First Intermediate Period
Intef I (Sehertawy)
11th Dynasty (Theban, early) · 2125-2055 BCE
Open full-size illustration →Background
Intef I, with the Horus name Sehertawy, was an early Eleventh Dynasty ruler based at Thebes. He adopted royal titulary while controlling only part of Upper Egypt, helping establish the Theban line that would later reunify the country. His tomb at el-Tarif belonged to the saff-tomb tradition, a distinctive row of rock-cut façades used by early Theban rulers. The evidence for his reign is limited, but it shows a regional dynasty acquiring the language and institutions of kingship during fragmentation. His exact relationship to earlier local leaders remains debated. Research: UCL Digital Egypt.
Chronology: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
Full profile
Challenging the north
Intef I was the first member of the Theban ruling family to explicitly claim the title of pharaoh. By adopting a Horus name—Sehertawy, meaning "He who brings peace to the two lands"—he directly challenged the authority of the 10th Dynasty kings ruling from Herakleopolis in the north.
A localized king
Despite his grand titles, his actual authority was strictly limited to the southern regions around Thebes. His reign marked the official beginning of a brutal, multi-generational civil war between the northern Herakleopolitan state and the rising Theban dynasty.