| Merikare | |
|---|---|
| Merykare, Merykara | |
 Scribe palette of the chancellor Orkaukhety, bearing the cartouche of Merikare | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | c. 2075–2040 BCE |
| Predecessor | Wahkare Khety ? |
| Successor | possibly an unnamed ephemeral successor,[1] then Mentuhotep II (11th Dynasty) |
| Father | Wahkare Khety ? |
| Died | approximately 2040 BCE |
| Burial | Pyramid of Merikare |
| Dynasty | 10th Dynasty |
Merikare (also Merykare and Merykara) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 10th Dynasty who lived toward the end of the First Intermediate Period.
Purportedly inspired by the teaching of his father, he embarked on a semi-peaceful coexistence policy with his southern rivals of the 11th Dynasty, focusing on improving the prosperity of his realm centered on Herakleopolis instead of waging an open war with Thebes. His policy was not rewarded, and shortly after his death his kingdom was conquered by the Theban Mentuhotep II, marking the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. The existence of his pyramid has historically been ascertained, although it has not yet been discovered.
- ^ William C. Hayes, in The Cambridge Ancient History, vol 1, part 2, 1971 (2008), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-077915, pp. 467–78.
- ^ Jürgen von Beckerath, Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen, 2nd edition, Mainz, 1999, p. 74.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
demidchikwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).