| Mentuhotep I[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nomarch of the4thnome of Upper Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Sitting statue of Mentuhotep I from Elephantine, now in Cairo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egyptian name |
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| Tenure | c. 2135 BC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Intef the Elder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Intef I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | 11th dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | QueenNeferu I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | possiblyIntef the Elder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Intef I ?Intef II ? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mentuhotep I (alsoMentuhotep-aa, i.e. "the Great"[3]) may have been aThebannomarch and independent ruler ofUpper Egypt during the earlyFirst Intermediate Period. Alternatively, Mentuhotep I may be a fictional figure created during the laterEleventh Dynasty, which rose to prominence underIntef II andMentuhotep II, playing the role of a founding father.
Mentuhotep was possibly a local Egyptian nomarch at Thebes during the early first intermediate period, ca. 2135 BC. TheKarnak king list found in theFestival Hall of Thutmose III preserves, in position No. 12, the partial name "Men-" in a royal cartouche, distinct from those of Mentuhotep II (No. 29) orMentuhotep III (No. 30). The available fragments of the Karnak list do not seem to represent past pharaohs in any chronological order, and thus one cannot ascertain if or when this "Men-" pharaoh lived. Many scholars have argued from the list that a Mentuhotep I, who might have been merely a Theban nomarch, was posthumously given a royal titulary by his successors; thus this conjectured personage is referred to conventionally as "Mentuhotep I".[4][5][6][7]
The fact that no contemporary monument can safely be attributed to a king "Mentuhotep I" has led some Egyptologists to propose that he is a fictional ancestor and founder of the Eleventh dynasty, invented for that purpose during the later part of the dynasty.
On the base of a statue from the sanctuary ofHeqaib onElephantine, a Mentuhotep is referred to as"Father of the gods".[8][9] This title probably refers to Mentuhotep's immediate successors,Intef I andIntef II who reigned as kings over Upper Egypt. From this title, many Egyptologists argued that this Mentuhotep was probably the father of Intef I and II,[4][8][10] and also that he was never a pharaoh, as this title was usually reserved for the non-royal ancestors of pharaohs.[5][6][7][8]
The throne name of Mentuhotep is unknown; since he might not have been a king, or no subsequent 11th Dynasty king bore any throne name untilMentuhotep II, it is probable that he never had one. His Horus nameTepi-a, "The ancestor" was certainly given to him posthumously.[11]
Mentuhotep's wife might have beenNeferu I and the statue from Heqaib may be interpreted to show that he was the father of Intef I and II. The Karnak king list has apparently one non-royal personage (without cartouche), named Intef, in position no. 13. This could possibly refer toIntef the elder, son of Iku, a Theban nomarch loyal to theHerakleopolitan kings in the early first intermediate period. However, the kings on the remaining fragments are not listed in chronological order, so this is not at all certain.
As Theban nomarch, Mentuhotep's dominion perhaps extended south to thefirst cataract. Mentuhotep might hypothetically have formed an alliance with the nomarch ofCoptos, which then brought his successor Intef I to war with the Herakleopolitan kings of the10th Dynasty ruling overLower Egypt and their powerful nomarch allies inMiddle Egypt, in particularAnkhtifi.
| Preceded by | Nomarch ofThebes Eleventh Dynasty | Succeeded by |
