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Land reform in ancient Egypt

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Land ownership in ancient Egypt cycled between private, monarch and feudal. A strong king could take advantage of harsh situations such as famine, buy lands from private owners and make them a property of the crown. A weaker king would have to buy services from strong lords by giving them gifts of land. Pirenne distinguishes three such cycles:

Contents

  • Cycle 1 contains the Old Kingdom of Egypt. It started in ancient times with nomadic clans settling down (4th millennium BC), continued with king Menes claiming to be the divine owner of all lands (c. 3000 BC) and ended with Pepi II and his weak successors who enabled the rise of feudal lords (c. 2200 BC).
  • Cycle 2 contains the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2133 BC), the Hyksos occupation and the New Kingdom of Egypt (c. 1567 BC).
  • Cycle 3 contains the occupation of Egypt by the Persia (525 BC), Greek (332 BC; the Ptolemies) and Rome (30 BC).

    • Two land reforms are documented: one involving land concentration and the other attempting land re-division.

    Joseph's reform

    In the middle of Cycle 2, at about 1500 BC, shortly after the beginning of the New Kingdom, a land-concentration reform was carried out by Joseph the vizier of the pharaoh:

    The farmers of Egypt could not stand a long famine. Joseph suggested to help them, but in return, he bought all their lands.

    Outcomes

    Egyptian farmers turned from free workers to serfs of pharaoh. They had to pay 20% of their income as a tax to pharaoh.

    Bakenranef's reform

    In the middle of Cycle 3, at about 720 BC, near the end of the New Kingdom, a land-division reform was attempted by king Bakenranef (Bocchoris). After capturing the reign in Sais, he initiated the following reforms:

  • Freed peasants working upon the great domains;
  • Made lands alienable and mortgageable;
  • Annulled debts;
  • Regulated interest rates;
  • Ended corporal punishment;
  • Publicized contract codes;
  • Brought real and personal property under the same laws.

    • Outcomes

    Feudal lords and clergy combined to overthrow Bakenranef. He was burned alive, and his reforms were undone.

    References

    Land reform in ancient Egypt Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA