Seuserenre Khyan, Khian or Khayan was reportedly the fourth king of the Hyksos Fifteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled approximately c.1610-1580 BC The Danish Egyptologist, Kim Ryholt, who published an extensive catalogue of the monuments of all the numerous pharaohs of the Second Intermediate Period notes an important personal detail regarding this king's family. He states that:

a stela set up in Avaris contains the nomen and prenomen of Khayan and a now lost dedication (presumably to Seth, Lord of Avaris) below which are inscribed the title and name of the Eldest King's Son Yanassi. The association of Khayan with those of his eldest son upon this stela suggests that the latter in fact was his designated successor, as also implied by his title.^[1]

Khyan was, however, succeeded by Apophis who apparently was a usurper.^[2] Ryholt argues that the Turin Canon gives Khyan a reign of thirty to forty years due to the large numbers of objects known for this Hyksos king.^[3] Since both Bietak and Ryholt record that Yanassi was apparently Khyan's designated successor, Apophis may have staged a coup d'etat to seize power—perhaps immediately after the death of Khyan to pre-empt the latter's son from assuming the throne.

At Avaris were recently excavated the remains of a palace. Seal impressions of Khyan were found there, indicating that this was his palace.^[4]

Origin of Khyan's name[link]

Khyan[5] in hieroglyphs

Ryholt notes that the name, Khyan, generally has been "interpreted as Amorite Hayanu (reading h-ya-a-n) which the Egyptian form represents perfectly, and this is in all likelihood the correct interpretation." ^[6] It should be stressed that Khyan's name was not original and had been in use for centuries prior to the fifteenth Hyksos Dynasty. The name Hayanu is recorded in the Assyrian king lists—see "Khorsabad List I, 17 and the SDAS List, I, 16"--"for a remote ancestor of Shamshi-Adad I (c.1800 BC)."^[6] Khyan's name is transcribed as Staan in Africanus' version of Manetho's Epitome.

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Kim Ryholt, The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period c.1800-1550 B.C., Museum Tuscalanum Press, (1997), 463 pages, ISBN 87-7289-421-0

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