Tsakanin Tsakanin Farko na tsohuwar Masar, wanda ya kai kusan 2181-2055 KZ, ana yawan kwatanta shi da "lokacin duhu" ^[16] bayan ƙarshen Tsohon Mulki.^[17] Wannan zamanin ya haɗa da na Bakwai (wanda wasu masana Masarautar Masar suka ɗauka), na takwas, na tara, da na goma, da ɓangaren daular sha ɗaya.Masanin ilimin Egypt Georg Steindorff da Henri Frankfort ne suka bayyana manufar Matsakaici na Farko a cikin 1926.^[18]Wannan lokacin yana da alamun abubuwa da yawa da ke haifar da raguwar Tsohuwar Mulki.Tsawon mulkin Pepi II, babban fir'auna na ƙarshe na daular 6, ya haifar da batutuwan da suka biyo baya yayin da ya zarce magada da yawa.^[19] Ƙarfafa ikon masu mulkin larduna, waɗanda suka zama na gado kuma masu zaman kansu daga ikon sarauta, ^[20] ya ƙara raunana ikon tsakiya.Bugu da ƙari, ƙarancin korar Nilu mai yuwuwa ya haifar da yunwa, ^[21] ko da yake ana muhawara game da rugujewar ƙasa, su ma sun kasance dalili.Daular ta bakwai da ta takwas ba su da tabbas, ba tare da sanin masu mulkinsu ba.Labarin Manetho na sarakuna 70 da suka yi sarauta na kwanaki 70 a wannan lokacin yana da ƙari.^[22] Daular Bakwai maiyuwa ta kasance mai mulki ne na jami'an daular ta shida, ^[23] da sarakunan daular ta takwas sun yi iƙirarin zuriya daga daular ta shida.^[24] An samu ƴan kayan tarihi kaɗan daga waɗannan lokuttan, ciki har da wasu da aka danganta su ga Neferkare II na daular Bakwai da wani ƙaramin dala da Sarki Ibi na daular Takwas ya gina.Daular Tara da ta Goma, tushensu a Heracleopolis, suma ba su da cikakkun bayanai.Akhthoes, mai yiyuwa iri daya da Wahkare Khety I, shine sarki na farko na daular tara, wanda ake masa lakabi da mugun shugaba kuma ana zargin kada ya kashe shi.^[25] Ƙarfin waɗannan daular ya yi ƙasa da na Fir'auna Tsohuwar Mulki.^[26]A kudanci, masu fada a ji a Siut sun ci gaba da kulla alaka ta kud da kud da sarakunan Heracleopolitan kuma sun yi aiki a matsayin shinge tsakanin arewa da kudu.Ankhtifi, wani fitaccen shugaban yakin kudancin kasar, ya yi ikirarin cewa ya ceci mutanensa daga yunwa, yana mai tabbatar da cin gashin kansa.Lokacin daga ƙarshe ya ga hawan Sarakunan Theban, wanda ya kafa dauloli na sha ɗaya da na sha biyu.Intef, mai mulkin Thebes, ya shirya Upper Egypt da kansa, ya kafa mataki ga magajinsa waɗanda daga ƙarshe suka yi iƙirarin sarauta.^[27] Intef II da Intef III sun faɗaɗa yankinsu, tare da Intef III suka ci gaba zuwa Masar ta Tsakiya don yaƙi da sarakunan Heracleopolitan.^[28] Mentuhotep II, na Daular Goma sha ɗaya, a ƙarshe ya ci sarakunan Heracleopolitan a kusa da 2033 KZ, wanda ya jagoranci Masar zuwa Masarautar Tsakiya kuma ya kawo ƙarshen Tsakanin Tsakanin Farko.