How did pharaohs gain their wealth?

Ancient Egypt was run by a hereditary dynasty. Basically if your father (or mother) was pharoah, then you were the next one, and nobody questioned it, because you were a god, and also because that's how it always was and always would be. This was true for thousands of years. read more

The first true pharaoh of Egypt was Narmer (sometimes called Menes), who united Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. He was the first king of the First Dynasty, the beginning of the Old Kingdom. Egypt was once divided into two kingdoms. read more

People simply leave when a leader becomes too powerful. When the cost is high — either because of geographical barriers, such as Egypt's desert, or practical ones, such as the need to access to irrigation — people have to put up with more abuse of power from their leaders. read more