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"The Tenth Dynasty of Egypt: A Struggle for Power in the First Intermediate Period (c. 2095 BCE)"
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By 2095 BCE, Egypt was in the throes of the First Intermediate Period (c. 2181-2055 BCE), a time of political fragmentation and instability following the collapse of the Old Kingdom. The Tenth Dynasty, ruling from Herakleopolis Magna in Middle Egypt, was one of two competing dynasties (alongside the Eleventh Dynasty in Thebes) vying for control of a divided land.
The Tenth Dynasty claimed authority over Lower and parts of Middle Egypt, but its power was contested by the Theban rulers of the Eleventh Dynasty. Unlike the centralized Old Kingdom pharaohs, the Herakleopolitan kings faced:
- Regional warlords (nomarchs) who acted independently.
- Famine and economic decline, weakening royal authority.
- Military clashes with Theban forces pushing northward.
While precise records are scarce, this era saw:
- King Merykare (possibly ruling around this time), who faced Theban expansion under Mentuhotep II.
- Propaganda wars: The Tenth Dynasty portrayed Thebes as rebellious, while Thebes claimed to reunify Egypt.
- The Teaching for Merykare, a wisdom text advising kingship, hinting at internal strife.
By the mid-21st century BCE, the Theban Eleventh Dynasty prevailed, reuniting Egypt and ushering in the Middle Kingdom. The Tenth Dynasty's fall marked the end of Herakleopolitan rule, remembered as a time of division before Egypt's rebirth.
Note: Exact details of 2095 BCE are sparse due to fragmented records, but this period was critical in Egypt's cyclical history of collapse and renewal.
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