Hatshepsut

Following the Middle Kingdom, the Second Intermediate Period, as its name suggests, was another period of unrest. Egypt was divided once more, but this time a significant portion had been lost to a foreign power. The Hyksos, who took control of the majority of Egypt and established the 15th Dynasty, were responsible. The native pharaohs, meantime, were only still in charge of Thebes and the area around it, and the Hyksos and the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties shared authority of this territory.

This time, a lengthy war that lasted throughout numerous pharaonic reigns was what brought Egypt back to its former splendor. Ahmose I, who restored Egypt's unity, decisively conquered the Hyksos, and inaugurated the third and last golden period known as the New Kingdom, brought it to a close. He was the first pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, a significant dynasty that, as you'll soon see, is well-represented in this list. Ahmose I is only given an honorable mention because we are only allowing ten submissions and are concentrating on Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

Why is this pharaoh unique? A female, Hatshepsut was. In addition, James Henry Breasted, an Egyptologist in the 19th century, referred to Hatshepsut as the "first great woman of history of whom we are aware." Thutmose III's stepmother Hatshepsut first served as his regent, but after he reached adulthood, she did not abdicate her position and established herself as the pharaoh in her own right. Many people believe that Hatshepsut committed this act out of a simple thirst for power, but some assume that she did it to shield her stepson from a rival relative who was fighting for the throne.

Thutmose III, who also deserves to be mentioned here on our list, extended Hatshepsut's rich and powerful empire to its largest size ever after a long and fruitful reign. She wasn't the first female pharaoh; at least one, possibly two, and more people who served as regents did. But without a question, Hatshepsut was the most powerful woman to rule Ancient Egypt.

Reign: c. 1479 – 1458 BC (18th Dynasty)
Predecessor: Thutmose II
Successor: Thutmose III