Ancient Egypt: The Middle Kingdom Begins

This episode is going to cover the pharaohs of the early Middle Kingdom. We will explore the challenges they faced to secure their thrones in what was still a turbulent time. The Middle Kingdom began around 2010 BC and is considered to be Ancient Egypt's second golden age. It followed just over a century of political chaos that was the first intermediate period. It began when Montahotep I won the civil war that secured Dynasty XI. He reigned for about 50 years and is regarded as one of Ancient Egypt's greatest pharaohs. His successors on the other hand had reigns that were less spectacular. Montahotep II had a much shorter reign of about 12 years. It's probably the case that he came to the throne past his prime due to his father's long reign. He organised an expedition to the Wadi Hamat. His advisor led 3,000 soldiers there to obtain black stone suitable for statues. A visor by the way was the pharaoh's prime minister. Montahotep III had an even shorter reign of just 6 years. He also organised an expedition to the Wadi Hamat to bring back black stone. This time however just 1,000 men under the command of his visor Amun Hamat. We don't know how Montahotep III died exactly but we do know that it was this visor Amun Hamat who took the throne and founded Dynasty XII. So who was this Amun Hamat I? Inscriptions found at Karnak record that he had humble beginnings. His parents were commoners. So although Amun Hamat had held one of the most powerful positions in the court of Montahotep III, he was certainly not of royal stock. Therefore the general assumption was that the death of Montahotep III had caused enough political instability for Amun Hamat to seize the throne. In fact there is sufficient enough evidence to state that Amun Hamat faced plenty of opposition to his rule. So much so that his first task was to crush these rebels. Inscriptions found at Beni Hassan tell us how Amun Hamat I led a naval campaign down the Nile, crushing foreigners and Further still, inscriptions found in the Sahara tell us that he sent men there to track down and capture rebels. He had to fight for his throne. The pharaohs of Dynasty XI ruled from Thebes. Amun Hamat I, on the other hand, decided to move the capital to a city called Itijtewe, which is located more central between Upper and Lower Egypt. He also built a pyramid nearby at Lisht. As far as we know this was the first pyramid to be built in about a century. Another significant change that Amun Hamat made was in religion. The Montahoteps all chose the war god Montu as their patron deity. Amun Hamat, on the other hand, chose the god Amun. And it was from this point that Amun began to rise in popularity to later become one of Egypt's most important gods. At this time however, Egypt had been experiencing some other important religious changes. The first intermediate period had seen the rise of the cult of Osiris. All the attributes associated with death, resurrection and the afterlife were now connected to this one god and his popularity had spread across Egypt. As a result, the site of Abydos had become a sacred site of pilgrimage. It was believed that Osiris was buried there. It was actually the tomb of a first dynasty pharaoh called Gia. Egyptians would travel from all over the country to visit the site and give the god an offering. So, back to our pharaoh Amun Hamat I. He took steps to shore up the borders and turn Egypt into a regional power again. Worried about the sort of foreign incursions that Egypt suffered during the first intermediate period, he ordered the construction of a series of fortified bases along the Asiatic border. Each manned with a garrison performing regular patrols. They monitored border traffic. From there, we also know that on the 24th year of his reign, Amun Hamat ordered a military campaign into the Gaza region. In the south, he ordered a full-scale military attack on the strategic location of Buhen, at the foot of the second cataract. A cataract, by the way, is an area of the Nile where rock formations break up the surface, making it difficult to pass by by boat. They were used as strategic locations where Egypt could control Nile traffic coming from Nubia. From Buhen, Amun Hamat I ordered the construction of another fortified base. And it was from there, on the 29th year of his reign, that he ordered a devastating military campaign into the Warat region of Nubia, extending his control there as well. In the 20th year of his reign, Amun Hamat began a practice that would feature throughout the 12th dynasty. He introduced the co-regency. His son, Prince Senuset, would become joint ruler. Egypt would essentially have two pharaohs. This policy was designed to secure Dynasty 12 after his death. And this turned out to be good foresight, because 10 years later, after three decades on the throne, Amun Hamat was assassinated by his bodyguard. Pharaoh Senuset was on campaign in Libya when it happened. He rushed back to the capital in quick time to consolidate his position. But the co-regency worked, and it would be a policy that he himself adopted later in his own reign. Amun Hamat I founded Dynasty 12, and he had to fight throughout his reign to secure not just his throne, but the dynasty. On top of that, he made Egypt the regional power it had once been, and stabilised the Middle Kingdom. Thank you for watching, and if you like my content, don't forget to like, share, subscribe and comment. Have a great day.