Existing comment:
The Egyptian Bureaucracy:
The highly centralized Egyptian state depended upon a class of bureaucrats to organize building projects, maintain the military, conduct trade, and feed its citizens. The literate members of this bureaucracy were charged, among other things, with an annual census of the arable lands and what those lands could be expected to produce. Taxes were paid on the basis of this census. Prior to the introduction of coinage in the 6th century BC, Egyptian society functioned on a barter system in which wages and taxes were paid in goods such as gold (received by high-level officials) and foodstuffs.
At the pinnacle of the bureaucracy was the pharaoh, the administrative, military, and religious head of state. The pharaoh was assisted by a vizier, usually a scribe, who oversaw the governors (nomarchs) of administrative units known as nomes. During times of instability, the governors often challenged the centralized power of the pharaoh.
Within this system, the temples owned vast stretches of land, repositories for the grain supply, and treasures. The priesthoods accumulated great power and also periodically challenged the power of the pharaohs. |