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The 18th and 17th Centuries are the eighth section of the Bronze Age of history.

Bronze Age Pt. 7:
2000-1801 BCE
Bronze Age Pt. 8
1800-1601 BCE
Bronze Age Pt. 9:
1600-1401 BCE

Egypt[]

Unas was an aspiring ruler. During his childhood he was known for leaving the palace he was confined to and exploring the world outside his own. When Unas became ruler after his father Watka's death, he was left with an empire that was the strongest in the known world. Though the Egyptians had not achieved anything remarkable in the way of technological or cultural advances. Unas' explorative nature drove him to expand his Empire's borders along the Ethiopian coast and into the land of sand waves, now known as Arabia. Unas looked to expand future trade with any other tribes or nations, and he had heard rumors of undiscovered peoples in Arabia. He took his current ships used for short trade along the rivers of his kingdom and, traveling along the coasts of the Empire, they discovered the western coastline of the Arabian Peninsula and the various peoples who lived in the land of sands. Unas would continue to commission smaller trade ventures during his reign. Little would he know that future rulers would see fit to continue his ideals.

Qareh's reign began much like his father's reign trying to expand his newly inherited empire. He encountered a problem with these lengthy trade routes: the current ships they were using were not suited with such long lengths of travel, especially across the open seas, that many were making to the Arabian Peninsula. These long boats, were called "solar ships", mainly fitted for travel along the Nile River, or other large rivers within the Empire. They were never designed for travel on the open seas. Most of Qareh's resources would be put into the improvement of the Solar Ships to be retrofitted and usable in the open water for long periods of time. He would live to see the completion of the first of the newly designed solar ships and would see it off for its maiden voyage from Ethiopia. He would never see the greatest accomplishment that these ships could offer.

Nasakhma did, however, see the greatest accomplishment that the ships could offer. After many years of the new solar ships pushing farther out and bringing gifts back from the natives of modern-day Persia, one of the expeditions stumbled upon something great. When one of the voyages returned home with incredible amounts of goods from what originated from the Indus River Valley, Nasakhma questioned where they obtained it. This trade ship expedition had discovered and made dock at an Indus port where they were able to directly trade goods instead of having to wait multiple months to years for goods to travel from the region. This crew had found a direct route to the Indus over the seas. He later commissioned them to travel back to the same port, but to also map out the path they took and share the knowledge of other trade ships along the Eastern Ifran coast.

Nasakhma's heir would be controversial among many in the nobility and high advisors of the Empire. Gilukhipa, Nasakhma's daughter would take his throne over her younger brothers. Many doubted her ability to rule the Empire, though they were unaware of Nasakhma's secret endeavors as he had given extra training and education for his daughter over his sons. Gilukhipa was met with many a criticism, as told by many advisor and noble tablets. However, when meeting with her husband and other advisors, an older noble disgruntled about her ruling the Empire or the first born son, challenged her authority and claimed he and his son were the rightful heirs to the Empire. Gilukhipa would shock everyone as she merely stabbed the noble in the throat letting him bleed out within the main hall, and having his son's hand cut off.

Gilukhipa and her son Kakhent would later lead various militaristic campaigns during both of their reigns. Both known for warring with the various nations around them, including the Babylonians and occasional skirmishes with the new Hittite Empire. Though none of these wars gained any land, both Gilukhipa and Kakhent were taught to test and try their soldiers and militaries by occasional declaration of wars against neighboring nations, an ideal instilled in Gilukhipa by one of her mentors her father hired to educate her, that she would eventually pass that on to her son.

The Pharaohs Osorkon and Nebamun would be good stabilizing rulers in the Egyptian Empire. Continuing the traditions of their previous predecessors with trade becoming more widespread within the Empire, even going as far as trading with the Eneti and Hittites. Though these Pharaohs were not known for their advances in war or expansion, they did find a way to effectively store the foodstuffs they harvested and found a way to prepare for future droughts. However, when Nebamun's son Achillas took the throne, major events would occur that affected the nation for many years to come.

Eneti and the Hittite Empire[]

In the early days of the 1800s BCE, Eneti was doing well, continuing to enslave and put the Hittite people to work in terrible jobs, which led many to flee to the southern part of Anatolia. In the 1790s BCE, the Hittite Empire formed out of the tribes and clans from the Anatolian border to the Mediterranean. Fueled by revenge against the Eneti, the Hittite Empire grew extremely fast, and became too large for the Enetians. By 1660, they had expanded over much of Anatolia, causing the Enetians to fear for their nation's future. Despite Eneti's technological advantage granted by a longer period of settlement, the Hittites were many and each one had anger and revenge in their hearts.

Hittite-Eneti War[]

The First Sack of Eneti was the beginning of the Hittite-Eneti War. Hittites invaded the borderlands of Eneti only a few days earlier, but they managed to find troops to send to the Enetian capital of Eneti to help take over the empire. The city was quickly sacked, with many buildings as ruined as the former Jewish ones in Egypt. Many people escaped, as the Hittites were preoccupied with looting and destruction of the hated Eneti settlements. A good deal of Enetians fled into the northern towns, and some made their way into Enetian army. The Enetian king at the time did not handle this well, and sent a large portion of his army to flank the Hittites from the East. However, due to their lack of manpower, the other Enetian cities close to the main city of Eneti quickly collapsed and were captured. The city of Eneti was renamed to Peiraieos by the Hittites. While the Eneti Empire managed to hold onto its far eastern lands, it was a shaky peace, the Hittites would return with a vengeance in 200 years...

Rest of the World[]

In India, the Iron Age began, helped by Egyptian trade. In the Americas, sedentary Mayan communities began to appear. In China, Tang, leader of the Shang Dynasty, took over the Xia Dynasty. Nomadic shepherds, the Aryans, enter India from Central Asia and the northern steppes. These people are also rumoured to be responsible for the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, perhaps due to invasion. The Indus Valley Civilization is also rumoured to be a peaceful civilization, having no artifications depicting weapons, or actual weapons being found in the ruins of Mohenjo-daro or Harrapa. This is also when the Vedic period starts in Northern India, with the arrival of the Aryans. Meanwhile, in the Aegean, metalworkers take advantage of Egyptian riches and trade, and start making metalworks similar to the Egyptian ones. In addition to the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Bronze Age also began in China. 

Grand Union World Map c

World c. 1650 BCE

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