Turin Papirüsüne Göre Mısırlı İşçilerin Greve Giderek Hak Arama Mücadelesi

Abstract

Eski Mısır, işçilerin emeği sonucunda özenle işlenmiş taşlardan yapılmış olan devasa piramitleri, tapınakları ve mezarları ile hatırlanmaktadır. Günümüzde turistik ziyaret noktaları olan bu yapılar, Eski Mısır insanlarının inanç ile şekillenmiş yaşamının merkezi konumundaydı. Gökyüzündeki tanrıların yeryüzündeki evi olan tapınakların ve yeryüzünde yaşayıp öldükten sonra gökyüzündeki tanrılara katılacak olan kralların mezarların inşası, Mısır ahalisi için hayatın devamı kadar önemli kabul edilmek-teydi. Bu nedenle, binyıllar boyunca Mısırlar, binlerce tapınak ve mezar yaparken birçok piramidin inşasını da başarıyla tamamlamıştır. Bu başarıların arkasında bilimsel açıdan gelişmişlik, idare etme yeteneğindeki tecrübe, çalışanların ihtiyaçlarını karşılama konusundaki yetkinlik ve hepsinden daha önemlisi halkın ürettiklerinin bir kısmıyla bu inşaatları finanse etmesinin gerekliliğine inandırılmışlık bulunmaktaydı. Ayakta kalmış olan Mısır anıtlarına bakıldığında hayranlık duyulmasına rağmen bu anıtların yapımı esnasında yaşananlar ve işçilerin verdiği emek hakkında çok az bilgiye sahibiz. Günü-müze ulaşan birkaç yazıt ve papirüs bu inşaat faaliyetleri ile ilgili kısıtlı bilgiler vermektedir. Bunlardan biri olan “Turin Papirüsü” veya “Turin Grev Papirüsü” olup hala Torino kentindeki Egizio Müzesi’nde muhafaza edilmektedir. Papirüs, insanlık tarihindeki ilk işçi grevinin anlatımını içerdiğinden dolayı ün kazanmıştır. Zamanla modern dillere çevrilen Turin Papirüsü’nün yazarı olan Katip Amennakhte, III. Ramses’in iktidarının 29. yılında (MÖ 1157) Deir el Medina kentinde yaşayan bir memurdur. Yazdığı metinde III. Ramses döneminde, Deir el Medina kentindeki mezar işçilerinin ücretlerini alamayışları sonrasında yaşananlar hakkında bilgi vermektedir. Bu çalışma, Turin Papirüsü’ndeki anlatımları referans alarak Mısırlı işçilerin niçin greve giderek hak arama mücadelesine girdiklerini açıklamayı ve grevin oluşumu esnasında Mısır’ın genel iktisadi durumunu ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Eski Mısır
• Turin Papirüsü
• Grev
• III. Ramses.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmanın, özgün bir çalışma olduğunu; çalışmanın hazırlık, veri toplama, analiz ve bilgilerin sunumu olmak üzere tüm aşamalarından bilimsel etik ilke ve kurallarına uygun davrandığımı; bu çalışma kapsamında elde edilmeyen tüm veri ve bilgiler için kaynak gösterdiğimi ve bu kaynaklara kaynakçada yer verdiğimi; kullanılan verilerde herhangi bir değişiklik yapmadığımı, çalışmanın Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)' in tüm şartlarını ve koşullarını kabul ederek etik görev ve sorumluluklara riayet ettiğimi beyan ederim. Herhangi bir zamanda, çalışmayla ilgili yaptığım bu beyana aykırı bir durumun saptanması durumunda, ortaya çıkacak tüm ahlaki ve hukuki sonuçlara razı olduğumu bildiririm.

According to the Turin Papyrus, the Struggle of Egyptian Workers to Seek Rights by Going on Strike

Abstract

Ancient Egypt is remembered for its giant pyramids, temples, and tombs made of carefully processed stones by workers. These structures, which are touristic places to visit today, were the center of the belief-shaped life of the Ancient Egyptians. The construction of temples, which were the homes of the gods in the sky on earth, and the tombs of the kings who would live on earth and join the gods in the sky after they died, were considered as crucial as the continuation of life for the Egyptian people. For this reason, over the millennia, the Egyptians successfully completed the construction of many pyramids while building thousands of temples and tombs. Behind these successes were scientific development, experience in administrative skills, competence in meeting the needs of the workers, and, most importantly, the belief that the people should finance these constructions with a portion of what they produced. Although it is admirable to look at the surviving Egyptian monuments, we have very little information about what happened during the construction of these monuments and the workers' labor. The few inscriptions and papyrus that have survived today provide limited information about these construction activities. One is the “Turin Papyrus” or the “Turin Strike Papyrus,” still preserved in the Egizio Museum in Turin. The papyrus has gained fame because it contains the narrative of the first labor strike in human history. The author of the Turin Papyrus, which has been translated into modern languages over time, was the Scribe Amennakhte, a civil servant living in the city of Deir el-Medina in the 29th year of the reign of Ramses III (1157 BC). In the text he wrote, he provides information about what happened after the tomb workers in the city of Deir el Medina could not receive their wages during the reign of Ramses III. This study aims to explain why Egyptian workers went on strike and fought for their rights by taking the narratives in the Turin Papyrus as a reference and to reveal the general economic situation of Egypt during the formation of the strike.

Keywords

• Ancient Egypt
• Turin Papyrus
• Strike
• Ramses III.

Ethical Statement

I declare that this study is original; that I have acted by the principles and rules of scientific ethics at all stages of the study, including preparation, data collection, analysis, and presentation of information; that I have cited sources for all data and information not obtained within the scope of this study and included these sources in the bibliography; that I have not made any changes in the data used, and that I comply with ethical duties and responsibilities by accepting all the terms and conditions of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). I hereby declare that if a situation contrary to my statement regarding the study is detected, I agree to all moral and legal consequences that may arise.

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