The Nubian Kings Who Reigned Over Egypt Were Among Its Greatest Rulers
Not until the latter part of the 20th century did ancient Nubia begin to get its due among scholars, who were finally able to move past the racism of previous generations of white scholars who refused to believe that the Nubians could possibly be Black. Now the “Negro” kings from Nubia who ruled Egypt for a century as Egypt’s 25th Dynasty are recognized as having sponsored an important renaissance of Egyptian art and culture; they developed an almost scholarly interest in ancient Egyptian traditions and language and have been called “the first Egyptologists.” The empire over which they presided was greater in extent than any ever achieved in antiquity along the Nile Valley. Their kings were said never to have condemned prisoners to death; they forgave their enemies and allowed them to retain their offices; they also actually gave public credit for achievement in their inscriptions to individuals other than themselves. Such characteristics among other ancient monarchs of Egypt or the Near East are unheard of, and we can only assume these were native Nubian qualities.
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