Amenemhet (also known as Amenemmes I, Amenemhat I), was a vizier to Mentuhotep III. After returning from an expedition to retrieve a stone lid for the king's sarcophagus, Amenemhet dethroned Mentuhotep III. Amenemhet I, then became king and ruled Egypt for the next 30 years. He was the first king of the 12th Dynasty.
During the early part of his reign he traveled up the Nile crushing recalcitrant nomarchs, Asiatics and Nubians. He also set up a new capital at Itj-tawy, Seizer-of-the-Two-Lands. The king took the additional title of Wehem-meswet, Repeater-of-Births. In the twentieth year of his reign he proclaimed his son Senusret a joint king of Egypt. This began a tradition of co-regency to the Egyptian throne. The royal burial ground was moved during the reign of Amenemhet I, to Lisht, at the entrance to the Faiyum. Amenemhet I's, pyramid resembled those of the Old Kingdom-just smaller.
After succeeding his father, Senusret I, Amenemhet II ruled for 34 years. During his long reign the Egyptians made more use of the Faiyum. It was utilized for hunting, fishing and cultivating. The Faiyum made the irrigation system that was well known, but made it much more effective and so the Bahr Yusuf canal was widened and deepened.
Amenemhet II continued the foreign policy of his predecessors and carried on peaceful relations with Near East powers. There are signs of gifts being passed back and forth between them. There are also signs of extensive trading operations in the Near East and Crete as well.
Amenemhet II's son, Senusret, became co-regent with him during the last three years of his reign. He built his pyramid in Dahshur, to the east of the 4th Dynasty pyramids.
Other names:amenemmes II,amenemhat II
After a brief period of co-regency Amenemhet III, the son of Senusret III, ruled for about 45 years. He was the 6th king of the 12th Dynasty. Like his predecessors he continued the expansion of cultivation in the Faiyum and was an avid builder. There is no record of any military actions during his reign and the general prosperity of this time would support that. Amenemhet III had two large pyramid's built that were almost as large as his father's pyramid. The first was built at Dahshur but was not used and the second was built at Hawara. Hawara is were Amenemhet III and his daughter were laid to rest. The building project of note by Amenemhet III was the temple built at Kiman Faris in honor of the crocodile god Sobek.
Other names:amenemmes III,amenemhat III
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