Nebhotepre Mentuhotep II was a Pharaoh of the 11th dynasty, the son of Intef III of Egypt and a minor queen called Iah. His throne name was Nebhepetra, and he was the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. He is known to have ruled at least 39 years.
In the 14th year of his reign, Mentuhotep won a decisive victory over the rival 10th dynasty at Heracleopolis. Little is known of this battle, but the unmummified remains of 60 soldiers killed in battle and interred at Deir el-Bahri (the site known as the "Tomb of the Warriors") is considered by many Egyptologists to be evidence of the savagery of this battle.
The ruler at Heracleopolis at the time, Merykara, died soon after this battle, and Mentuhotep is believed to have quickly put an end to the rival dynasty, reuniting ancient Egypt for the first time since the 6th dynasty.
He is also known for commanding military campaigns south into Nubia, which had gained its independence during the First Intermediate Period.
