Mentuhotep I is generally credited with reunifying Egypt under the Eleventh Dynasty, and thus beginning the Middle Kingdom period of ancient Egyptian history. Mentuhotep I ruled over Upper Egypt from his capital city of Thebes during the waning years of the First Intermediate Period. He is usually credited with leading the conquest of the Heracleopolis Egyptians and reuniting Egypt.

Senusret III was one of the most powerful and significant ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty in ancient Egypt. He ruled from approximately 1878 to 1840 BCE, during the height of the power of the Middle Kingdom. Senusret III carried out many successful military campaigns and expanded Egyptian influence deep into Nubia.

Amenemhat I was the first ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty. He ruled in the 20th century BCE and his reign marks the beginning of a period of relative prosperity in Egyptian history - called the Golden Age of the Middle Kingdom.

The Theban Pharaoh Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty initiated the Middle Kingdom and reunified Egypt after the turmoil of the First Intermediate Period by finally ending the civil war between Thebes and Heracleopolis with a military expedition that was met with little resistance. Thereafter, he centralized powers towards himself and away from the nomarchs by establishing a force of bureaucrats who supervised the nomarchs and ensured that acted not as sovereign rulers but rather as governors who implemented the will of the Pharaoh. Amenemhat II, Senusret III, Queen Sobokneferu and Amenemhat IV were all Pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty, also of the Middle Kingdom.

The founder of the Middle Kingdom was Mentuhotep II. This pharaoh conquered the last dynasty of the Old Kingdom. He is also credited with reunifying upper and lower Egypt. 

Amenemhet I (the first pharaoh to reign despite being outside the royal bloodline) first devised the concept of a co-regency. A co-regency occurs when two individuals reign together as monarchs, in simultaneous cooperation. During the twentieth year of his rule, Amenemhet I, fearing a rival claimant to the throne would arise after his death and challenge his dynastic succession, took radical action by appointing his oldest son, Senusret I, as his co-regent. Father and son reigned together for the next two decades, before Amenemhet I’s death. Afterwards, successive dynasties often continued the co-regency custom, mainly due to both its stabilizing effects upon the always-controversial line of succession and its allowance of smooth power transfers.

By the time of the Twelfth Dynasty, the Ancient Egyptian nobility had grown quite economically prosperous and politically well-connected. Naturally, this made the noble class a substantial potential threat to the reigning pharaonic dynasty, which could all too easily be overthrown by a cabal of one or more ambitious aristocratic families. In fact, a noble-led coup had overthrown the last Old Kingdom pharaoh. Although a few pharaohs had attempted to redress this power imbalance, their reforms had either been unsuccessful or quite short-lived. All this changed, however, upon the ascension of Senusret III to the throne. Senusret III was determined to end the noble’s dominance once and for all, and he did so, using a shrewdly crafted plan that involved the revocation of the traditional rights of the nobility and the closing of special courts. Senusret III’s policies broke the back of Ancient Egyptian aristocratic power; gradually, the wealth and political influence of the noble class drained away. A new middle class rose up in replacement, filled with craftsmen, tradesmen, and small farmers.

It is generally believed that women in ancient Egypt enjoyed substantial rights when compared to their contemporaries in other ancient societies. Women could own property, seek divorce, receive inheritance, pursue legal justice, and serve as priestesses.

The Eleventh Dynasty is the first ruling dynasty of the Middle Kingdom period of Egyptian history. The Eleventh Dynasty began during the First Intermediate Period. During the First Intermediate Period, there were two competing dynasties based in Thebes and Heracleopolis. The Eleventh Dynasty, based in Thebes, conquered their rivals in Heracleopolis and reunified Egypt, thus beginning the Middle Kingdom.

Marriage was very common in ancient Egyptian society and most people would have gotten married in their teenage years. The vast majority of Egyptians were monogamous, with the notable exception of many Egyptian rulers. Some Pharaohs would take multiple wives and then one of those would rule as queen or “chief wife.”