The Pharaoh made use of many advisers and officials. The position that survived almost the entire history of Egypt was the post of the Vizier. The Vizier answered only to Pharaoh and was charged with the entire operation of the government. The Vizier was supervisor of all other officials.
The duties and responsibilities of the Vizier were numerous. Responsible for the economy, it was the Vizier's job to see that the appropriate taxes were collected from the Nomes, or regional districts. In addition to taxes; cattle, grain, and labor were monitored by the office of Vizier. The Vizier was also supreme judge responsible for settling disputes, hearing complaints against other officials, and occasionally hearing cases in person. The Vizier had the authority to assign property, delegate authority to local Nomarchs, and monitor activities conducted by the military. Overseeing the daily functioning of Pharaoh's palace and the protection of Pharaoh were also the duties of the Vizier.
Viziers were appointed to their posts by the Pharaoh on the basis of demonstrating extreme loyalty, exceptional talent, or military prowess. After being given the post, the position was often passed from father to son. At times a succession of Viziers followed the succession of Pharaohs.
In the 13th Dynasty, Egypt was very unstable. The Vizier would serve a number of short reigning Pharaohs. This made the post very powerful, as the Vizier would have more information and better political connections than the Pharaoh. To compensate for this, the 18th Dynasty Pharaohs divided the power of the office in half. One Vizier would serve Upper Egypt and one Vizier would serve Lower Egypt.
References
Trigger, B.G., Kemp, B.J., O'Connor, D., Lloyd, A.B. (1983) Ancient Egypt: A Social History. University Press, Cambridge
http://www.touregypte.net
http://www.neferiti.iwebland.com
http://www.library.thinkquest.org
Written by Joseph Perkins, 2002
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