Amenemhat I, also known as Ammenemes, was the first pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He began his reign around 1991 BC. AD and established the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, a period of political stability, economic prosperity and artistic flowering.
One of the main accomplishments of Amenemhat I was the centralization of power. After the tumults of the First Intermediate Period, the pharaoh set up a strong administration which enabled him to exercise effective control over the whole of Egyptian territory.
The Builder of a New Capital
Amenemhat I is famous for having founded a new capital, called Itj-Taouy or El-Lisht, located near present-day Cairo. This strategic move allowed Amenemhat to effectively control the entire country, from the rich gold mines of Upper Egypt to the fertile Nile Delta in Lower Egypt.
The choice of this new capital also symbolized the transition to the Middle Kingdom and served to reinforce the authority and legitimacy of Amenemhat I. This capital was the center of Egyptian administration for almost two centuries.
End of Tragic Reign
Despite the successes of his reign, the end of Amenemhat I's life was marked by personal tragedy. He fell victim to a plot within his own palace and was murdered.
The story of his assassination has been preserved in an ancient text known as “The Teaching of Amenemhat I for his son Sénusert”, where the deceased king gives advice to his son and heir, while recounting his own tragic death.
Despite this tragic end, Amenemhat I left a lasting legacy and laid the foundations for the Middle Kingdom, one of the most prosperous periods in Egyptian history.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||