Dynasty:

Amenemhat I was the 1st king of the 12th dynasty. He was the son of a priest named Senuseret (Sesostris) and a woman called Nefret and as such, was not related at all to the members of the royal family of the 11th dymasty.

History:

Nothing is known of the means by which Amenemhat I acquired the throne from Mentohotep IV, the last king of the 11th dynasty, who may have been the same person as the later king Amenemhat I. If this is indeed the case, then it might, in part, explain how a man of non-royal origin became the founder of a new dynasty.

The circumstances that allowed Amenemhat, whether he had served as vizier or not, to take the throne are not fully known. A stone plate found at Lisht, bearing both the names of Mentuhotep IV and of king Amenemhat I may perhaps indicate that Amenemhat I was a co-regent during the later years of Mentuhotep's reign. This in turn could perhaps indicate that Mentuhotep IV had intended Amenemhat for the throne. Amenemhat's policy was one to re-enforce royal authority throughout the country as he established control over Elephantine, Egypt's traditional southern border, but it would take until very late in his reign before his relationship with Nubia became one of conquest. Amenemhat I appears to have fallen victim to treachery, when a plot ended his life and 30-year reign. This is both hinted at in the "Story of Sinuhe" and the "Teachings of Amenemhat I". A text from the reign of Sesostris I also lets Amenemhat himself tell how he was brutally attacked while he was sleeping, how he defended himself against his attackers and how he was finally slain by his bodyguards.

Monuments:

Amenemhat I followed the design of the Old Kingdom kings in building his pyramid as it's size and general shape was very similar to those built during the 6th Dynasty.