Amenemhat I

See Amenemhat, for other individuals with this name.
Amenemhat I
Ammenemes I
A relief depicting the king and his name in cartouche
Relief of Amenemhat I from his pyramid complex at El-Lisht
Pharaoh
Reign29 years according to the Turin Canon but at least 30 years, in the 20th century BC.[1][a]
PredecessorMentuhotep IV
SuccessorSenusret I
Royal titulary
Horus name
sḥtp–ỉb-tꜣwy
Sehetep-ib-tawy
The one who has propitiated the mind of the Two Lands[11][12]
G5
S29R8
F34		 N17
N17

wḥm-mswt
Wehem-mesut
The one who has repeated births[13][12]
G5
F25 F31 G43
X1
S12
Nebty name
sḥtp–ỉb-tꜣwy
Sehetep-ib-tawy
The one who has propitiated the mind of the Two Lands[11][12]
G16
S29R8
F34		 N17
N17

wḥm-mswt
Wehem-mesut
The one who has repeated births[13][12]
G16
F25 F31 G43
X1
S12
Golden Horus
smꜣ
Sema
The uniter[11][12]
G8
F36 G1
S12

wḥm-mswt
Wehem-mesut
The one who has repeated births[13][12]
G8
F25 F31 G43
X1
S12
Prenomen  (Praenomen)
sḥtp–ỉb–rꜥ
Sehetep-ib-re
The one who has propitiated the mind of Re[11][12]
M23L2
N5S29R4
F34
Nomen
ỉmn-m-ḥꜣt
Imen-em-hat
Amun is at the forefront[11][12]
G39N5
M17Y5
N35		 G17F4
X1
ConsortNeferitatjenen
ChildrenSenusret I, Neferu III, Neferusherit, Kayet
FatherSenusret
MotherNeferet
BurialPyramid at el-Lisht
DynastyTwelfth Dynasty
Cartouche of the birth name, or nomen, of Amenemhat I (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓅓𓄂𓏏), detail of a wall-block from Koptos

Amenemhat I (Ancient Egyptian: Ỉmn-m-ḥꜣt meaning 'Amun is at the forefront'), also known as Amenemhet I, was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the first king of the Twelfth Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom.

Amenemhat I was probably the same as the vizier named Amenemhat who led an expedition to Wadi Hammamat under his predecessor Mentuhotep IV, and possibly overthrew him from power.[14] Scholars differ as to whether Mentuhotep IV was killed by Amenemhat I, but there is no independent evidence to suggest this and there may even have been a period of co-regency between their reigns.[15]

Amenemhat I was not of royal lineage, born to Senusret and Nefert who were possibly related to the nomarchial family of Elephantine.[16] The composition of some literary works (the Prophecy of Neferti,[17] the Instructions of Amenemhat[18]) and, in architecture, the reversion to the pyramid-style complexes of the 6th dynasty rulers are often considered to have been attempts at legitimizing his rule. Texts from the period mention his mother being from the Upper Egyptian nome Ta-Seti. Many scholars in recent years have argued that Amenemhat I's mother was of Nubian origin.[19][20][21]

Amenemhat I moved the capital from Thebes to Itjtawy and was buried in el-Lisht. Both the Instructions of Amenemhat and the Story of Sinuhe suggest he was assassinated.

  1. ^ Schneider 2006, p. 174.
  2. ^ Dodson & Hilton 2004, p. 288.
  3. ^ Grimal 1992, p. 391.
  4. ^ Clayton 1994, p. 78.
  5. ^ Franke 2001, p. 68.
  6. ^ Lehner 2008, p. 8.
  7. ^ Shaw 2003, p. 483.
  8. ^ Oppenheim et al. 2015, p. xix.
  9. ^ Krauss & Warburton 2006, p. 491.
  10. ^ Grajetzki 2006, p. 28.
  11. ^ a b c d e Leprohon 2013, p. 57.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h von Beckerath 1984, p. 197.
  13. ^ a b c Leprohon 2013, p. 58.
  14. ^ Stiebing, William H. (2016) [2009]. Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture (2nd ed.). London; New York: Routledge. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-321-42297-2. OCLC 1004426779. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  15. ^ E. Hornung, History of Ancient Egypt, 1999 p.50
  16. ^ "Amenemhat I Sehetibre | Ancient Egypt Online". Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  17. ^ M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 1973 p.139
  18. ^ M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 1973 p.135
  19. ^ General History of Africa Volume II - Ancient civilizations of Africa (ed. G Moktar). UNESCO. p. 152.
  20. ^ Lobban, Richard A. Jr. (10 April 2021). Historical Dictionary of Ancient Nubia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538133392.
  21. ^ Van de Mieroop, Marc (2021). A history of ancient Egypt (Second ed.). Chichester, West Sussex. p. 99. ISBN 978-1119620877.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)


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