K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaak |
|
|---|---|
| Ajaw | |
| King of Naranjo | |
| Reign | c.644-680 |
| Predecessor | K'uxaj |
| Successor | Lady Six Sky |
| Born | Naranjo |
| Died | c.680 Naranjo |
| Father | K'uxaj (possibly) |
| Religion | Maya religion |
K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk was an important ancient Maya ruler, also known as an Ajaw, who led the city of Naranjo. He ruled for many years, from about 644 CE to 680 CE. He was the 37th ruler of Naranjo, taking over after a ruler named K'uxaj.
Archaeologists sometimes called him K'ahk' Skull Chan Chaak before they could fully understand the ancient Maya writing. The word "Xiiw" was hard to read at first, so they used "Skull" instead.
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Who Was K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk?
K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk was a powerful leader in the ancient Maya world. His city, Naranjo, was located in what is now Guatemala. As an Ajaw, he was like a king, responsible for his people and city.
His Time as Ruler
K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk likely became ruler around 644 CE. His time as leader is sometimes called a "hiatus period" for Naranjo. This means that during his rule, not many new stone monuments or carvings were made. Because of this, we don't have many records directly from his reign.
Even without many monuments, experts have learned some things about his life. He faced a big challenge when his city was defeated by a rival city called Caracol. This defeat probably happened around 680 CE.
Battles and Victories
Despite the later defeat, K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk had some important victories. He led a successful "star war" against Caracol. A "star war" was a special kind of battle in Maya culture, often fought for important political or religious reasons.
After his victory, K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk showed his power in a unique way. He brought a stone stairway from Caracol back to Naranjo. This stairway had carvings that listed Caracol's achievements. By taking it, he was showing Naranjo's dominance over their rivals.
However, Caracol later got its revenge. An ancient stucco text from Caracol, though hard to read now, suggests they fought back. After this, the records from Naranjo become quiet for a while.
The End of His Rule
The history of Naranjo doesn't mention much after K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk's defeat. The next major event was the arrival of a new ruler, Lady Six Sky. She came from another powerful city called Dos Pilas.
Lady Six Sky was not directly related to K'ahk' Xiiw Chan Chaahk. However, her husband, K'ahk' U ? Chan Chaahk, might have been his cousin. Lady Six Sky then took over the leadership of Naranjo.
