was built in a way that accidentally covered the tomb of Tutankhamun. This kept Tutankhamun's tomb safe from robbers until it was discovered in 1922.

Ramesses VII and VIII

Not much is known about the short reigns of Ramesses VII and Ramesses VIII. Ramesses VII's tomb, KV1, is his only known monument. Ramesses VIII ruled for only about a year.

Ramesses IX: Tomb Robberies

During the reign of Ramesses IX, there were famous trials about tomb robberies. Officials investigated many royal tombs and found that many had been broken into. Even the mummy of Pharaoh Sobekemsaf II had been stolen. Ramesses IX also had building projects in Heliopolis.

Ramesses X: Quiet Times

The reign of Ramesses X is not well documented. Records show that workers were often idle because of the danger from Libyan raiders.

Ramesses XI: The Last Pharaoh

Ramesses XI was the last pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty. His power became very weak. In southern Egypt, the High Priest of Amun became the real ruler. In northern Egypt, a noble named Smendes took control. After Ramesses XI's death, Smendes founded the 21st Dynasty.

Why the Dynasty Declined

This dynasty struggled due to several problems. There were disagreements among the sons of Ramesses III over who should rule. Egypt also faced a series of droughts, low Nile floods, and food shortages. These issues, along with internal conflicts and corruption, made it very hard for any pharaoh to manage the country effectively.

The Sea Peoples and Their Impact

The late 13th century BC was a time of great trouble for many lands around the Mediterranean Sea. This was mainly due to invasions by groups known as the Sea Peoples. Their attacks helped cause the Late Bronze Age collapse. We don't know exactly why the Sea Peoples started these large invasions. However, ancient writings suggest that weakening governments, political problems, and food shortages might have played a role.

This image from Medinet Habu shows a battle scene with the Sea Peoples.

From carvings at Ramses III's temple at Medinet Habu, we see chaotic scenes of boats and warriors fighting in the Nile delta. This shows that the Sea Peoples were enemies who came by sea from different places. They launched attacks by both land and sea. These attacks weakened many empires and kingdoms of the ancient world. They tried to enter and control Egyptian territory.

Ramesses III's victories in the Battle of Djahy and the Battle of the Delta saved Egypt from being conquered. However, the widespread destruction caused by the Sea Peoples damaged Egypt's trade routes. Many of Egypt's trading partners had been destroyed, which hurt Egypt's economy.

Pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty

The pharaohs of the 20th Dynasty ruled for about 120 years, from around 1187 to 1064 BC. The names and dates below come from historical records. Many of these pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes.

Dynasty XX Kings of Egypt
Pharaoh	Prenomen (Throne Name)	Horus-name	Reign	Burial	Consort(s)	Comments
Setnakhte	Userkhaure-setepenre	Kanakhtwerpehty	1188 – 1185 BC	KV14	Tiy-merenese	Took the throne from Queen Tausret.
Ramesses III	Usermaatre-Meryamun	Kanakhtaanesyt	1185 – 1154 BC	KV11	Iset Ta-Hemdjert Tyti Tiye
Ramesses IV	Usermaatre Setepenamun, later Heqamaatre Setepenamun	Kanakhtankhemmaat	1154 – 1148 BC	KV2	Duatentopet
Ramesses V / Amenhirkhepeshef I	Usermaatre Sekheperenre	Kanakhtmenmaat	1148 – 1144 BC	KV9	Henutwati Tawerettenru
Ramesses VI / Amenhirkhepeshef II	Nebmaatre Meryamun	Kanakhtaanakhtu	1144 – 1136 BC	KV9	Nubkhesbed
Ramesses VII / Itamun	Usermaatre Setepenre Meryamun	Kanakhtanemnesu	1136 – 1129 BC	KV1
Ramesses VIII / Sethhirkhepeshef	Usermaatre-Akhenamun	(unknown)	1129 – 1128 BC
Ramesses IX / Khaemwaset I	Neferkare Setepenre	Kanakhtkhaemwaset	1128 – 1110 BC	KV6	Baketwernel
Ramesses X / Amenhirkhepeshef III	Khepermaatre Setepenre	Kanakhtsekhaenre	1110 – 1106 BC	KV18
Ramesses XI / Khaemwaset II	Menmaatre Setpenptah	Kanakhtmeryre	1106 – 1077 BC	KV4	Tentamun

Timeline of Rulers

Royal Family Tree

The Twentieth Dynasty was the last part of the New Kingdom of Egypt. The family connections, especially towards the end of the dynasty, are not always clear.

Setnakhte

Tiy-merenese

Iset Ta-Hemdjert

Ramesses III

Tiye

Pentawere

Nubkhesbed

Ramesses VI

Ramesses IV

Duatentopet

Amenhirkhopshef

Khaemwaset E

Ramesses VIII

Parahiremenef

Mentuhirkopshef B

Takhat B

Ramesses VII

Ramesses V

Baketwernel

Ramesses IX

Tyti

Ramesses X

Unknown

Ramesses XI

Images for kids

Ramesses III was the son of Sethnakht. During his reign, he fought off the invasions of the Sea Peoples in Egypt and allowed some to settle in Canaan. A plot was made to remove him from power, but it failed. He died from the attempt on his life.
Ramesses IV was the fifth son of Ramesses III. He became pharaoh after his four older brothers had died.
Ramesses V was the son of Ramesses IV and Queen Duatentopet. During his reign, Libyan raiders attacked the country. This forced workers in Deir el-Medina to stop working on tombs. He died from smallpox.
Ramesses VI was an uncle of Ramesses V. He took over his predecessor's throne and later used his tomb, KV9.
Ramesses VII was the son of Ramesses VI. During his reign, grain prices became very high. His mummy has never been found, but cups with his name were found in a royal hiding place. He was buried in KV1.
Ramesses VIII, born Sethherkhepeshef, was a brother of Ramesses VI and a surviving son of Ramesses III. He may have ruled for a year or two. His tomb has never been clearly identified.
Ramesses IX was the grandson of Ramesses III, nephew of Ramesses IV and VI, and a son of Mentuherkhepeshef, who never became a pharaoh himself.
Ramesses X, born Amunherkhepeshef, became pharaoh after Ramesses IX. He is a king about whom little is known, with few monuments from his time. His tomb, KV18, was left unfinished.
Ramesses XI was the last pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty. As Egypt grew weaker, Ramesses XI had to share power with Herihor, the high priest of Amun, and Smendes, the governor of Lower Egypt. Ramesses XI was buried in Lower Egypt by Smendes, who later became pharaoh himself.