Mentuhotep II succeeded Inyotef III in about 2061 BC . When he came to the Theban throne under the name S'ankhibtawy , a name that means "He who Breathes Life into the Heart of the Two Lands" , his domain stretched from the First Cataract to the tenth nome of Upper
Egypt
. In other words , it was still reduced to the North by the territory of the princes of
Asyut
. A hostile peace was maintained between the two kingdoms , but this was disrupted when the Thinite Nome , suffering from famine , revolts against the Hierakleopolitans . Mentuhotep captured Asyut and passed through the 15 nome without resistance – this was effectively the fall of the Hierakleopolitan Dynasty (in the Ninth year of his reign) .
Mentuhotep was proclaimed the king of Egypt with the new title of 'Nebhepetre , the son of Re' . He declared his southern origins by taking the
Horus
name Netjerihedjet that means "Divine is the White Crown" . However he had not spread his authority over the whole country and the process of pacification was to last for several more years . At this time ,
Dakhla
Oasis , in the Western Desert , acted as a temporary place of refuge
for the political opponents of the Theban Regime until they were hunted down by the followers of Mentuhotep .
He rewarded the royal princes of the Oryx and the Hare Nomes by allowing them to continue to rule their provinces and he also reinstalled the other rulers in Upper Egypt , except those at Asyut . He controlled the rest of the country through Theban administrators , particularly watching over the provinces of Herakleoplis and Heliopolis . Mentuhotep moved the capital to
Thebes
created the new office of 'Governor of the North' and reestablished the old chancelleries and the post of vizier . Three of the viziers who held office during his reign are known: Dagi , Bebi , and Ipy .
These political changes were probably accomplished 30 years after Mentuhotep ascended to the throne by , having thus achieved the reunification of the country . After 39 years as a King , he took a new Horus name , Sematawy which means 'He who unifies the Two Lands' .
Reaching 39th year of his reign (i . e . 30 years after the fall of the Hierakleopolis) , he celebrated his Sed-Festival , and added some statues for himself in an Osiriform in his funerary temple . In the same year , he went on a Nile-cruise , accompanied with members of
his family and countries , down south until he reached Gebel El-Silsilah which was regarded as the southern frontier of Egypt . The explanation that can be given to account for this trip is that he wanted to wait for the arrival of his son Inyotef who was probably leading a campaign to Nubia . It is possible that Mentuhotep appointed his son as his co-regent , but he died early and was buried in the court of the funerary temple of his father . Anyway , his funerary temple is now destroyed .
Mentuhotep II died around 2010 BC , after a reign of 51 years . Later , his son , Mentuhotep III , rose to the throne .
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