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What was Armah's objective for creating a "community of companions" around the structure of the "Per Ankh?"

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Final answer:

Armah aimed to establish a 'community of companions' around the 'Per Ankh' with the objective of creating a united and loyal group to sustain the state's religious doctrine and control resources, similar to historical patterns of religious reform for centralized authority.

Step-by-step explanation:

Armah, similar to rulers such as Akhenaten, pursued a religious and political transformation via the establishment of a community of companions within the framework of the Per Ankh. The Per Ankh, or 'House of Life', was an institution tied to temples in ancient Egypt, functioning as a place of worship, learning, and preservation of knowledge. This move was integrated into the existing societal structure, aiming to build a cohesive, loyal, and ideologically aligned group, capable of sustaining and propagating the state's religious doctrine. Creating such a community fostered unity and provided a mechanism for controlling resources and labor, ensuring the cohesion and perpetuation of the system embodied by the Per Ankh.


In the historical context provided, this reflects a pattern where rulers utilized religious reform to centralize authority and reduce the power of established priesthoods, as seen with Akhenaten's monotheistic shift to the worship of Aton, where he disrupted traditional power structures by bypassing the powerful priests of Amun. Significantly, the objective behind fostering this tight-knit community revolves around ensuring stability and continuity of rule, especially following turbulent times or major religious reforms, akin to the aftermath of Akhenaten's reign or the consolidation and survival of the early Muslim ummah after Muhammad's death.

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