Ancient Egypt

Intef II Wahankh

Ca. 2140 - 2091 BC Winlock
Ca  2123 - 2074 BC Dodson
Horus name: Wahankh
Nomen: Intef  
Burial place: Thebes (Saff el-Kisasija)

Stela from the metmuseum. Their site provides the following description:
"Horus Wah-ankh Intef II was the third king of Dynasty 11, a period when Egypt was not unified under one ruler. The son of a nomarch (governor) of Thebes, Intef II engaged in numerous battles with the rival rulers of Heracleopolis and eventually secured control over southern Egypt, from Abydos to Aswan. This laid the foundation for the reunification of the country under King Mentuhotep II.
This stele was probably one of a number of small stela set up in the courtyard of his tomb at Thebes. The king presents a bowl of beer and a jug of milk to the god Re and goddess Hathor and is shown in the posture of an offering bearer. He is wearing a minutely pleated kilt, heavy broad collar and elaborately curled wig. The figure is well carved in very high raised relief and almost gives the impression of a statue. The text of the stele includes a request to Re for protection during the night and a hymn of praise to Hathor as well as a prayer for mortuary offerings."

King of the Eleventh Dynasty (before unification). At his tomb-chapel was a stela bearing a depiction of the king and his dogs: this is described in a report by necropolis inspectors of the late Twentieth Dynasty, a thousand years later, and part of the stela, with the dogs and their names, survives today (Egyptian Museum, Cairo).

He seems to have taken over the throne of Thebes and four other nomes in Upper Egypt after Intef Shertawy. Dodson has him as a son of Mentuhotep I and Neferu I.

Winlock sees him as a younger son of Intef Sehertawy, and assumes that Mentuhotep was an older son of Intef Sehertawy who predeceased his father.

Wahankh goes to war with the rulers of Asyut Khety and his son Tef-ibi. Khety does not mention the wars in his monuments, but Tef-ibi mentions defeating the enemy twice. He mentions that the leader of southerners went into battle "in beautiful clothes, but he fell into the water, his ship went aground, and his army, like ducks, fled before the hunter."

Eventually, Wahankh defeats the Thinis nome and comes in possession of Abydos.

His treasurer Tjeti leaves a stela recording some facts from this reign. Tjeti mentions that Intef Wahankh ruled the area Thinis all the way south to Thes.
"I passed a long period of years under the majesty of my lord, Horus, Wahenekh, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of Re, Intef, this land being under his authority up-river as far as [Thes] and down-river as far as Thinis;"

From his reign:

Stela from Thebes, mentioning the king. The stela seems to date to year 50.
The first two lines give an account of the king's good works for the gods (Amen). After that he gives an account of his conquest of territory on his northern frontier.
"[...] her northern boundary as far as the nome of Aphroditopolis. I drove in the mooring stake in the sacred valley, I captured the entire Thinite nome, I opened all her fortresses, I made her the Door of the North
[...] like a flood, great in possessions, like a sea, splendid for the glory of Thebes (nw't), great for the [...] of this land, which I myself have bequeathed to my son,d [...] . There is no lie that has come forth from my mouth, there is no word like that which I have spoken. There was no rviolencel for one (dwelling) upon his sandy land, nor [...] for one in possession of his paternal property, nor [...] them forever and ever.
Year 50, when this stela was set up [...] by [...] Horus, Wahenekh, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of Re, In[tef], the great"  (Breasted)
(see also: http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/thebes/tombs/antefstelae.html#stela)

The temple of Satet on Elephantine was rebuilt.

Djari Prince, Sole Confidential friend, Governor of the residence, Superintendant of the Granaries. Djari was the son of Hesi. DjariÕs wife, Senet-montu, was the royal Favorite and a priestess of Hathor.

Henwen: Official from the time of Wahankh. He mentions serving Wahankh for a long time.

Kawer Intef: Official from the time of Wahankh. He mentions being made a "chosen one" by the Lord horus Wahankh.

Tjeti: Chief Treasurer. Tjeti served many years under Wahankh and survived into the next reign.

Contemporaries (adversaries?):

From Asyut (Half-way between Heracleopolis and Thebes):
Khety, Prince and Count, Treasurer of the King, Only semer, High priest of Wepwapet Lord of Asyut.
Tef-ibi, Son of Khety, Prince and Count, Treasurer of the King, Only semer, High priest of Wepwapet Lord of Asyut.. Tef-ibi mentions going to war against the Thebans

Bibliography

1. Breasted, J.H., Ancient Records of Egypt, Vol I, The First through the Seventeenth Dynasties, 2001 (originally appeared in 1906)
2. Dodson, A., Hilton, D., The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, 2004.
3. Wilkinson R.H., The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, 2000.
4. Winlock, H.E., The Eleventh Egyptian Dynasty, JNES, 1943
5. http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/chronology/antefii.html