= Rise of Power =

Explore the Rise of Power in Age of Empires IV, detailing the unification of Egypt around 3100 B.C. and its dominance in the Near East.

Agriculture arrived in the Nile Valley before 5000 B.C., brought by immigrants from Palestine. By 3000 B.C., it had spread south along the Nile. Controlled flooding and irrigation increased cultivated land, leading to larger populations and greater wealth.

Early Egyptian history was a period of consolidation, with two kingdoms vying for power. Around 3100 B.C., King Menes of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt, establishing the First Dynasty.

Between 3100 B.C. and 1300 B.C., Egyptians contended with Nubians and Kushites to the south. Forts maintained the frontier, but were lost during periods of weakness. The Nubians suffered a significant defeat around 1300 B.C., neutralizing them as a threat for approximately 500 years.

Egypt's Dynasty XIII (1783 to 1640 B.C.) was notably weak. During this time, frontier forts to the south were lost, and Semitic immigrants from the east entered the delta. These immigrants, known as the Hyksos, seized control of the entire delta region in 1674 B.C. The Hyksos eventually adopted Egyptian culture and language, and introduced the horse and chariot.

The New Kingdom was founded by Dynasty XVIII in 1552 B.C., after a successful campaign to expel the Hyksos. This dynasty marked the era of warrior pharaohs and the Egyptian empire. To prevent further incursions from the east, Egyptians sought control over kingdoms in the Levant and Palestine, competing with the Hittites, Mitanni, and local kings. Egyptians were the dominant power in the Near East until around 1200 B.C., when the entire region was overrun by barbarians.