Khakheperre Senusret II was the fourth Nswt "nswt-bjtj" (Pharaoh) of the Twelfth Dynasty of Kemet (Egypt). He ruled from 1897 BC to 1878 BC. His throne name was Kha-khaeper-re, meaning "Soul of Re comes into Being".
Senusret II, means "Man of Goddess Wasret", meaning "the mighty one". His name seems to enter the royal linage because of this king's non-royal, great, great grandfather, the original Senusret and father of the founder of the Dynasty, Amenemhet I.
Senusret's reign was marked by relative peace and prosperity. He maintained good relations with the various nomarchs of Lower Kemet whom had been enemies of his forefathers. His Year 6 is attested in a wall painting from the tomb of a local nomarch named Khnumhotep II at Beni Hasan. In one relief it depicts the "Procession of the Asiatics", which is a tributary scene. Around this time, parties of Western Asiatic foreigners were allowed an audience with the Nwst to pay tribute and pledge their fealty. These scene are recorded, as in the tomb paintings of 12th-dynasty official Khnumhotep II, who also served under Senusret III. These foreigners, possibly Canaanites or Bedouins, are labelled as Aamu, which was a generic term for Western Astiaic.
This relief was testament to the Wasetian (Theban) Kings of Upper Kemet who battled for a century to unify the country and keep its borders secure. In essence Senusret inherited a stable nation due to the work his predecessors had put in, in particular Mentuhotep II, the second great unifier who ushered in the 12th Dynasty and a new golden age.
Senusret's pyramid was constructed at El-Lahun. He took a great deal of interest in the Faiyum oasis region and began work on an extensive irrigation system from Bahr Yussef through to Lake Moeris through the construction of a dike at El-Lahun and the addition of a network of drainage canals. The purpose of his project was to increase the amount of cultivable land in that area. The importance of this project is emphasized by Senusret II's decision to move the royal necropolis from Dahshur to El-Lahun where he built his pyramid. This location would remain the political capital for the 12th and 13th Dynasties of Egypt. The king also established the first known workers' quarter in the nearby town of Senusrethotep.
Overall Senusret II's reign ushered in a period of peace and prosperity, with no recorded military campaigns and the proliferation of trade between Kemet and the Near-East. He was succeeded by Senusret III who would continue to tradition of the great Wasetian Kings.
Egyptologist Alejandro Jemenes-Serrano:
"All indications are that the ruling family of the Twelfth Dynasty in Elephantine had negroid features, as Habachi had already suggested from the statues that he found in Elephantine."
Time Period: 1897-1872 BCE, Middle Kingdom
Statue: Sesostris/Senusret II
Museum: IKopenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
AEIN 659: Inventory number:
Origin: Intact tomb found in 1903 at Assiut, Egypt. Funerary goods located at the Louvre
"I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deeds." ~ 35th & 36th Principals of Ma'at
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