THE GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY
H I S T O R Y N O T E S
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GREAT AFRICAN LAND OF ANTIQUITY
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF DYNASTIC KMT
PART 3
The Middle Kingdom: Kmt's Second Golden Age
Ancient Kmt's Second Golden Age, the Middle Kingdom, the significant period in Kemetic history encompassing Dynasties XI (ca. 2134-1991 B.C.E.) and XII (1991-1786 B.C.E.), was founded by the Mentuhoteps and Intefs--a distinguished and aggressive family of African nobles from Waset, the then unheralded city in Kmt's Scepter nome that the Greeks were to call Thebes. When Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II assumed the Upper Kemetic throne around 2060 B.C.E. his house was only able to claim hegemony over Southern Kmt. Under his determined and able leadership, however, this situation changed dramatically and quickly and early in his reign the Southerners began their most concerted, sustained and ultimately successful drive for the reunification of all Kmt. This was accomplished in 2040 B.C.E. along with the reestablishment of a strong central monarchy. Kmt, once again, was united under a single royal house, with Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II proclaimed as the nation's undisputed king.
In 1991 B.C.E. another Southerner, Sehetepibre Amenemhet I (1991-1971 B.C.E.), founded Kemetic Dynasty XII. Dynasty XII is regarded as the great national age of Kemetic literature. During his reign, for administrative purposes, the capital of Kmt was transferred from Waset north to It-Tawy (`Holder-of-the- Two Lands'). Of the eight monarchs of Dynasty XII, the first six had reigns of more than nineteen years each. Nubkaure Amenemhet II (1929-1895 B.C.E.) dedicated a temple in Sinai to the great goddess Het-Heru (Hathor) and sent an expedition to Punt. The land of Punt, here it should be stated (probably located geographically in modern-day Somalia), was considered by the people of Kmt as "God's land." Punt was a major producer of ebony, frankincense and myrrh and throughout Kmt's dynastic period no region was held in greater esteem than the land of Punt.
Khakaure Senusret III (1878-1843 B.C.E.) was a formidable militarist acclaimed as conqueror of much of Africa, Asia and Europe. Nymare Amenemhet III (1843-1797 B.C.E.) was a tremendous builder. He raised two great pyramids and commissioned the construction of the monument that came to be called the `Egyptian Labyrinth.' The Labyrinth must have been one of the largest buildings in antiquity and contained three thousand individual rooms--fifteen hundred below the ground and fifteen hundred above the ground.
The Age of National Humiliation: Kmt's Second Intermediate Period
Following Dynasty XII Kmt experienced her Second Intermediate Period. It has even been suggested that the Dynasty XIII Kemetic monarchs were actually elected as rulers for indefinite periods of time. Dynasty XIII was based in the South at Waset. Even more obscure than Dynasty XIII, Kemetic Dynasty XIV was based at Ineb-hedj (Memphis). Mer-en-Jehuti provides a combined total of 136 monarchs for both dynasties. The end of Dynasty XIV coincided with the general collapse of Kmt's central government. A disorganized Kmt was obviously not prepared for its national defense and unfortunately the Second Intermediate Period occurred at a time of serious political upheavals and human migrations in Asia and Europe. Capitalizing on Kmt's internal disarray were the Hyksos--the `Rulers of Foreign Lands', who proceeded to occupy Kmt in force.
The Hyksos occupied Kmt for more than a century and constituted Dynasties XV and XVI. These are foreign dynasties. During Dynasty XVII they remained the dominant force in Northern Kmt, while in Southern Kmt the Africans were intensifying their national liberation struggle against the Hyksos. Among the principle leaders of this struggle were Seqenenre Tao I, Queen Tetisheri, Seqenenre Tao II, Queen Ahhotep and Wadjkheperri Kamose. Generally speaking, and in this period in particular, it should be stressed that the women of the royal Kemetic families exercised considerable influence. They occupied positions of great authority and were extremely active in Kmt's national liberation struggle.
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Revised: November 03, 2000.
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