Senusret I

{{see also|Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt family tree}}

The family relations of the king are well known. Senusret I was the son of Amenemhat I. His mother was a queen with the name Neferitatenen. His main wife was Neferu III who was also his sister and mother of his successor Amenemhat II. The known children are Amenemhat II and the princesses Itakayt and Sebat. The latter was most likely a daughter of Neferu III as she appears with the latter together in one inscription. Later in life his father was killed.

In his 10th year of reign Senusret I, his father Amenemhat I was assassinated, and that the beginning of Senusret's sole reign was one of civil war, and that the new sovereign was forced to brutally suppress seditious forces aligned against him.{{cite book |language=fr |first1=Nathalie |last1=Favry |title=Sésostris Ier et le début de la XIIe dynastie |publisher=Pygmalion |location=Paris |date=2009 |pages=35–42 |isbn=978-2-7564-0061-7}}.

In his 18th year of reign Senusret I launched a military campaign against Lower Nubia and conquered the region down to the Second Cataract. The date of the expedition is mentioned on a stela from Buhen.William K. Simpsonː Sesostris II, inːWolfgang Helck (ed.), Lexikon der Ägyptologie Vol. 5, Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 1984, ISBN 3447024895, p. 895 The military campaign is mentioned in several inscriptions of this king's reign. Several local officials were involved with the military expedition. Amenemhat, governor of the Oryx nome went there with the title overseer of troops.Percy E. Newberryː Beni Hasan (volume 1), London, 1893, p. 25 [https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/newberry1893bd1/0043 onlin] In year 25 Egypt was devastated by a famine caused by a low Nile flood.Wolfram Grajetzki: The People of the Cobra Province in EgyptOxbow Books. Oxford 2020, ISBN 9781789254211, pp. 177-178

Senusret I dispatched several quarrying expeditions to the Sinai and Wadi Hammamat and built numerous shrines and temples throughout Egypt and Nubia during his long reign. He rebuilt the important temple of Re-Atum in Heliopolis which was the centre of the sun cult. He erected 2 red granite obelisks there to celebrate his Year 30 Heb Sed Jubilee. One of the obelisks still remains and is the oldest standing obelisk in Egypt. It is now in the Al-Masalla (Obelisk in Arabic) area of Al-Matariyyah district near the Ain Shams district (Heliopolis). It is 67 feet tall and weighs 120 tons or 240,000 pounds.

Senusret I is attested to be the builder of a number of major temples in Ancient Egypt, including the temple of Min at Koptos, the Temple of Satet on Elephantine, the Montu-temple at Armant and the Montu-temple at El-Tod, where a long inscription of the king is preserved.Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt: History, p. 38–41

A shrine (known as the White Chapel or Jubilee Chapel) with fine, high quality reliefs of Senusret I, was built at Karnak to commemorate his Year 30 jubilee. It has subsequently been successfully reconstructed from various stone blocks discovered by Henri Chevrier in 1926. Finally, Senusret remodelled the Temple of Khenti-Amentiu Osiris at Abydos, among his other major building projects.

Image:Chapelle Sesostris.jpg

Some of the key members of the court of Senusret I are known. The vizier at the beginning of his reign was Intefiqer, who is known from many inscriptions and from his tomb next to the pyramid of Amenemhat I. He seems to have held this office for a long period of time and was followed by a vizier named Senusret. Two treasurers are known from the reign of the king: Sobekhotep (year 22) and Mentuhotep. The latter had a huge tomb next to the pyramid of the king and he seems to have been the main architect of the Amun temple at Karnak. Several high stewards are attested. Hor is known from several stelae and from an inscription in the Wadi el-Hudi where he was evidently the leader of an expedition for amethyst. One of the stelae is dated to year nine of the king. A certain Nakhr followed in office attested around year 12 of the king. He had a tomb at Lisht. A certain Antef, son of a woman called Zatamun is known again from several stelae, one dates to year 24 another one to year 25 of Senusret I. Another Antef was the son of a woman called Zatuser and was most likely also high steward in the king's reign.W. Grajetzki: Court officials of the Middle Kingdom, London 2009, {{ISBN|978-0-7156-3745-6}}, p. 172

Senusret was crowned coregent with his father, Amenemhat I, in his father's 20th regnal year.Murnane, William J. Ancient Egyptian Coregencies, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization. No. 40. p.2. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1977. Towards the end of his own life, he appointed his son Amenemhat II as his coregent. The stele of Wepwawetō is dated to the 44th year of Senusret and to the 2nd year of Amenemhet, thus he would have appointed him some time in his 43rd year.Murnane, William J. Ancient Egyptian Coregencies, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization. No. 40. p.5. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1977. Senusret is thought to have died during his 46th year on the throne since the Turin Canon ascribes him a reign of 45 Years.Murnane, William J. Ancient Egyptian Coregencies, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization. No. 40. p.6. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1977.

File:KarnakOAMLintelSenusretI.jpg

File:Upper part of a statue of Senusret I, from Egypt, Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty. C. 1950 BCE. Neues Museum, Germany.jpg|Upper part of a statue of Senusret I, from Egypt, Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty. C. 1950 BC. Neues Museum, Germany

Image:Heliopolis200501.JPG|Obelisk of Senusret I in Heliopolis

File:Osiride pillar of king Senusret I.jpg|Osiride statue of Senusret I

File:Egyptian - Stone Weight of Sesostris I - Walters 4131.jpg|Stone weight with Senusret I's cartouche

File:Base of a granite statue inscribed with the name of Senusret (Sesostris) I. Two feet of a female figure, at the right side of the right foot of the king. From Armant, Egypt.jpg|Base of a granite statue inscribed with the name of Senusret I. From Armant, Egypt. Petrie Museum, London

• Loyalist Teaching

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Commons category|Senusret I}}

• [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/chronology/senusretI.html Senusret (I) Kheperkare]
• [http://members.tripod.com/~ib205/sesostris_1.html Sesostris I (Kheperkare)]

{{Pharaohs}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt

Category:20th-century BC pharaohs

Category:Year of birth unknown

Category:20th-century BC deaths