Middle Kingdom
Amenemhat I (Sehetepibre)
12th Dynasty · 1985-1773 BCE
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The usurper and visionary
Amenemhat I founded the 12th Dynasty. He was highly likely the powerful vizier who overthrew the final king of the 11th Dynasty. To consolidate his power and distance himself from the old Theban aristocracy, he relocated the capital from Thebes to a new, strategically located city in the north called Itj-tawy.
A bloody end and a literary legacy
He initiated the practice of co-regency. Crowning his son Senusret I ensured a smooth succession, which proved to be a vital decision. While his son was away on a military campaign in Libya, Amenemhat I was assassinated in a palace coup. His death inspired famous pieces of Middle Kingdom literature. The most notable is the *Instruction of Amenemhat*, a text presented as the murdered king's ghost warning his son not to trust anyone.