Based on Egyptian legend, in the beginning the Egyptians' land was comprised of many populated areas that were governed by tribal “chieftains.” Early during the first Dynastic Period, Upper and Lower Egypt were united by King Menes around 3100 B.C.E. Menes wore a “Double Crown” to signify the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The Nile brought Upper and Lower Egypt together physically and Menes brought them together politically.
The Old Kingdom lasted from 2686 to 2181 B.C.E, which included the third through sixth dynasties. The capital of the Old Kingdom was located in Memphis. With the Old Kingdom came prosperity and glory as shown through the massive creation of the greatest and largest pyramids in Egyptian history.
During this time, the Egyptian kings were referred to as gods. Despite the infinite amount of power Egyptian kings possessed, it was their job to uphold fundamental order and harmony. The kings were supposed to rule based on principles such as truth, justice, order and harmony.
The first king of the Old Kingdom was Djoser (2691 and 2625 BC). He ruled for nearly 19 years and was the most famous king during his time period. His greatest success was the establishment of the building of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the temple complex surrounding it. It was the first monumental building made of stone. The Step Pyramid lead to so much of Djsoer’s fame during his rule and that is why his name is well known today.
Egypt was divided into a total of 42 provinces. There were twenty-two provinces in Upper Egypt and twenty in Lower Egypt. Each province was headed by a governor who tried to build up power within his own province.
The pharaohs of the 6th dynasty ended up losing control of the kingdom and after the 6th dynasty it became known as a “dark period.” Egypt became divided and both sides could not seem to come to an agreement. This period lasted about 100 years and covered the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th dynasties. It wasn’t until the 11th dynasty that Egypt was again united and the Middle Kingdom began.
The Middle
The Middle Kingdom
While the First Intermediate Period took place, new powers began to emerge, sparking rival dynasties between Heracleopolis (Lower Egypt) and Thebes (Upper Egypt). Not long after the rivalry began, the King of Thebes, Mentuhotep, defeated the ruler of Heracleopolis and reunited all of Egypt under one rule. This began the Middle Kingdom and a new period of stability, which lasted from 2055 to 1650 B.C.E.
The Middle Kingdom has been labeled by historians as the Golden Age due to the economic, social, and political stability of the time period. Trading, arts and literature all flourished in the Middle Kingdom. Nubia became the main trading spot along the Nile, which served as a means of transportation for, ivory, ebony, leopard skins and ostrich plumes. The Nubians were able to exchange their commodities and their slaves for manufactured goods and weapons.
Each province, also referred to as a nome, was essentially an independent city-state governed by a Nomarch. Duties of the Nomarchs included collecting taxes and recruitment of labor forces for royal projects.
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Dear Diary—
A lot has happened since I wrote in here. My dad died from fighting for Buddhism, and we moved to a different spot where you are allowed to believe in Buddhism. I've been helping my mom out in the gardens since dad isn't here to help her. I've also been helping make breakfast because my mom is still recovering from my dad dying. My siblings and I are sad but we all acted strong for our mom. We help her do whatever she needs help with. Luckily I have Kate to help me. She's always there for me. She moved with us since her parents are in jail for believing in buddhism. Me and Kate both help each other out. We've been settling in well. In my free time me and Kate work on decorating our rooms. I've not had a lot of free time, but at least me and Kate still have time to hang out. On Sundays we still go to church, but it's a different one.
Hope this helps :)
