Ramses II
Ramses II- Dedicated Dictator? A Short Biographical Essay
Before I progress in this essay, I would like to divert your attention to the long history of scholars, preachers and authors that have devoted their lives in order to learn about the influential, despot that is Ramses the second. Many have been unable to progress in research and many have had epiphanies to choose another subject to research. Khalil Ahmad Hamidi-a Pakistani scholar, writer and also a translator for many books including Return of the Pharaoh1- states in the foreword of the book Moses versus Pharoah4 : ‘in Urdu some persons have attempted to reproduce the stories of the prophets under the headings “the stories of the Prophets”, but their endeavours are limited to explaining the chain of events, and the incentive and spirit behind these stories which forms their real essence has been overlooked.’ (Hamidi, 1974)
In his book, "Chronicle of the Pharaohs" by Peter A. Clayton, he sums up Ramses II very nicely, stating that: ‘During his long reign of 67 years, everything was done on a grand scale. No other pharaoh constructed so many temples or erected so many colossal statues and obelisks. No other pharaoh sired so many children. Ramses ' 'victory ' over the Hittites at Kadesh was celebrated in one of the most repeated Egyptian texts ever put on record. By the time he died, aged more than 90, he had set his stamp indelibly on the face of Egypt.’4
Despite the level of their success in discovery, I feel that the effort that these scholars, preachers and authors have put into research, in order to uncover the truth, deserves a mention at the start of my essay.
Now I talk of a time long before any of us. The 18th Dynasty (a succession of rulers from the same family11) where Egypt had seen some of the most successful reigns of the pharaonic age.[14] But later in that age immediately Egypt and its neighbours grew to find themselves in the hands of a fiscal recession. While General
Before I progress in this essay, I would like to divert your attention to the long history of scholars, preachers and authors that have devoted their lives in order to learn about the influential, despot that is Ramses the second. Many have been unable to progress in research and many have had epiphanies to choose another subject to research. Khalil Ahmad Hamidi-a Pakistani scholar, writer and also a translator for many books including Return of the Pharaoh1- states in the foreword of the book Moses versus Pharoah4 : ‘in Urdu some persons have attempted to reproduce the stories of the prophets under the headings “the stories of the Prophets”, but their endeavours are limited to explaining the chain of events, and the incentive and spirit behind these stories which forms their real essence has been overlooked.’ (Hamidi, 1974)
In his book, "Chronicle of the Pharaohs" by Peter A. Clayton, he sums up Ramses II very nicely, stating that: ‘During his long reign of 67 years, everything was done on a grand scale. No other pharaoh constructed so many temples or erected so many colossal statues and obelisks. No other pharaoh sired so many children. Ramses ' 'victory ' over the Hittites at Kadesh was celebrated in one of the most repeated Egyptian texts ever put on record. By the time he died, aged more than 90, he had set his stamp indelibly on the face of Egypt.’4
Despite the level of their success in discovery, I feel that the effort that these scholars, preachers and authors have put into research, in order to uncover the truth, deserves a mention at the start of my essay.
Now I talk of a time long before any of us. The 18th Dynasty (a succession of rulers from the same family11) where Egypt had seen some of the most successful reigns of the pharaonic age.[14] But later in that age immediately Egypt and its neighbours grew to find themselves in the hands of a fiscal recession. While General
References: 1. Al-Ghazali, Z., 1994. Return of the Pharoah. Great Britain: The Cromwell Press. 2. Anon., 2006. Rameses II. [Online] Available at: http://www.fruitofthenile.com/ramses.htm 4. Bucaille, M., 1994. The Hebrews in Eygpt. 1st ed. Japan: NTT Mediascope Inc.. 5. Encyclopedia Britannia, 2012. Seth. [Online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/536211/Seth 6. Hussain, A., 1994. Moses versus Pharaoh. Revised ed. Dehli: Adam. 8. khan, M. M., 1996. Translation of the Meanings of The Noble Quran in the English Language. 1st ed. Riyadh: Darusalam. 9.Kinnaer, J., 1997. 19th Dynasty 1307-1196. [Online] Available at: http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html 10. Loy, J., 2001. Ramses II. [Online] Available at: http://www.jimloy.com/egypt/ramses.htm 12. Solent Communications, 2012. Ramses II. [Online] Available at: http://www.nndb.com/people/174/000162685/ 13. Soukhanov, Anne; Entarta Dictionary, English (U.K.), 1998. s.l.:Bloomsbury . 15. Tyldesley, J., 2000. Ramesses . In: Eygpt 's Greatest Pharaoh. England: Penguin , p. 225.