Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt

Group of rulers in ancient Egypt

c. 2150 BC–c. 1991 BC

Funerary stele of Intef II, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Capital

Thebes

Common languages

Egyptian language

Religion

ancient Egyptian religion

Government

Absolute monarchy

Historical era

Bronze Age

• Established

c. 2150 BC

• Disestablished

c. 1991 BC

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Tenth Dynasty of Egypt

Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt

Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt

All years are BC

Early

Pre-dynastic period
First Dynasty	I	c. 3150–2890
Second Dynasty	II	2890–2686

Old Kingdom

Third Dynasty	III	2686–2613
Fourth Dynasty	IV	2613–2498
Fifth Dynasty	V	2498–2345
Sixth Dynasty	VI	2345–2181

First Intermediate

Seventh Dynasty	VII	spurious
Eighth Dynasty	VIII	2181–2160
Ninth Dynasty	IX	2160–2130
Tenth Dynasty	X	2130–2040
Early Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2134–2061

Middle Kingdom

Late Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2061–1991
Twelfth Dynasty	XII	1991–1803
Thirteenth Dynasty	XIII	1803–1649

Second Intermediate

Fourteenth Dynasty	XIV	1705–1690
Fifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos)	XV	1674–1535
Sixteenth Dynasty	XVI	1660–1600
Abydos Dynasty		1650–1600
Seventeenth Dynasty	XVII	1580–1549

New Kingdom

Eighteenth Dynasty	XVIII	1549–1292
Nineteenth Dynasty	XIX	1292–1189
Twentieth Dynasty	XX	1189–1077

Third Intermediate

Twenty-first Dynasty	XXI	1069–945
Twenty-second Dynasty	XXII	945–720
Twenty-third Dynasty	XXIII	837–728
Twenty-fourth Dynasty	XXIV	732–720
Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Nubian)	XXV	732–653

Late Period

Twenty-sixth Dynasty	XXVI	672–525
Twenty-seventh Dynasty (1st Persian Period)	XXVII	525–404
Twenty-eighth Dynasty	XXVIII	404–398
Twenty-ninth Dynasty	XXIX	398–380
Thirtieth Dynasty	XXX	380–343
Thirty-first Dynasty (2nd Persian Period)	XXXI	343–332

Hellenistic Egypt

Thirty-second Dynasty	XXXII	332–305
Thirty-third Dynasty	XXXIII	305–30

Roman Egypt

Thirty-fourth Dynasty
(Roman Pharaohs)

XXXIV

30 BC – 313 AD

See also: List of pharaohs by period and dynasty
Periodization of ancient Egypt

The Eleventh Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty XI; c. 2150 BC – c. 1991 BC) is a well-attested group of rulers. Its earlier members before Pharaoh Mentuhotep II are grouped with the four preceding dynasties to form the First Intermediate Period, whereas the later members are considered part of the Middle Kingdom. They all ruled from Thebes in Upper Egypt.

Characteristics

The relative chronology of the 11th Dynasty is well established by contemporary attestations and, except for count Intef and Mentuhotep IV, by the Turin canon.^[1]

Manetho's statement that Dynasty XI consisted of 16 kings, who reigned for 43 years is contradicted by contemporary inscriptions and the evidence of the Turin King List, whose combined testimony establishes that this kingdom consisted of seven kings who ruled for a total of 143 years.^[2] However, his testimony that this dynasty was based at Thebes is verified by the contemporary evidence. It was during this dynasty that all of ancient Egypt was united under the Middle Kingdom.

This dynasty traces its origins to a nomarch of Thebes, "Intef the Great, son of Iku", who is mentioned in a number of contemporary inscriptions. However, his immediate successor Mentuhotep I is considered the first king of this dynasty.

An inscription carved during the reign of Wahankh Intef II shows that he was the first of this dynasty to claim to rule over the whole of Egypt, a claim which brought the Thebans into conflict with the rulers of Herakleopolis Magna, Dynasty X. Intef undertook several campaigns northwards, and captured the important nome of Abydos.

Warfare continued intermittently between the Thebean and Heracleapolitan dynasts until the 14th regnal year of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II, when the Herakleopolitans were defeated, and this dynasty could begin to consolidate their rule. The rulers of Dynasty XI reasserted Egypt's influence over her neighbors in Africa and the Near East. Mentuhotep II sent renewed expeditions to Phoenicia to obtain cedar. Sankhkara Mentuhotep III sent an expedition from Coptos south to the land of Punt.

The reign of its last king, and thus the end of this dynasty, is something of a mystery. Contemporary records refer to "seven empty years" following the death of Mentuhotep III, which correspond to the reign of Nebtawyra Mentuhotep IV. Modern scholars identify his vizier Amenemhat with Amenemhat I, the first king of Dynasty XII, as part of a theory that Amenemhat became king as part of a palace coup. The only certain details of Mentuhotep's reign was that two remarkable omens were witnessed at the quarry of Wadi Hammamat by the vizier Amenemhat.

Pharaohs of the Eleventh Dynasty

**Pharaohs of Dynasty XI**
Pharaoh	Horus name	Reign	Burial	Consort(s)	Comments
Intef the Elder	(unknown)	Around 2150 BC			Iry-pat, "the Count", probably the same person as "Intef, son of Iku".^[1] Theban nomarch serving an unnamed king.
Mentuhotep I	Tepya	2134 BC – ?		Neferu I	Tepy-a, "the ancestor"
Intef I	Sehertawy	?–2118 BC	El-Tarif, Thebes		Son of Mentuhotep I
Intef II	Wahankh	2118–2069 BC	El-Tarif, Thebes	Neferukayet?	Brother of Intef I
Intef III	Nakhtnebtepnefer	2069–2061 BC	El-Tarif, Thebes	Iah	Son of Intef II
Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II	Seankhibtawy; Netjerihedjet; Smatawy	2061–2010 BC	Deir el-Bahari	Tem Neferu II Ashayet Henhenet Kawit Kemsit Sadeh	Son of Intef III and Iah. Reunifies Egypt starting the Middle Kingdom.
Sankhkare Mentuhotep III	Sankhtawyef	2010–1998 BC	Deir el-Bahari^[3]		Son of Mentuhotep II and Tem
Nebtawyre Mentuhotep IV	Nebtawy	1998–1991 BC			Son of Queen Imi

11th Dynasty model of Egyptian soldiers from the tomb of Mesehti.

Notes

^ ^a ^b Schneider, Thomas (2006-12-30). Hornung, Erik; Krauss, Rolf; Warburton, David A. (eds.). Ancient Egyptian Chronology. pp. 160–161. ISBN 9789047404002. (mirror)
^ Beckerath, J. V. (1962). "The Date of the End of the Old Kingdom of Egypt". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 21 (2): 140–147. doi:10.1086/371680. S2CID 161488411.
^ Wilkinson, Richard H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 37, 172, 173, 181. ISBN 9780500051009.