The Pharaohs may have believed that it was their links with the Gods that kept Egypt going, but really it was the hard work of the ordinary people. It was they who dug the soil, worked in the mines and quarries, sailed the boats on the river Nile, marched with the army into Syria or Nubia, cooked food and raised children. Slavery was not very important in ancient Egypt, but it did exist. Most of the slaves were prisoners who had been captured during the many wars Egypt fought with their neighbors in the Near East. Slaves were usually treated well and were allowed to own property. Many Egyptian workers were serfs. This meant that their freedom was limited. They could be bought and sold along with the estates where they worked. Farmers had to be registered with the government. They had to sell crops at a fixed price and pay taxes in the form of produce. During the season of the Nile floods, when the fields lay under water, many workers were recruited into public building projects. Punishment for those who ran away was harsh.
From the given passage options, select the one which is true according to the passage.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Pharaohs believed that it was their link with the Gods that favoured Egypt
Holds true. The passage opens: "The Pharaohs may have believed that it was their links with the Gods that kept Egypt going". This option says the same thing in other words.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: The ordinary people worked overtime to destroy Egypt — Does not hold true. Contradicted: the ordinary people's hard work kept Egypt going; they did not try to destroy it.
Option 3: The pharaohs did not believe they were connected to the Gods — Does not hold true. Contradicted: this is the opposite of the first sentence of the passage.
Option 4: The Pharaohs were the hard working slaves of ancient Egypt — Does not hold true. Contradicted: the Pharaohs were the rulers; the hard work was done by the ordinary people, and slaves were mostly prisoners of war.