Dynasties of the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (2030–1640 B.C.) | Middle East And North Africa

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MIDDLE KINGDOM DYNASTIES (2030–1640 B.C.)

the "Middle Kingdom", consisting of the 12th, 13th and part of the 11th dynasties lasted from around 2030 to 1640 B.C. The period between the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom — the 1st Intermediate Period (2150 to 2030 B.C.), the Middle Kingdom (2030 to 1640 B.C.) and the 2nd Intermediate Period (1640 to 1540 B.C.) — does not receive that much attention from historians and is largely unknown to the general public. Not that much new or of interest happened. There were some pyramids but no great ones. Art and culture were not all that different that what preceded and came after it. There were some great kings but none that were famous like King Tut or Ramesses II.

The 1st Intermediate Period consisted of dynasties 8, 9, 10, and the first half of 11, with a half dozen or so rulers. The Middle Kingdom consisted of the second half Dynasty 11 and dynasties 12 and 13, with 29 rulers. The 2nd Intermediate Period consisted of dynasties 14, 15, 16 and 17, with a dozen rulers.

According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica: The detailed origins of the Middle Kingdom are unknown, but in a political sense the Middle Kingdom may be said to begin when the ruler of Upper Egypt becomes the sole Pharaoh and the two lands are again united. During the 11th Dynasty the seat of rule remained at Thebes in the South, but the first Pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty moved the capital North to a new capital called Itjtawy, "Grasper of the Two Lands"; the capital remained there for more than 300 years. The 12th Dynasty is the "Classical Period" in the art and the literature of Ancient Egypt.[Source: Encyclopaedia Judaica, Thomson Gale, 2007]

Websites on Ancient Egypt: UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, escholarship.org ; Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Egypt sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Discovering Egypt discoveringegypt.com; BBC History: Egyptians bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians ; Ancient History Encyclopedia on Egypt ancient.eu/egypt; Digital Egypt for Universities. Scholarly treatment with broad coverage and cross references (internal and external). Artifacts used extensively to illustrate topics. ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt ; British Museum: Ancient Egypt ancientegypt.co.uk; Egypt’s Golden Empire pbs.org/empires/egypt; Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org ; Oriental Institute Ancient Egypt (Egypt and Sudan) Projects ; Egyptian Antiquities at the Louvre in Paris louvre.fr/en/departments/egyptian-antiquities; KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt kmtjournal.com; Egypt Exploration Society ees.ac.uk ; Amarna Project amarnaproject.com; Abzu: Guide to Resources for the Study of the Ancient Near East etana.org; Egyptology Resources fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Eleventh Dynasty 2125 – 1985 B.C.

The Middle Kingdom begins with the reunification of Egypt under Mentuhotep I who ousted the kings of Herakleopolis. Initially he adopted the Horus name Divine of the White Crown, highlighting his conquest of all of Upper Egypt. This was later changed to Uniter of the Two Lands. His outstanding mortuary complex at Dayr al-Bahri inspired the famous temple of Hatshepsut built nearby 500 years later. Kings of the Middle Kingdom: Intef I 2125-2112 B.C.; Intef II 2112-2063 B.C.; Intef III 2063-2055 B.C.; Mentuhotep I 2055-2004 B.C.; Mentuhotep II 2004-1992 B.C.; Mentuhotep III 1992-1985 B.C. . [Source: Mark Millmore, discoveringegypt.com discoveringegypt.com]

Amenemhet I's pyramid today

On the 11th Dynasty, Dr Aidan Dodson of the University of Bristol wrote: “After around 2190 B.C., Egypt fell to pieces, the various provinces eventually coalescing around the cities of Thebes and Herakleopolis. The resulting civil war was won by the Thebans of the 11th Dynasty, led by King Mentuhotep II. He kept the capital in the south, and there he built the tomb shown above, at a site now called Deir el-Bahari. It was a terraced temple of an unusual form, perhaps once topped by a pyramid. The burial chamber was at the end of a long tunnel beginning in the courtyard at the rear of the temple.” [Source: Dr Aidan Dodson, Egyptologist, University of Bristol, BBC, February 17, 2011]

According to Minnesota State University, Mankato: “This dynasty began in Thebes with Intef who was a nomarch and a priest. After gaining control, they began to get into small, frequent fights with the Herakleopolitans during the 9th and 10th Dynasties. The skirmishes took place generally north of Abydos. Eventually the Thebans conquered the Herakleopolitans under Mentuhotep I(or II) Nebhetepre. Mentuhotep ruled Upper and Lower Egypt from Thebes. He ordered the building of several temples including the mortuary complex at Deir el-Bahari. The dynasty is noted for building statues and temples and marks the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. The 11th Dynasty sent trading and other expeditions to acquire raw materials and trade items. Amenemhet, vizier and Governor of the region south of Mentuhotep III, overthrew the king and established the 12th Dynasty. [Source: Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com]

Twelfth Dynasty 1991 – 1782 B.C.

