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Dynasty XV : 1668-1560

The Hyksos--invaders of apparent North Syrian origin and arriving from Palestine -- established their capital at Avaris and maintained direct rule over much of northern Egypt and loose suzerainty over Asiatic and Egyptian vassals (including the Thebans of most of Dynasty XVII) in the rest of the country.

The following Hyksos rulers are attested on contemporary monuments:

Salitis
Salitis was the 1st king of the 15th Dynasty. Northern Egypt was under Heksus rulers throughout the Dynasty. The Heksus are the Asiatics that invaded through Sinai and settled in the Delta.

The Heksus controlled all the Nile Delta and Northern Egypt. By time, they got more powerful and set their own Dynasties (from the 14th till the end of the 16th Dynasty).

Some scholars mentione Salitis’s name as "Sultan". This is an Arabic translation of the phrase ’powerful king’ because the king was considered to be the founder of the Great Heksus Dynasty. Salitis captured Memphis and placed himself in higher rank than any of the royal families in the Capital.

Apachnan
(Khian)
Apachnan was the third king of the 15th Dynasty. He was considered one of the "Great Heksus". Apachnan’s power reached beyond his kingdom in Northern Egypt. Archeologists found some scarabs and seals bearing his name in Northern and Southern Egypt and some Mediterranean islands such as Crete.

Khamudi
Khamudi was the last king of the 15th Dynasty and was the last king of the "Great Heksus". The king was listed in the Turin Canon. Khamudi’s Obelisk was discovered near the ancient city of Avaris. The king was responsible for negotiation of the Hiksus army’s withdrawal from Avaris and most of the Delta.

Khamudi was pressured to withdraw due to the successful campaign of Ahmose I’s army on his capital. However, the southern Pharaohs did not keep their agreement and pushed the Heksus out of Egypt and raided their cities in the Middle East for several years by the Theben kings of the 18th Dynasty.