For forty centuries, one of the most powerful states of that era, Ancient Egypt, flourished on the banks of the Nile. His culture laid the foundation for the development of all world civilization, and the management system became a model for many subsequent monarchies. The rulers, who were considered gods during their lifetime, created a harmonious and rational vertical of power, which allowed them to control all aspects of the life of their people with maximum efficiency.
The highest levels of government
The governance structure of Ancient Egypt was a complex system, which was based on a strict hierarchy, providing for unconditional submission to a superior. It was a kind of pyramid, at the top of which was placed the “god-like” ruler - the pharaoh. All state power was concentrated in his hands.
But it was impossible to manage the state alone. One step lower was jati - this is the supreme dignitary, the closest assistant to the pharaoh. Over four thousand years of ancient Egyptian history, the official functions of this official have undergone significant changes.
High Assistant Responsibilities
If at first he was the supreme priest of the capital, who, in addition to communicating with the gods, was charged with the responsibility of managing the household of the pharaoh, then over time his sphere of activity expanded significantly. These energetic and enterprising people concentrated in their hands the management of all affairs of the state.
The supreme assistant of the pharaoh in ancient Egypt, bathing in the rays of the glory of his sun-like lord, had, like him, unlimited power. It is easy to guess that this position was occupied by the immediate relatives of the pharaoh or, as an exception, the most dexterous and titled representatives of the higher aristocratic families. Over time, the term “jati” was supplanted by the Arabic word “vizier,” but it did not cause any significant changes in the life of a senior official.
Documents have been preserved that detailed the powers of the jati vizier. Among them are such important duties as the promulgation of laws, promotion, establishment of borders of territories belonging to large landowners, as well as police functions. Being the chairman of six court chambers operating in Ancient Egypt, he exercised control over this side of state life.
Downline officials: functions and job title
There were three closest assistants to Pharaoh. They formed the next step in the ranks and were the elite of society. Their names are found on the walls of ancient temples. In seniority, the immediate assistants of the pharaoh were the treasurer, the head of work and the manager of the "house of arms." The scope of each of them was strictly limited. The treasurer was in charge of all movable and immovable property of the state. His duties included monitoring the rigorous implementation of all economic orders of the pharaoh and tax collections.
The name of the post of the closest assistants to the pharaoh, standing at the same level with the treasurer, fully reveals the essence of their activity. The head of the work was responsible for the health of irrigation and irrigation systems, which in the conditions of a hot arid climate was a very important function, and the manager of the "house of arms" was engaged in the material support of the army.
The administrative apparatus of past centuries
Written monuments of that time testify to what the nobles did in the service of the pharaoh. One of the most common forms of their activity was participation in various councils and meetings. They sat on a variety of occasions. These are issues related to the solution of economic, political and social problems. The closest assistants to the pharaoh created numerous grassroots structures, each of which performed administrative functions at its own level.
Deputies of the Pharaoh
As a result of the expansion of the territories of neighboring states, the area of Ancient Egypt expanded significantly, and it included numerous provinces. In them, the closest assistants to the pharaoh were the rulers appointed by him, called the nomarchs. These local kings, acting in all cases of life on behalf of the supreme ruler of the country, had virtually unlimited power. Taking advantage of the remoteness from the capital and the complexity of control over their activities, they sometimes abused their position and embarked on the path called corruption today.
It is interesting to note that under Amenhotep III (XIV century BC), the Pharaoh’s closest assistants drafted and sent out to the places special instructions in which the grassroots officials and their scribes set out the rules for dealing with classified documents, using seals and setting deadlines for handling complaints. A special place in them was given to the transfer of punishments for the disclosure of state secrets.
A look into the past
Deciphering the written monuments of that era made it possible to present in its entirety a picture of the state structure of Ancient Egypt and find out what the nobles did in the service of the pharaoh. From them it became known that, along with many positive aspects of the governance structure, it had very significant shortcomings. One of them, for example, was the lack of a clear separation between the powers of the judiciary and administrative authorities. However, in spite of everything, the state created on the banks of the ancient Nile took an honorable place in world history.