by Rob Monaco

Episode 11: The Middle Kingdom J. Marshall 2012

BCE/CE

Power in the Old Kingdom

• Djoser, Sneferu, Kufhu: key leaders in the old capital of Memphis

D KS

Ended in Weakness

Pepi II (age 6 - 100!) = feeble

= low Nile floods = famine

= decentralized into Lower and Upper Egypt

= gave 22 nomarchs (governors)power + greed

Nomarchs

KING

First Intermediate Period

• Nemtyemsaf II – Pepi’s son rules only 1 year

• Followed by 17 kings in 20 years = instability and famine

• Oligarchy? (a few nobles) Plutocracy? (the wealthy)

• Weak kings paid favours to nobles

Scenes of starvation

Nomarch strength:

• Keti dictator of Herakleopolis = strong ruler, but

• Expanded territory• Coup d’etat on king

at Thebes

Coup d-etat = military takeoverde facto = “in reality”

Mmmm, crazy guy,

my favorite

Attack up river

Intef I “The Great Overlord of Upper Egypt”

Son of Ra =

= 100 yrs civil war (held strong in Thebes against Antifi, another nomarch)

Abu /

king

Upper Nile Region

Intef II= Humanitarian famine relief Abu /

Mentuhotep II 2010 BCE(Named after Nubian war god)

His Theban army attacks Herakleopolis and reunifies Egypt, ending civil war.

Mentuhotep IISolidifies power by replacing

nomarchs with HIS (less powerful) followers.

= Strong centralized government2010-1630 BCE = Middle Kingdom

• Amenemhat I was Mentuhotep IV’s vizier (king’s right-hand man)

• War with Nubia• But………………………..

How do we know?Record of rebellion suggests assassination

mercenary = soldier for hire

A

Senusret’s story of Amenemhat:

“Blah, blah, blah; Amenemhat was killed by dirty dogs, blah, blah. I am the rightful king, blah, blah…”

Martyr = somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.

Propaganda = information meant to influence emotions, usually political.

Senusret III: moved the nomarchs to Thebes

What do you mean my ears

are bigger than Mr. Marshall’s?

Keep your friends close

and your enemies closer.

Senusret: I am a king who attacks to conquer

Sobekneferu 1760 BCE

First female “king”

Ends Middle Kingdom

Starts 2nd Intermediate Period

fin

Nomarchs

KING