Chan Imix Kʼawiil facts for kids

Chan Imix Kʼawiil was an important king of the ancient Maya city called Copán. He was the twelfth ruler of Copán. People also knew him by his nickname, Smoke Jaguar.

The Long Reign of Smoke Jaguar

Smoke Jaguar became king just 16 days after the death of the previous ruler, Kʼakʼ Chan Yopaat. He started his rule in 628 AD and reigned until 695 AD. This makes him the longest-ruling king in Copán's history.

He was born in 612 AD, so he became king when he was about 15 years old. For the first 26 years of his rule, not much happened. Archaeologists have found very little evidence of big projects during this time.

A Burst of Activity

In 652 AD, things suddenly changed! Smoke Jaguar began a huge building project. He put up two large stone monuments, called stelae, in the Great Plaza of Copán. He also placed four more stelae in other important spots around the Copán Valley.

These monuments celebrated a special Maya event called a kʼatun-ending. A kʼatun is a period of 7,200 days in the Maya calendar. Marking its end was a very important religious and political event.

Smoke Jaguar also put up a stela at a site called Santa Rita, which was about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away. He is even mentioned on another monument, Altar L, in the city of Quiriguá. This shows he was trying to show his power across the entire valley. It's thought he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was in charge.

Later Years and Legacy

After this busy period, Smoke Jaguar continued to rule for many more years. He dedicated nine more known monuments. He also made big changes to the buildings in Copán.

He built Structure 2, which closed off the northern side of the Great Plaza. He also created a new version of Temple 26, which was nicknamed Chorcha.

Smoke Jaguar ruled Copán for 67 years. He died on June 15, 695 AD, when he was 79 years old. Being so old was a big deal back then. His age was so respected that it was sometimes used to identify him instead of his name on monuments like Altar Q. His tomb was already ready in the Chorcha part of Temple 26. He was buried just two days after he passed away.