Itzamnaaj B'alam II
Encyclopedia
Itzamnaaj B'alam II was a Maya
king who ruled in Yaxchilan
from 681 until he died in the year 742. He is also called Shield Jaguar II by modern writers and commonly referred to simply as Shield Jaguar based on his name glyph before the phonetic name was deciphered. He was born in 647 to Lady Pacal and 6-Tun-Bird-Jaguar and later had a son named Yaxun B'alam IV
who ascended to the throne after Itzamnaaj B'alam's death.
.
and she held a great amount of power.
One of Itzamnaaj B'alam's greatest accomplishments was the construction of what is now called Temple 23. At Temple 23, Lady Xoc is shown performing a bloodletting ritual for three different occasions: Itz'amná B'alam's accession to the throne, the birth of Yaxun B'alam, and the dedication of Temple 23.
of Calakmul
with whom he had his son Yaxun B'alam. He chose Yaxun B'alam to be his successor despite the fact that Lady Xoc, his other wife, had a strategically important bloodline. It is believed by Linda Schele
and David Freidel
that Itzamnaaj B'alam had Temple 23 in Yaxchilan constructed to honor Lady Xoc while also gaining public support for his son to become king.
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
king who ruled in Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan is an ancient Maya city located on the bank of the Usumacinta River in what is now the state of Chiapas, Mexico. In the Late Classic Period Yaxchilan was one of the most powerful Maya states along the course of the Usumacinta, with Piedras Negras as its major rival...
from 681 until he died in the year 742. He is also called Shield Jaguar II by modern writers and commonly referred to simply as Shield Jaguar based on his name glyph before the phonetic name was deciphered. He was born in 647 to Lady Pacal and 6-Tun-Bird-Jaguar and later had a son named Yaxun B'alam IV
Yaxun B'alam IV
Yaxun B’alam IV, also called Bird Jaguar IV, is a Mayan king from Yaxchilan known by the name Yaxun B’alam. He ruled from 752 until 768 AD, continuing the period of prosperity started by his father Itzamnaaj B'alam II...
who ascended to the throne after Itzamnaaj B'alam's death.
Early life
Little is known of Itzamnaaj B'alam's early life except that when he was eleven years old one of his siblings participated in a war that involved Pacal the famous king of PalenquePalenque
Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date back to 100 BC to its fall around 800 AD...
.
Accession and reign
In order to become king, Itzamnaaj B'alam defeated Ah-Ahaual (a Mayan noble) in war and took him captive to Yaxchilan. At the age of 34 around October 23, 681, he became king of Yaxchilan. He was married to Lady XocLady Xoc
Lady K'ab'al Xook or Lady Xoc was a Maya Queen consort in Yaxchilan and is considered to have been one of the most powerful and prominent women in Maya civilization. She was the principal wife of King Itzamnaaj Bahlam III Shield Jaguar the Great who ruled Yaxchilan from AD 681 to 742. Lady Xoc is...
and she held a great amount of power.
One of Itzamnaaj B'alam's greatest accomplishments was the construction of what is now called Temple 23. At Temple 23, Lady Xoc is shown performing a bloodletting ritual for three different occasions: Itz'amná B'alam's accession to the throne, the birth of Yaxun B'alam, and the dedication of Temple 23.
Preparing for an heir
Itzamnaaj B'alam married a second wife named Lady EveningstarLady Eveningstar
Lady Eveningstar along with Lady Xok was a wife of Shield Jaguar, a Mayan king of Yaxchilan. She bore Shield Jaguar his son and successor, Bird Jaguar. She was from Calakmul and is mentioned on Lintel 23 which explains Shield Jaguar and Lady Xok's ancestry...
of Calakmul
Calakmul
Calakmul is a Maya archaeological site in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region. It is from the Guatemalan border. Calakmul was one of the largest and most powerful ancient cities ever uncovered in the Maya lowlands...
with whom he had his son Yaxun B'alam. He chose Yaxun B'alam to be his successor despite the fact that Lady Xoc, his other wife, had a strategically important bloodline. It is believed by Linda Schele
Linda Schele
Linda Schele was an expert in the field of Maya epigraphy and iconography. She played an invaluable role in the decipherment of much of the Maya hieroglyphics. She produced a massive volume of drawings of stelae and inscriptions, which, following her wishes, are free for use to scholars...
and David Freidel
David Freidel
David A. Freidel is an American academic archaeologist, Mayanist scholar and author. He is best known for the books he co-authored with Linda Schele, Maya Cosmos and Forest of Kings. Friedel received both his B. A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard University. He is married to Carolyn...
that Itzamnaaj B'alam had Temple 23 in Yaxchilan constructed to honor Lady Xoc while also gaining public support for his son to become king.