▁Tw elf th ▁D ynast y ▁ ▁Early ▁Tw elf th ▁D ynast y ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁Tw elf th ▁D ynast y ▁on wards , ▁ph ara oh s ▁often ▁kept ▁well - tra ined ▁standing ▁arm ies , ▁which ▁included ▁N ub ian ▁cont ing ents . ▁These ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁larger ▁forces ▁which ▁were ▁raised ▁for ▁defence ▁against ▁invasion , ▁or ▁for ▁exped itions ▁up ▁the ▁N ile ▁or ▁across ▁the ▁S ina i . ▁However , ▁the ▁Middle ▁Kingdom ▁was ▁basically ▁def ensive ▁in ▁its ▁military ▁strategy , ▁with ▁fort ifications ▁built ▁at ▁the ▁First ▁Cat ar act ▁of ▁the ▁N ile , ▁in ▁the ▁D elta ▁and ▁across ▁the ▁S ina i ▁is th mus . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁reign , ▁A men em het ▁I ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁D elta ▁region , ▁which ▁had ▁not ▁received ▁as ▁much ▁attention ▁as ▁Upper ▁Egypt ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁D ynast y . ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁strength ened ▁def enses ▁between ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Asia , ▁building ▁the ▁W alls ▁of ▁the ▁R uler ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁D elta ▁region . ▁Perhaps ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁perpet ual ▁un rest , ▁A men em hat ▁I ▁built ▁a ▁new ▁capital ▁for ▁Egypt ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁known ▁as ▁A men em het ▁It j ▁T aw y , ▁or ▁A men em het , ▁Se izer ▁of ▁the ▁Two ▁Land s . ▁The ▁location ▁of ▁this ▁capital ▁is ▁unknown , ▁but ▁is