Ajaw of Tikal
Emblem glyph of Tikal
Sihyaj Chan K'awiil II on frontispiece of Stela 31 of Tikal / 2010 photograph by HJPD / via Commons
Details
Style
  • ajaw
  • k'uhul ajaw
  • kaloomte' 
  • ochk'in kaloomte' 
First monarchYax Ehb Xook
Last monarchJasaw Chan K'awiil II / last known
Formationc. AD 90
Abolitionc. 869
ResidenceTikal

This is a list of rulers of Tikal, a major city-state of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic period. Tikal is known to have had at least 33 rulers from the 1st through 9th centuries AD. Twenty-seven of these have been identified, as of 2008.[n 1]

Background

The monarchy of Tikal is the oldest yet known in the Maya Lowlands, having been founded at the turn of the 1st century AD.[1] The dynasty is last attested in the late 9th century, after a span of some 800 years and at least 33 rulers.[2] Thorough excavations, first begun by the University of Pennsylvania, and later by the Guatemalan Institute of Archaeology, have uncovered troves of epigraphic data which Mayanists have employed to reconstruct Tikal's dynastic lineage.[2] As of 2008, 27 rulers have been identified, including at least one woman.

List

The following is an annotated, chronological list of known lords of Tikal. A tabular list is provided in the following section.[n 2]

Late Preclassic

  • Yax Ehb' Xok – r. c. AD 60 or c. AD 90; dynastic founder.
  • Siyaj Chan K'awil Chak Ich'aak ("Stormy Sky I") – r. c. 2nd century.
  • Yax Ch’aktel Xok – r. c. 200.

Early Classic

  • Balam Ajaw ("Decorated Jaguar") – r. 292.
  • K'inich Ehb' – r. c. 300.
  • Siyaj Chan K'awiil I - r. c. 307.
  • Unen Bahlam ("Queen Jaguar") – r. 317.
  • "Leyden Plate Ruler" – r. 320.
  • K'inich Muwaan Jol – r. c. 359.
  • Chak Tok Ich'aak I ("Jaguar Paw I") – r. c. 360–378; died on the same day that Siyah K'ak' arrived in Tikal.
  • Yax Nuun Ayiin I – r. 379–404; son of a foreign noble.
  • Siyaj Chan K'awiil II ("Stormy Sky II") – r. 411–456; son of Yax Nuun Ayiin I.
  • K'an Chitam ("Kan Boar") – r. 458–486.
  • Ma'kin-na Chan – r. c. late 5th century.
  • Chak Tok Ich'aak II ("Jaguar Paw Skull") – r. 486–508; married "Lady Hand."
  • Ix Kalo'mte' Ix Yo K'in ("Lady of Tikal") – r. 511–527; co-ruled with Kaloomte' B'alam, possibly as consort.
  • Kaloomte' B'alam ("Curl-Head," "19th Lord") – r. 511–527; co-ruled with Ix Kalo'mte' Ix Yo K'in as regent.
  • "Bird Claw" ("Animal Skull I," "Ete I") – r. c. 527–537.
  • Wak Chan K'awiil ("Double-Bird") – r. 537–562; captured and possibly sacrificed in Caracol.
  • "Lizard Head II" – r. unknown; lost a battle to Caracol in 562.

Late Classic

  • Jasaw Chan K'awiil I ("Ruler A," "Ah Cacao") – r. 682–734; entombed in Temple I; married Lady Twelve Macaw; won a battle against Calakmul in 711.
  • Yik'in Chan K'awiil ("Ruler B") – r. 734–766; tomb unknown.
  • "Temple VI Ruler" – r. 766–768.
  • Yax Nuun Ayiin II ("Chitam") – r. 768–790.
  • Chitam II ("Dark Sun") – r. c. 810; buried in Temple III.
  • "Jewel K'awil" – r. 849.
  • Jasaw Chan K'awiil II – r. 869–889

