UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
Sixth dynasty
There is no evidence that political disturbances in the country accompanied
the transition from the fifth to the sixth dynasty. With the long
and vigorous reign of Pepi I (the third king) the dynasty showed its
strength. For the first time an Egyptian king abandoned purely defensive
military tactics and carried the might of his army into the heart of the enemy
country. With the large army under Uni, the Egyptian general, the enemies
were driven back to their homelands as far north as Carmel and trapped,
in the last five campaigns, by landing troops from an Egyptian fleet
far up the Palestine coast.
There are some indications that Pepi I may have taken his son Merenre
as co-regent, for it is apparent that he did not reign alone for more than five
years. During this time, however, he did much to expand and consolidate
Egyptian power in Nubia, and shortly before he died he appeared in person
at the First Cataract to receive the homage of the Nubian provincial
chiefs.
On the death of his brother Merenre, Pepi II, a child of 6, ascended the
throne and ruled the country for ninety-four years, dying in his hundredth
year after one of the longest reigns in history. During the king's minority
the government of the country was in the hands of his mother and her
brother. The second year of Pepi's reign was marked by the return of
Herkhuf, the nomarch of Elephantine, who had been travelling in Nubia
and had reached the province of Yam, whence he had brought back a rich
cargo of treasures and a dancing Pygmy as a gift for the king. With great
enthusiasm, the 8-year-old king sent a letter of thanks to Herkhuf, requesting
him to take every precaution that the Pygmy should arrive at
Memphis in good condition. 16
The very long reign of Pepi II came to an end in political confusion
which can be traced back to the beginning of the sixth dynasty when the
growing power of the nomarchs of Upper Egypt enabled them to build
their tombs in their own districts and not near the king's pyramid on the
necropolis. A rapidly increasing process of decentralization took place. As
the king lost control of the districts, more and more power passed into the
hands of the powerful provincial rulers. The impoverishment of the royal
house is plain from the absence of monuments after those built by Pepi II.
As disintegration rapidly set in, this poverty spread throughout all classes of
society. It is not clear whether the forces of disintegration were already too
strong for any Pharaoh to combat, or whether the very long and feebly
defensive reign of Pepi II hastened the collapse. What is clear is that the
16. Herkhuf, the nomarch, had the actual text of the royal letter engraved on the walls
of his tomb at Aswan. A translation of the text is given in J. H. Breasted, 1906, pp. 159-61.
The anthropological aspect of the problem of 'the dancing dwarf of the god' has been
studied by W . R. Dawson, 1938, pp. 185-9.
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