<P> Egypt's succeeding dynasty failed to reassert full control over Kush . Around 590 BC, however, an Egyptian army sacked Napata, compelling the Kushite court to move to a more secure location further south at Meroë near the Sixth Cataract . For several centuries thereafter, the Meroitic kingdom developed independently of Egyptian influence and domination, which passed successively under Iranian, Greek, and, finally, Roman domination . During the height of its power in the second and third centuries BC, Meroë extended over a region from the Third Cataract in the north to Soba, near present - day Khartoum, in the south . An Egyptian - influenced pharaonic tradition persisted among a line of rulers at Meroë, who raised stelae to record the achievements of their reigns and erected Nubian pyramids to contain their tombs . These objects and the ruins of palaces, temples, and baths at Meroë attest to a centralized political system that employed artisans' skills and commanded the labour of a large work force . A well - managed irrigation system allowed the area to support a higher population density than was possible during later periods . By the first century BC, the use of Egyptian hieroglyphs gave way to a Meroitic alphabet adapted for the Nubian - related language spoken by the region's people . </P> <P> Meroë's succession system was not necessarily hereditary; the matrilineal royal family member deemed most worthy often became king . The kandake or queen mother's role in the selection process was crucial to a smooth succession . The crown appears to have passed from brother to brother (or sister) and only when no siblings remained from father to son . </P> <P> Although Napata remained Meroë's religious center, northern Kush eventually fell into disorder as it came under pressure from the Blemmyes, predatory nomads from east of the Nile . However, the Nile continued to give the region access to the Mediterranean world . Additionally, Meroë maintained contact with Arab and Indian traders along the Red Sea coast and incorporated Hellenistic and Indian cultural influences into its daily life . Inconclusive evidence suggests that metallurgical technology may have been transmitted westward across the savanna belt to West Africa from Meroë's iron smelteries . </P> <P> Relations between Meroë and Egypt were not always peaceful . As a response to Meroë's incursions into Upper Egypt, a Roman army moved south and razed Napata in 23 BC . The Roman commander quickly abandoned the area, however, deeming it too poor to warrant colonization . </P>

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