Table

List of known sovereigns of Tikal.[3]
Name a.k.a. No. From To Note
Yax Ehb Xook
  • Yax Moch Xok
  • Yax Chakte'l Xok
 1st c. 90 c. 110
Founder
 ?
 ?  ?  ?
–
 ?  ? c. 280 c. 300
–
Sihyaj Chan K'awiil I
–
 11th c. 307 c. 310
Son of Animal Headdress
Unen Bahlam
–
  ? c. 317 c. 320
–
K'inich Muwaan Jol
  • Mahk'ina Bird Skull
  • Feather Skull
 13th c. 330 359
Death 23 May 359, possibly
Chak Tok Ich'aak I
  • Jaguar Paw
  • Great Paw
  • Great Jaguar Paw
  • Jaguar Paw III
  • Toh Chak Ich'ak
 14th 360 378
  • Son of K'inich Muwaan Jol
  • Accession 7 Aug. 360, possibly
  • Death 15 Jan. 378
Yax Nuun Ahiin I
  • Curl Snout
  • Curl Nose
  ? 379 c. 404
Sihyaj Chan K'awiil II
  • Stormy Sky
  • Manikin Cleft Sky
 16th 411 456
  • Son of Yax Nuun Ahiin I
  • Accession 26 Nov. 411
  • Death 3 Feb. 456
K'an Chitam
  • Kan Boar
  • K'an Ak
  ? 458 c. 486
  • Son of Sihyaj Chan K'awiil II
  • Birth 26 Nov. 415, possibly
  • Accession 8 Aug. 458
Chak Tok Ich'aak II
  • Jaguar Paw Skull
  • Jaguar Paw II
  ? c. 486 508
  • Son of K'an Chitam
  • Death 24 Jul. 508
 ?
 ? 511 c. 527
  • Daughter of Chak Tok Ich'aak II, possibly
  • Birth 1 Sep. 504
  • Accession 19 Apr. 511
Kaloomte' Bahlam
Curl Head
 19th c. 511 c. 527
–
 ?
Twentieth Ruler
 20th  ?  ?
a.k.a. Bird Claw or Animal Skull I or Ete I, possibly
Wak Chan K'awiil
Double Bird
 21st 537 562
  • Son of Chak Tok Ich'aak II
  • Accession 29 Dec. 537, possibly
 ? 22nd c. 590 c. 620
Son of Fire Cross
 ? 23rd  ?  ?
–
 ? 24th  ?  ?
–
Nuun Ujol Chaak
  • Shield Skull
  • Nun Bak Chak
  ? c. 655 c. 680
Son of K'inich Muwaan Jol II, possibly
Jasaw Chan K'awiil I
  • Ruler A
  • Ah Cacao
  • Sky Rain
  ? 682 734
  • Son of Nuun Ujol Chaak
  • Accession 3 May 683
Yik'in Chan K'awiil
  • Ruler B
  • Yaxkin Caan Chac
  • Sun Sky Rain
 27th 734 c. 746
  • Son of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I
  • Accession 8 Dec. 734
 ? 28th c. 766 768
Son of Yik'in Chan K'awiil
Yax Nuun Ahiin II
  • Ruler C
  • Chitam
 29th 768 c. 794
  • Son of Yik'in Chan K'awiil
  • Accession 25 Dec. 768
Nuun Ujol K'inich
–
  ? c. 800 c. 800
–
 ?  ? c. 810 c. 810
–
Jewel K'awiil
–
  ? c. 849 c. 849
Son of Nuun Ujol K'inich, possibly
Jasaw Chan K'awiil II
Stela 11 Ruler
  ? c. 869 c. 869
–

See also

  • Maya monarchs, listing known rulers of various Classic and Postclassic Maya states
  • Lists of ancient kings, listing lists of known rulers of various ancient Old and New World states

Notes and references

Explanatory footnotes

  1. ↑ Dates sourced from Martin & Grube 2008 are in the Julian calendar, converted from the Maya Long Count via the GMT+2 correlation (Martin & Grube 2008, p. 13).
  2. ↑ English language names are provisional nicknames based on rulers' identifying glyphs, where their Maya language names have not yet been definitively deciphered phonetically.

Short citations

Full citations

  1. FAMSI (2012) [First published ca 2004 by FAMSI]. "Maya Royal Dynasties" (PDF). FAMSI (Guide) (Revised by Inga E Calvin ed.). Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2023.
  2. Martin S, Grube N (2008) [First published 2000 by Thames & Hudson]. Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya (2nd ed.). London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-28726-2. LCCN 2008396649.
  3. Sharer RJ, Traxler LP (2006) [First published 1946 by SUP]. The Ancient Maya (6th ed.). Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4816-0. LCCN 2005003043.
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