AD 599 – 612
The Kaanul attacks on Palenque
Uneh Chan, also known as Scroll Serpent, becomes king of the Kaanul kingdom in AD 579. He keeps the alliances in the east: Caracol Stela 4 shows him overseeing a rite of Yajaw Te' K'inich II before 583, and stelae at Calakmul record a ceremony of his in 593. He also campaigns in the western lowlands, perhaps for the trade routes that run through them.
On 23 April 599 Uneh Chan attacks Palenque, the capital of the B'aakal kingdom, with his ally Lakam Chak, lord of Santa Elena, 70 km east of Palenque. They defeat Queen Yohl Ik'nal and sack the city. Hieroglyphic steps at Palenque record the defeat. Yohl Ik'nal survives and rules for several more years, perhaps paying tribute to the Kaanul king.
The Palace at Palenque with its tower, seen from the westWikimedia Commons, Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0 (The Palace with the Observation Tower, view from the western side - Palenque Maya Site, Feb 2020.jpg)
Ajen Yohl Mat, king from 605, wins back some independence. On 7 April 611 Uneh Chan sacks Palenque a second time and directs the attack in person. Janaab Pakal, a senior member of the royal family and possibly co-ruler, dies in March 612, and Ajen Yohl Mat a few months later.
A stucco relief in the Palace at Palenque, drawn by Ricardo Almendáriz for the expedition of Antonio del Río in 1787Wikimedia Commons, Ricardo Almendáriz, Public domain (PalenqueAc.jpg)
Sak K'uk', the daughter of Janaab Pakal, takes the throne on 19 October 612 and holds it until her son is old enough to rule. The panels of the Temple of the Inscriptions record that rites go unperformed in 613 and say: "Lost is the divine lady, lost is the king."
Sources
- Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube, Chronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens (2000), pp. 105 and 159 to 161.
- David Stuart and George Stuart, Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya (2008), pp. 140 to 146.
- Joel Skidmore, The Rulers of Palenque (5th ed. 2010), pp. 56 to 70.
Prev: Caracol defeats TikalNext: Pakal at Palenque