Mentuhotep II
Encyclopedia : M : ME : MEN : Mentuhotep II
Nebhotepre Mentuhotep II (2046-1995 BCE) was a Pharaoh of the 11th dynasty, the son of Intef III of Egypt and a minor queen called Iah. His own wife was the 'king's mother' Tem. Other wives were Neferu (his sister) and five women buried in his funerary complex. The only known son is Mentuhotep III.
The king changed in his reign several times his name, perhaps reflecting important political events. His throne name was Nebhepetra, and he was the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. He is known to have ruled 51 years.
In the 14th year of his reign, Mentuhotep won a decisive victory over the rival 10th dynasty at Herakleopolis Magna. Little is known of this battle.
To reunite the lands of Egypt, Mentuhotep II combined the gods of Lower and Upper Egypt, creating a new national god: Amun-Re
The ruler at Herakleopolis at the time, Merykara, died soon after this battle, and Mentuhotep is believed to have quickly put an end to the rival dynasty, reuniting ancient Egypt for the first time since the 6th dynasty.
He is also known for commanding military campaigns south into Nubia, which had gained its independence during the First Intermediate Period. There is also evidence for military actions agaist Palestine.
The king reorganised the country and placed a vizier at the head of the administration. The viziers of his reign were Bebi and Dagi. Treasurer was Khety who was involved in the sed festival of the king. He was followed by Meketre. General was a certain Intef known from his Theban tomb.
He was buried in a tomb he had erected at Deir el-Bahri. Mentuhotep II built temples and chapels at several places in Upper Egypt.
Further reading
- W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: History,Archaeology and Society, Duckworth, London 2006 ISBN 0715634356, 18-23
- Labib Habachi: King Nebhepetre Menthuhotep: his monuments, place in history, deification and unusual representations in form of gods. Annales du Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte 19 (1963), p. 16-52
External links
| Preceded by: Intef III | Pharaoh of Egypt Eleventh Dynasty | Succeeded by: Mentuhotep III |
|
| Notable Ancient Egyptians |
|
|---|---|---|
| Old Kingdom Rulers: Narmer | Hor-Aha | Djoser | Sneferu | Khufu | Khafra | Menkaura | Pepi II | ||
| Middle Kingdom Rulers: Mentuhotep II | Mentuhotep IV | Senusret III | Amenemhat III | Sobekneferu | ||
| New Kingdom Rulers: Hatshepsut | Thutmose III | Amenhotep III | Akhenaten | Tutankhamun | Ramesses I | Seti I | Ramesses II | ||
| Other Rulers: Shoshenq I | Piye | Taharqa | Psammetichus I | Ptolemy I | Cleopatra VII | ||
| Consorts: Tetisheri | Ahmose-Nefertari | Ahmose | Tiy | Nefertiti | Ankhesenpaaten | Nefertari | Mark Antony | ||
| Court officials: Imhotep | Weni | Ahmose, son of Ebana | Ineni | Senemut | Yuya | Maya | Yuny | Manetho | Pothinus | ||
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.