Piye, Kushite king of Egypt (747-716 BC)

Piye, also called Piankhy (747-716 BC) and Kushite ruler of the Napatan period, laid the foundations for the Twenty-fifth Dynasty (747-656 BC). He seized control of Upper Egypt within the first decade of his reign, and his sister Amenirdis I was adopted by Shepenwepet I as the next God's Wife of Amun, thus acquiring Theban territories previously controlled by Osorkon III. In 728 BC, when Tefnakht, the prince of Sais, created an alliance of Delta rulers to counter the growing Nubian threat, Piye swept northwards and defeated the northern coalition. His successful campaign is described on his Victory stela.

In 716 BC Piye died after a reign of over thirty years. He was buried in an Egyptian style pyramid tomb at el-Kurru, accompanied by a number of horses, which were greatly prized by the Nubians of the Napatan period. Piye was succeeded by his brother Shabako (716-702 BC) who re-conquered Egypt and took full pharaonic titles, establishing himself as the ruler of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of all Egypt.