MIDDLE KINGDOM

The Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) is considered ancient Egypt's Classical

Age during which it produced some of its greatest works of art and literature.
Scholars remain divided on which dynasties constitute the Middle Kingdom as
some argue for the later half of the 11th through the 12th, some the 12th to 14th,
and some the 12th and 13th. The 12th Dynasty is often cited as the beginning
because of the vast improvement in the quality of art and architecture but these
developments were only possible because of the stability the 11th Dynasty secured
for the country. The most commonly accepted dates for the Middle Kingdom, then,
are 2040-1782 BCE, which include the latter part of the 11th Dynasty through the
middle of the 13th Dynasty.
One of the key features of the Middle Kingdom is a shift in the political hierarchy.
There is an emergence of powerful groups of landlords that threatened the
authority and rule of the pharaoh. Because of the internal struggle between these
two influential sides, art has taken a back seat during the Middle Kingdom.

The 13th Dynasty was never as powerful or stable as the 12 th and allowed an
immigrant people known as the Hyksos to gain power in Lower Egypt, which
eventually grew strong enough to challenge the authority of the 13 th Dynasty and
usher in the era known as the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt (c. 1782-c.1570
BCE). According to every estimation of the Middle Kingdom, Egypt reached its
highest point of culture during the 12th Dynasty, and the innovations of this period
influenced the rest of Egypt’s history.

Influence of the First Intermediate Period

The Middle Kingdom rose following the First Intermediate Period (2181-2040
BCE), a time when the central government was diminished almost to the point of
non-existence and the regional administrators (nomarchs) governed their districts
(nomes) directly until two kingdoms developed – Herakleopolis in Lower Egypt
and Thebes in Upper Egypt – out of minor provincial cities and challenged each
other for supreme rule of the country.

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt, also known as the "Classical Age. Its end was
marked by a period of decline and instability, often attributed to weak central
authority, regional strife, and external threats. Eventually, the capital of Thebes fell,
leading to the fragmentation of Egypt into smaller, rival city-states, ushering in the
era known as the Second Intermediate Period.