The 12th Dynasty began with the removal of Mentuhotep IV from the throne and Amenemhet I's ascension. Amenemhet I moved the capital back to the Memphis. He later took his son, Senusret as his co-regent. During the 10 years of joint rule Senusret led succesful military campaigns in Lower Nubia that claimed the region. Amenemhet was murdered while Senusret’ was on a campaign in Libya, but Senusret was able to hold on to power.Senusret III reorganised Egypt into four regions the northern and southern halves of the Nile Valley and the eastern and western Delta. Queen Sobeknefru, the first female monarch marked the end of the dynastic line. Twelfth Dynasty rulers: Amenemhet I 1985-1955 B.C.; Senusret I 1965-1920 B.C.; Amenemhet II 1922-1878 B.C.; Senusret II 1880-1874 B.C.; Senusret III 1874-1855 B.C.; Amenemhet III 1855-1808 B.C.; Amenemhet IV 1808-1799 B.C.; Queen Sobeknefru 1799-1795 B.C. [Source: Mark Millmore, discoveringegypt.com discoveringegypt.com ^^^]

During the 12th Dynasty there was a revival of Old Kingdom artistic styles. Senusret III and his successor Amenemhet III left a striking statuary of themselves as old, haggard rulers. The Egyptian written language was standardized into classical Middle Egyptian form. The earliest known literary texts were composed in this form, although several are attributed to figures from The most well-known of these is the “Instruction for Merikare,” a discourse on leadership and ethics.

According to Minnesota State University, Mankato: “The kings of this dynasty built pyramids similar to the ones built during the Old Kingdom; however, they were a bit smaller. The Faiyum was exploited for the cultivation of crops and much building went on during this dynasty's rule. The second king of this dynasty, Senusret I, built a series of 13 forts down to the Second Cataract to help protect Egypt from invaders. Although generally a peaceful time, there were several expeditions sent out to increase the borders of Egypt and in some cases to subdue rebellions. There was a significant amount of trading during this time as is evident by artifacts that originate outside of Egypt. Also there were a number of artifacts that originated from Egypt recovered from the tombs of princes outside of Egypt. This indicates that there was a peaceful foreign policy during much of the 12th Dynasty. [Source: Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com]

On the 12th Dynasty, Dr Aidan Dodson of the University of Bristol wrote: “The new line of pharaohs moved the capital back north from Thebes and resumed the building of pyramids for their tombs. The 12th Dynasty was one of great prosperity, which also re-established Egyptian control of Nubia, an area that straddled what is today the border of Egypt and Sudan. It was an important source of raw materials-especially gold-and was a crucial conduit of trade from central Africa. |Another thriving area during the period was the Fayum, an oasis area 100km (62 miles) south of Cairo, which saw major irrigation and other public works. Amongst these were two king's pyramids, one of them being the monument shown here, of Amenemhat III at Hawara. Unusually, it was built of mud-brick rather than stone, and it had a gargantuan temple built on the south side. This temple, known as the 'Labyrinth', was destroyed 2,000 years ago, leaving only the fragments visible in the foreground.” [Source: Dr Aidan Dodson, Egyptologist, University of Bristol, BBC, February 17, 2011]

Amenemhet III's pyramid

Late Middle Kingdom (Mid-12th to the 13th Dynasty)

Wolfram Grajetzki of University College London wrote: “In the Egyptian late Middle Kingdom (from Senusret III in the mid 12th to the 13th Dynasty), innovations are visible at all levels of Egyptian culture and administration. At this time, the country was heavily centralized, and there are several indications of a wish for tighter control in administration, while local governors lost much of their power. Royal activities were mainly focused on the Memphis-Fayum region, with Abydos and Thebes being two other important centers. At Avaris in the east Delta, the population grew substantially, also due to the influx of many foreigners from the Near East. Senusret III launched military campaigns against Nubia and Palestine, on a scale not attested before. In addition to his pyramid at Dahshur, he had a great funerary complex at Abydos. Amenemhat III is mainly known for his huge funerary complex at Hawara, later called the “Labyrinth” by the ancient Greeks. [Source: Wolfram Grajetzki, University College London, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 2013 escholarship.org ]

