History glossary
Hyksos
foreign rulers who controlled northern Egypt from the Delta during the Second Intermediate Period.
- Category
- Dynasty and people
- Region
- Nile Delta
- Date range
- c. 1650-1550 BCE
What it means
The Hyksos were foreign-identified rulers based at Avaris in the Nile Delta. Their rule over northern Egypt challenged traditional kingship and helped push southern Egyptian rulers toward military modernization and eventual reunification.
