K'awiil Chan K'inich

Maya civilization
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History
Preclassic Maya
Classic Maya collapse
Spanish conquest of the Maya
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K'awiil Chan K'inich was the last Maya king of Dos Pilas. He is also known as the Ruler 4 and God K Sky Mahk'ina.

He reigned from June 23, 741. Dates of his birth and death are unknown.

Biography

It is likely that he was a son of the king Itzamnaaj K'awiil. He was a successor of Ucha'an K'in B'alam, who was likely his regent.

It appears that K'awiil Chan K'inich repaid his debt to his probable guardian and regent by recording his death and that of his wife on Hieroglyphic Bench 1.^[1] His accession followed the death of his predecessor within days, and it is possible that he was still young enough that the kingdom's enemies saw this as an opportunity to attack. The other possibility is that K'awill Chan K'inich set out to establish a military reputation for himself; even before his accession he had captured a lord from Ahkul and thereafter styled himself "Master of the Ahkul Lord", while Hieroglyphic Stairway 3 records captures from El Chorro, Yaxchilan and Motul de San José.

Yich'aak B'alam, king of Seibal, performed rituals overseen by K'awiil Chan K'inich.

A hieroglyphic stairway at Tamarindito records K'awiil Chan K'inich's "going out", a verb which often has the sense of "fleeing".^[2]

It is not known when and where did he died.

Notes