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 passage we get to know that distinct quality of ancient Egypt under the pharaohs was the fact that.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Though slavery existed, slaves were not usually treated harshly
The passage says that slavery "was not very important in ancient Egypt, but it did exist", and that slaves "were usually treated well and were allowed to own property". So slavery existed, but slaves were not usually treated harshly; this is what set Egypt apart.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: The pharaohs were very democratic and handsome — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage says nothing about the pharaohs' looks or about democracy; it says only what they believed about their link with the Gods.
Option 3: No Egyptian working in ancient Egypt worked as a serf — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage says the opposite: "Many Egyptian workers were serfs."
Option 4: The river Nile would stop flowing during the rains in Egypt — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage does not say this; it speaks of the time when the fields lay under water, which is a time of flooding, not of a dry river.