The Kandakes of Kush had to handle the pressure from their northern neighbor, the Ancient Egyptians while they maintained their prominence on the African continent. Combine those pressures with an impending patriarchal shift and you have a group of amazing women.

We don’t know a lot about them. We know when some of them ruled and a few of their accomplishments but this lack of information is no reason to leave them out of history curriculum. Their stories are about the extinction of languages, the relationship between humans and environment and the struggle of maintaining historical documents, and then the rise of a patriarchal society.

These short reads will fit into your curriculum because all history teachers know time is precious. But it is also our duty to provide a more detailed history of Africa and of women.

Every one of these women ruled. This isn’t a study of how they supported their man. These stories need to be told.

When would I use this?

When you are studying the ancient world, take a class period to learn about the Kandakes of Kush. Kush is one of the kingdoms that challenged the Egyptians dominance making this a great addition to your ancient Egyptian studies.

I also have this resource bundled with Pharaoh Queens. Perhaps you’d prefer to stick to the same area. Kandakes and Queens is an option and covers Kush and Ethiopia. If covering the continent is important to you take a look at the full bundle.

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