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c. 2181 BCEReputable sourceWell documented

The Collapse of the Old Kingdom

On the timeline · around c. 2181 BCE · The Collapse of the Old Kingdom2,400 BCE2,350 BCE2,300 BCE2,250 BCE2,200 BCE2,150 BCE2,100 BCE2,050 BCE2,000 BCE

What happened

Around 2181 BCE the centralized government of the Old Kingdom broke down. A combination of the long reign and unclear succession of Pepi II, the rising power of provincial governors and priests, and a severe drought fragmented Egypt into the regionally ruled First Intermediate Period.

Why it matters

The collapse showed that even Egypt's powerful centralized monarchy could fail, ushering in a century and a half of division and change.

Sources