Amenemhat I

Amenemhat I was the first ruler of the 12th dynasty of the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. He was probably the son of Senusret and Nefert, who were members of the family of the nomarchs of Elephantine. He served as vizier under his predecessor Mentuhotep IV, and possibly overthrew him from power. He moved the capital from Thebes to Itj-tawy, near modern Al-Lisht, and consolidated Egyptian unity with the help of powerful nomarchs. He built fortresses along the eastern and western frontiers to safeguard the Nile delta, and expanded Egyptian control into Nubia and Sinai. He also added to the Temple of Amon at Thebes and built at various other sites in Upper Egypt. His pyramid and funerary complex at Al-Lisht were closely patterned after those of the Old Kingdom, in an attempt to associate the new dynasty with the glories of the earlier pyramid age. In the 20th year of his reign, he made his son Sesostris I his coregent, and entrusted him with military campaigns and foreign affairs. In the 30th year of his reign, he was assassinated by his own guards, possibly as part of a palace conspiracy. He left behind a legacy of political stability, economic prosperity, and cultural revival that would last for centuries.