He most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles

Lord of the Two Lands and High Priest of Every Temple

As 'Lord of the Two Lands

the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt

He owned all of the land,made laws, collected taxes

and defended Egypt against foreigners

As High Priest of Every Temple,the pharaoh represented the gods on Earth

He performed rituals and built temples to honor the gods

Many pharaohs went to war when their land was threatened or when they wanted to control foreign lands. If the pharaoh won the battle, the conquered people had to recognize the Egyptian pharaoh as their ruler and offer him the finest and most valuable goods from their land