19th Dynasty of Egypt

1295–1186 BCE

The 19th Dynasty was founded by Ramesses I, a military man from a Delta family whom Horemheb had chosen as his successor. It is the first Ramesside dynasty and produced Seti I and Ramesses II, who between them rebuilt Egyptian power in Syria-Palestine and covered Egypt with monuments.

Ramesses II's long reign includes the battle of Kadesh against the Hittites and the peace treaty that followed, one of the earliest surviving international treaties. The dynasty ended in a short-reigned succession of kings, a usurper and Queen Tawosret, before the 20th Dynasty took over.

Period: New Kingdom
Dates: 1295–1186 BCE
Rulers profiled: 8

A soldier's dynasty

The 19th Dynasty began when the childless Horemheb passed the throne to his vizier and fellow army officer Paramessu, who took the name Ramesses I. Paramessu came from a military family in the eastern Delta, near the old Hyksos capital of Avaris. He ruled for only about a year, but he had a son and a grandson ready to follow him, and the new line held the throne for a century.

Because the family's roots lay in the Delta, its kings gave the north new weight. They later built a new residence there, Pi-Ramesses, while keeping Thebes as the main religious centre.

Seti I and the recovery of the empire

Seti I spent much of his reign restoring Egyptian control in Canaan and southern Syria, which had slipped during and after the Amarna period. He also fought Libyans and confronted the Hittites, and his campaigns are shown on the north wall of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak.

He is equally known for his buildings. His temple at Abydos has some of the finest relief carving in Egypt and preserves a list of his royal predecessors, and his tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV17) is among the most richly decorated.

Ramesses II

Ramesses II reigned for about 66 years, longer than almost any other pharaoh, and shaped the image of Egyptian kingship for later generations. He built or added to temples across the country, including the Ramesseum at Thebes, the great temples at Abu Simbel in Nubia and the new city of Pi-Ramesses.

His fifth-year campaign against the Hittite king Muwatalli II ended in the battle of Kadesh on the Orontes, which he presented on temple walls as a personal triumph. The battle was closer to a stalemate, and about 1259 BCE Ramesses and the Hittite king Hattusili III agreed a treaty, one of the earliest surviving peace agreements between two states. It was later sealed by the marriage of Ramesses to a Hittite princess.

Merneptah and the Libyan threat

Merneptah, one of the many sons of Ramesses II, was already elderly when he took the throne. He defeated a coalition of Libyans and Sea Peoples that had entered the western Delta. His victory stele records this and also contains the earliest known Egyptian mention of a people called Israel.

Succession crisis and the end of the dynasty

After Merneptah the dynasty weakened. Amenmesse held part of the country for a few years, and Seti II had to reclaim the throne from him. Siptah then came to the throne as a child under the influence of the chancellor Bay and Queen Tawosret, who ruled in her own right after his death.

Tawosret was the last king of the dynasty. A period of unrest followed until Setnakhte restored order and founded the 20th Dynasty.

Rulers of the 19th Dynasty

Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.

Ramesses I (Menpehtyre)

1295–1294 BCE

Seti I (Menmaatre)

1294–1279 BCE

Ramesses II (Usermaatre Setepenre)

1279–1213 BCE

Merneptah (Baenre)

1213–1203 BCE

Amenmesse (Menmire)

1203–1200 BCE

Seti II (Userkheperure)

1200–1194 BCE