d Kingdom predominate historical and anthropological thought. During this time, the government was founded on a policy of peaceful coexistence, somewhat unique in the ancient world. The current Pharaoh had no standing army, nor was there anything that could be called a national militia or police force. Each particular locality had its own organization to deal with crime, and if the need arose, the Pharaoh would call up the army to deal with the problem. Modern scholars have likened this period to the way many of the current Egyptian peasants live. There is a policy to let each person fend for themselves, and again, the image of the Nile river, and its control over agriculture, industry, and housing would be similar to life in Ancient Egypt (Desroches-Noblecourt 26-30).
After centuries of peace, however, the Old Kingdom disintegrated into several warring principalities. The next several hundred years were fraught with invasions from foreign powers, and a lack of political or economic cohesion domestically. By 1560 BC, Egypt had consolidated some of its power and was ruled by three dynasties of pharaohs in succession. This is called the New Kingdom, and it contrasts with the previous historical periods because the prevailing state policy was aggressive and imperialistic. This government sought to take control of all of the known world, and the continual wars of conquest kept the economy stimulated until the reign of Ramses III. By the 1100s BC, state power in Egypt had been somewhat co-opted by the priestly class, thus effectively removing political control from the Pharaohs. Following this internal disintegration, Egypt was ruled
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