“In sculpture, a new style of portraiture for both kings shows them at an advanced age, rather than the usual idealized young ruler. The 12th Dynasty ends with the little known ruling queen Neferusobek. The transition to the following dynasty remains enigmatic. In stark contrast to the 12th Dynasty, the 13th Dynasty consisted of about 50 kings ruling for just 150 years. Culture and administration went on without any major break. Many kings still built pyramids in the Memphite region. Neferhotep I and Sobekhotep IV belong to the better attested kings of the dynasty: production of Abydos stelae seems to peak under them, and a dense network of officials is attested on the stelae. Far fewer sources survive for later rulers, but a stark decline on all levels is visible, perhaps related to the takeover of the east Delta fringe by foreigners living there.

“In terms of culture, administration, and to some extent politics, the Middle Kingdom burial customs. However, earlier works treat the whole Middle Kingdom into two main periods. The early Middle Kingdom comprised the late 11th Dynasty to approximately the middle of the 12th Dynasty. The late Middle Kingdom was the time after Senusret II and included the 13th Dynasty when Egypt was most likely still a unified country ruled by one king.

“Under the reign of Senusret III (1887 - 1848 B.C.), changes in art, administration, and religious beliefs are visible. They justify separating the late 12th Dynasty to 13th Dynasty from the early Middle Kingdom as new cultural and also political phase. The change has long been recognized because the governors in Middle Egypt no longer built impressive tombs and royal sculpture was introduced that no longer period. Only more recently one has recognized that the late Middle Kingdom is in many ways totally different from the early Middle Kingdom. This division into two phases is now accepted by most scholars working on the period. [Source: Wolfram Grajetzki, University College London, UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 2013 escholarship.org ]

“The 13th Dynasty is treated by several authors as still belonging to the Middle Kingdom , while others regard it as belonging to the Second Intermediate Period. The different approaches are easily explained by the authors’ different foci. Studies on Middle Kingdom arts and culture include the 13th Dynasty as there is no break visible after the 12th Dynasty. Studies focusing on the political history incorporate the 13 Dynasty into the Second Intermediate Period as the dynasty consisted of many short-ruling kings, in stark contrast to the long-ruling kings of the 12th Dynasty.”

Thirteenth Dynasty 1782 – 1650 BC: End of the Middle Kingdom

There are few surviving monuments from the Thirteenth Dynasty and little is known about it. Many kings reigned for a short time. They did not come from a single family and some were born commoners. The last fifty years or was a period of gradual decline. After the death of Ay, the eastern Delta broke away under its own petty kings and they established the 14th dynasty — of which even less is known than about the 13th Dynasty — this dynasty marked the beginning of the Second Intermediate Period. Immigration from the Middle East picked up. Successive waves of immigrant from Palestine and the Levant moved into the northeastern Nile Delta area. Thirteenth Dynasty rulers: Wegaf B.C.; Intef IV B.C.; Hor B.C.; Sobekhotep II B.C.; Khendjer B.C.; Sobekhotep III B.C.; Neferhotep I B.C.; Sobekhotep IV Around 1725 B.C.; Ay B.C.; Neferhotep II B.C. [Source: Mark Millmore, discoveringegypt.com discoveringegypt.com]

According to Minnesota State University, Mankato: “During this period, there were 10 kings which lasted for approximately 70 years. They ruled from It-tawy near the Faiyum. Near the end of the dynasty another dynasty, the 14th Dynasty, emerged and appears to have controlled the western delta. This dynasty eventually collapsed when the Hyksos invaded from the east. [Source: Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com +]

The Middle Kingdom came to a close during the 13th Dynasty. “There appears to have been a smooth transition between the 12th and 13th Dynasties. But for some reason the 13th lost more and more control as the later kings of that dynasty came to power. The close of the Middle Kingdom is sketchy. It is believed to have occurred when the 14th Dynasty took control of the western Delta and the 15th Dynasty took control of the eastern Delta. So began the 2nd Intermediate Period.” +\

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, escholarship.org ; Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Egypt sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Tour Egypt, Minnesota State University, Mankato, ethanholman.com; Mark Millmore, discoveringegypt.com discoveringegypt.com; Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Discover magazine, Times of London, Natural History magazine, Archaeology magazine, The New Yorker, BBC, Encyclopædia Britannica, Time, Newsweek, Wikipedia, Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “History of Warfare” by John Keegan (Vintage Books); “History of Art” by H.W. Janson Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last updated July 2024