Explain Why Akhenaten Moved His Capital To Amarna

Historians' views as to why Akhenaten moved his capital to Amarna are distinctly contrasted, and the suggestions are numerous. These include three predominant theories promoted by various historians with divergent views of Akhenaten. These theories are all conceptually based on the concept of Akhenaten using Amarna to develop his religious ideals. Firstly, it is believed that having his revolutionary religious reforms reached their goals; Akhenaten employed the city of Amarna as an escape from Amun dominated Thebes. This would remove the distractions of other Gods and Deities still around in Thebes, and leave people free to worship the Aten. Secondly it is suggested that Akhenaten repositioned his capital to Amarna in order to escape the Amun Priesthood, as he felt that his beliefs and principles could not fully flourish whilst they still retained a prominent role within society. Finally, and most commonly, it is believed that Akhenaten moved his capital to Amarna to create a place where his religion could thrive without the pressure of established temple communities; and thus he created a brand new centre of religion aimed at spreading his radical beliefs.

James Henry Breasted's reverence of Akhenaten was such that he described him as "the first individual in history." A staunch deist and strong believer in pacifism, Breasted believed he had a great deal in common with Akhenaten's style of leadership. Breasted suggested that Akhenaten used a form of deism with the Sun represented as the sole god Ð'- a god that was open to all and seen by all. Akhenaten's headship throughout his reign in his foreign and economic policies; and his stances on warfare strongly reflected the morals of Breasted Ð'- for example Breasted asserting that "We have come to speak habitually of an Amarna age, in religion, in life, in art, and this fact in itself is conclusive evidence of the distinctive intellectual attitude of Akhenaten." Akhenaten took very important steps in world religion towards Breasted's preferred beliefs Ð'- "he might entirely recast the world of religion" These shared beliefs in turn mean that Breasted's views must be considered with allowance for bias or distortion. Breasted entertains a variety, however ideologically similar, arguments for Akhenaten's reasons for the move of his capital. One theory presented is that Akhenaten progressed to Amarna to eliminate distractions of other religions, so concentrated in Thebes. Breasted states, "Finding Thebes embarrassed with too many theological traditions, in spite of its prestige and its splendour, Akhenaten forsook it and built a new capitalÐ'..." This specifically demonstrates Akhenaten's determination to rid his capital of all evidence of other gods and deities . Breasted declared that "Thebes was now compromised by too many old associations to be a congenial place of residence for so radical a revolutionist." Cyril Aldred briefly discusses Akhenaten leaving Thebes to escape the domain of Amun. He claims "Akhenaten defiedÐ'...that of the wealthy god Amun-Ra of Thebes." Aldred uses boundary stelae descriptions to determine Akhenaten's motivation, on which it is said that Akhenaten moved to Amarna to rid himself of Ð''things' that were Ð''against my father'. Erik Hornung succinctly suggests that Akhenaten may have moved his capital to Amarna to break away from the realm of Amun and Egyptian religious tradition. He maintains that Akhenaten's Aten cult was obviously in direct competition with the cult of the Amun, which had grown in strength in the reign of his father Amenhotep III . Consequently, Akhenaten moved his capital to Amarna where he could not allow himself to be goaded by the ever present glories of the Amun cult.

The conception that Akhenaten moved his capital to Amarna to escape the Amun priesthood is both affirmed and denied by various historians. Breasted states there was existent and traditional conflict between Pharaoh and the priesthood . Amenhotep III is described as having "evidently tried to shake off the priestly hand that lay so heavily on the sceptre" He then suggests a conflict specifically, stating "a keen struggle arose between the royal house, on the one hand, and the sacerdotal organization dominated by Amon, on the other." It is claimed inevitable that the priesthood would view Akhenaten and his religion with growing jealousy, and it was the priesthood's extensive political power that compelled Akhenaten desire to be freed from it. Akhenaten's ancestry, together with his claimed "unlimited personal force of character" suggested he would not allow himself to be set aside by the priesthood. Breasted says that Akhenaten moved his capital to Amarna "endeavouring to displace it by the nationalism which had preceded it for twenty centuries." This further illustrates the possibility of a feud between the two aspects of Government. Aldred resolutely rejects this suggestion, saying "The idea of a struggle between an enlightened and progressive king on the one side and a reactionary and scheming priesthood on the other, will simply not stand up to closer scrutiny" . Aldred also suggests that a mere technicality in theology was all that separated Akhenaten's religion from that of Egyptian traditionalists . According to Aldred, the priesthood and the administration were as "indissolubly linked as they ever had been" . However he says clear distinction of power still remained, as demonstrated by Akhenaten's ability to subsequently reduce the status of the priesthood, his "mere surrogates" . This is a transparent contradiction, Aldred suggesting that the Amun Priesthood and the Pharaoh were on excellent terms, and then proposing that Akhenaten immediately reduced the priesthood to "complete impotence" . This inconsistency puts doubt over Aldred's claims regarding Akhenaten moving to Amarna in order to break away from the Amun Priesthood. Hornung does not give a concise view on the merits of the priesthood assertion. Hornung describes the bureaucrats at Amarna Ð'- "Among the officials at AkhetatenÐ'...none of the other heads of the civil administration and, naturally, no priests aside from those who served the god AtenÐ'...The new Residence was evidently not intended to be the seat of the administration of the land." Hornung makes this statements with minimal or no evidence to support his claims. He uses phrases such as Ð''naturally' and Ð''was evidently', further demonstrating his lack of substantial proof. Hornung suggests that the old priesthood had relocated in Memphis, moving from the "somewhat remote Thebes" , to remain "under