He mandated worship of one god exclusively
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Prior to his reign the many priesthoods were very powerful, and slowly over long periods of Egyptian history they whittled away at Pharoah's power. Trying to consolidate power and centralize it in the person of Pharoah wasn't a bad idea, but Akhenaten's approach was much too radical and extreme. At one point, Pharoah was seen as the High Priest of every cult. Akhenaten obliterated the cults. The priesthoods fought to get their power back, and it didn't take them long.
A pharaoh could make the laws of ancient Egypt and many times did make them. However he was under an overall restriction, so to speak, because the Egyptian outlook on life was one of continuity. A new law could not be too radical or the priests would get upset as their idea of the gods could not be changed. The Pharaoh Akhenaten tried it, but his reforms, both religious and civil lasted only as long as he did.
First as a monarchy, then as an oligarchy, then as a tyranny, then as a democracy, then as a radical democracy.
That is the only way they can record radical changes that separate periods.
When it became a radical democracy the (adult male) citizens met in fortnightly assembly and made decisions which were implemented by the Council. The citizens also formed the law courts - there were no judges or lawyers.