Intef II

Intef II, was the third king of the 11th dynasty (2081–1938 bce) in ancient Egypt, who during his long reign successfully warred against the allies of the Heracleopolitans—rulers of Middle and Lower Egypt composing the 9th and 10th dynasties (see ancient Egypt: The First Intermediate period).

In 2065 bce, Intef II succeeded his father, who had been a powerful nomarch of Thebes, and gathered the five southernmost nomes (administrative districts) of Upper Egypt under his leadership. Intef II started his reign with a vigorous thrust northward; his tomb inscription suggests that he expanded his kingdom by conquest, thus acquiring one very important area—Abydos, in the Thinite nome, the chief religious centre (sacred to Osiris) of the Middle Kingdom and the home of the earliest kings of a united Egypt. After a prosperous reign of 50 years, Intef was buried in a tomb in western Thebes. Intef’s funerary temple there contains a stela depicting him with five of his favourite dogs.