A complete political change was effected both at home and abroad from the first day of his accession to power.  Hatshopsitu had been averse to war.  During the whole of her reign there had not been a single campaign undertaken beyond the isthmus of Suez, and by the end of her life she had lost nearly all that her father had gained in Syria; the people of Kharu had shaken off the yoke,* probably at the instigation of the king of the Amorites,** and nothing remained to Egypt of the Asiatic province but Gaza, Sharuhana,*** and the neighbouring villages.  The young king set out with his army in the latter days of the year XXII.  He reached Gaza on the 3rd of the month of Pakhons, in time to keep the anniversary of his coronation in that town, and to inaugurate the 24th year of his reign by festivals in honour of his father Amon.**** They lasted the usual length of time, and all the departments of State took part in them, but it was not a propitious moment for lengthy ceremonies.

* E. de Rouge thought that he had discovered, in a slightly damaged inscription bearing upon the Puanit expedition, the mention of a tribute paid by the Lotanu.  There is nothing in the passage cited but the mention of the usual annual dues paid by the chiefs of Puanit and of the Ilim.

** This is at least what may be inferred from the account of the campaign, where the Prince of Qodshu, a town of the Amauru (Amorites), figures at the head of the coalition formed against Thutmosis III.

*** This is the conclusion to be adopted from the beginning of the inscription of Thutmosis III.:  “Now, during the duration of these same years, the country of the Lotanu was in discord until other times succeeded them, when the people who were in the town of Sharuhana, from the town of Yurza, to the most distant regions of the earth, succeeded in making a revolt against his Majesty.”

     **** The account of this campaign has been preserved to us
     on a wall adjoining the granite sanctuary at Karnak.

The king left Gaza the following day, the 5th of Pakhons; he marched but slowly at first, following the usual caravan route, and despatching troops right and left to levy contributions on the cities of the Plain—­Migdol, Yapu (Jaffa), Lotanu, Ono—­and those within reach on the mountain spurs, or situated within the easily accessible wadys, such as Sauka (Socho), Hadid, and Harilu.  On the 16th day he had not proceeded further than Yahmu, where he received information which caused him to push quickly forward.  The lord of Qodshu had formed an alliance with the Syrian princes on the borders of Naharaim, and had extorted from them promises of help; he had already gone so far as to summon contingents from the Upper Orontes, the Litany, and the Upper Jordan, and was concentrating them at Megiddo, where he proposed to stop the way of the invading army.  Thutmosis called together his principal