The framework of the earlier Ancient Egyptian government were the districts, each of the districts had a nomarch, or governor, who was the chief of the provincial administration. The provinces, or districts, were called nomes and the governor, or head, of the provincial administration, was called an Egypt Nomarch.

Each nome was controlled by a governor, the nomarch, who in turn was controlled, in variable degrees, by the king.

The nomes were managed by civil servants delegated by the central power, the nomarchs, of which the status, identified by different titles according to the periods. The nomarch, or governor, the chief of the provincial administration, was originally a royal appointee or member of the royal family. He also bore titles such as judge and overseer of priests.

By the 6th dynasty, it is evident that nomes were grouped administratively into larger units, and an overseer interacted with the respective nomarchs. When central authority was weak the Nomarchs often expanded their own power base to take on many of the functions of the Pharaoh and it was more likely that the position would be hereditary.

The multiplicity of the functions of the nomarchs, as well as the remoteness of the capital, brought to the nomarchs great autonomy, as much on the civil level, as on religious, economic or political level, during the periods of fragility of the State The situation varied, therefore, according to the stability of central power and its relations with the different governors of Upper Egyptian localities.

Egypt Nomarch was given titles and estates, and as the greatest Old Kingdom reward, some were granted the right to build their own tomb in the royal necropolis. The power of individual nomarchs is most evident during the First Intermediate Period when the post became hereditary and led to the establishment of semi-autonomous fiefdoms.