Download The First Intermediate Period, the Seventh to Eleventh

The First Intermediate Period, the Seventh to Eleventh dynasties,
spanned approximately one hundred years and was characterized by
political instability and conflict between the Heracleopolitan and
Theban Kings.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Describe the processes by which the First Intermediate Period occurred, and then transitioned
into the Middle Kingdom
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The First Intermediate Period was a dynamic time in history where rule of Egypt was roughly
divided between two competing power bases. One of those bases resided at Heracleopolis in
Lower Egypt, a city just south of the Faiyum region. The other resided at Thebes in Upper Egypt.
The Old Kingdom fell due to problems with succession from the Sixth Dynasty, the rising power
of provincial monarchs, and a drier climate that resulted in widespread famine.
Little is known about the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties due to a lack of evidence, but the Seventh
Dynasty was most likely an oligarchy, while Eighth Dynasty rulers claimed to be the descendants
of the Sixth Dynasty kings. Both ruled from Memphis.
The Heracleopolitan Kings saw periods of both violence and peace under their rule, and
eventually brought peace and order to the Nile Delta region.
Siut princes to the south of the Heracleopolitan Kingdom became wealthy from a variety of
agricultural and economic activities, and acted as a buffer during times of conflict between the
northern and southern parts of Egypt.
The Theban Kings enjoyed a string of military successes, the last of which was a victory against the
Heracleopolitan Kings that unified Egypt under the Twelfth Dynasty.
TERMS [ edit ]
oligarchy
a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people who
might be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or military control
Mentuhotep II
a pharaoh of the Eleventh Dynasty who defeated the Heracleopolitan Kings and unified Egypt.
Often considered the first pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom.
First Intermediate Period
a period of political conflict and instability lasting approximately 100 years and spanning the
Seventh to Eleventh Dynasties.
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The First Intermediate Period, often
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described as a "dark period" in ancient
Egyptian history after the end of the Old Kingdom, spanned approximately one hundred
years, from ca. 2181–2055 BC . It included the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and part of the
Eleventh dynasties. Very little monumental evidence survives from this period, especially
towards the beginning of the era. The First Intermediate Period was a dynamic time in
history where rule of Egypt was roughly divided between two competing power bases. One of
those bases resided at Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt, a city just south of the Faiyum region.
The other resided at Thebes in Upper Egypt. It is believed that during this time, temples were
pillaged and violated, existing artwork was vandalized, and statues of kings were broken or
destroyed as a result of alleged political chaos. Towards the end of the period, these two
kingdoms eventually came into military conflict. The Theban kings conquered the north,
which resulted in the reunification of Egypt under a single ruler during the second part of the
Eleventh dynasty.
Events Leading to the First Intermediate Period
The fall of the Old Kingdom is often described as a period of chaos and disorder in ancient
Egyptian literature. The causes that brought about the downfall of the Old Kingdom are
numerous. One reason often quoted is the extremely long reign of Pepi II, the last
major pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty. Ruling from his childhood into his nineties, he outlived
many of his heirs and therefore created problems with succession in the royal household.
The regime of the Old Kingdom disintegrated amidst this disorganization.
Another major problem was the rise in power of the provincial nomarchs. Towards the end of
the Old Kingdom, the positions of the nomarchs had become hereditary, and families often
held onto the position of power in their respective provinces. As these nomarchs grew
increasingly powerful and influential, they became more independent from the king. They
erected tombs in their own domains and often raised armies. The rise of these numerous
nomarchs inevitably created conflicts between neighboring provinces, which resulted in
intense rivalries and warfare. A third reason for the dissolution of centralized kingship was
the low levels of the Nile inundation, which may have resulted in a drier climate and lower
crop yields. These changes in weather brought about famine across ancient Egypt.
The Seventh and Eighth Dynasties at Memphis
The Seventh and Eighth dynasties are often overlooked because very little is known about the
rulers of these two periods. The Seventh Dynasty was most likely an oligarchybased in
Memphis that attempted to retain control of the country. The Eighth Dynasty rulers,
claiming to be the descendants of the Sixth Dynasty kings, also ruled from Memphis. Little is
known about these two dynasties since very little textual or architectural evidence survives to
describe the period. However, a few artifacts have been found, including scarabs that have
been attributed to king Neferkare II of the Seventh Dynasty as well as a green jasper cylinder
of Syrian influence which has been credited to the Eighth Dynasty. A small pyramid believed
to have been constructed by King Ibi of the Eighth Dynasty has also been identified at
Saqqara.
The Heracleopolitan Kings
After the obscure reign of the seventh and eighth dynasties kings, a group of rulers rose out
of Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt and ruled for approximately 94 years. These kings comprise
the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties, each with nineteen listed rulers.
The founder of the Ninth Dynasty, Wahkare Khety I, is often described as an evil and violent
ruler who caused much harm to the inhabitants of Egypt. He was seized with madness, and,
as legend would have it, was eventually killed by a crocodile. Kheti I was succeeded by Kheti
II, also known as Meryibre, whose reign was essentially peaceful but experienced problems
in the Nile Delta. His successor, Kheti III, brought some degree of order to the Delta,
although the power and influence of these ninth dynasty kings were still relatively
insignificant compared to that of the Old Kingdom pharaohs.
A distinguished line of nomarchs rose out of Siut (or Asyut), which was a powerful and
wealthy province in the south of the Heracleopolitan kingdom. These warrior princes
maintained a close relationship with the kings of the Heracleopolitan royal household, as
evidenced by the inscriptions in their tombs. These inscriptions provide a glimpse at the
political situation that was present during their reigns and describe the Siut nomarchs
digging canals, reducing taxation, reaping rich harvests, raising cattle herds, and
maintaining an army and fleet. The Siut province acted as a buffer state between the
northern and southern rulers and bore the brunt of the attacks from the Theban kings.
The Theban Kings
This Theban line of kings is believed to have been descendants of Intef or Inyotef, the
nomarch of Thebes, often called the "Keeper of the Door of the South. " He is credited for
organizing Upper Egypt into an independent ruling body in the south, although he himself
did not appear to have tried to claim the title of king (that job fell to his successors in the
Eleventh and Twelfth dynasty, who did so for him.) Intef II began the Theban assault on
northern Egypt, and his successor, Intef III, completed the attacked and moved into Middle
Egypt against the Heracleopolitan kings. The first three kings of the Eleventh Dynasty (all
named Intef) were, therefore, also the last three kings of the First Intermediate Period and
were succeeded by a line of kings who were all called Mentuhotep. Mentuhotep II, also
known as Nebhepetra, would eventually defeat the Heracleopolitan kings around 2033 BCE
and unify the country to continue the Eleventh Dynasty and bring Egypt into the Middle
Kingdom.
Mentuhotep II
Painted sandstone seated statue of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II, Egyptian Museum, Cairo.