Janahb Pakal also known as Janaab Pakal, Pakal I or Pakal the Elder, (died 6 March 612), was a nobleman and possible ''

ajaw Ajaw or Ahau ('Lord') is a pre-Columbian Maya political title attested from epigraphic inscriptions. It is also the name of the 20th day of the ''tzolkʼin'', the Maya divinatory calendar, on which a ruler's ''kʼatun''-ending rituals would fal ...

'' of the

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

city-state of

Palenque Palenque (; Yucatec Maya language, Yucatec Maya: ), also anciently known in the Itza Language as Lakamhaʼ ("Big Water or Big Waters"), was a Maya city City-state, state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins dat ...

Biography

Pakal’s dynastic position is not entirely certain, though he may have been the grandfather or brother of

Ajen Yohl Mat Ajen Yohl MatThe ruler's name, when transcribed is AJ-je-ne-(Y)O꞉L m-ta. also known as Aj Neʼ Ohl Mat, Ac Kan and Ahl Lawal Mat, (died August 8, 612) was an ajaw of the Maya city-state of Palenque. He acceded to the throne on January 1, 605 and ...

. It seems that he never ascended to the high-kingship in his own right. He was the father of Lady Sak K'uk', one of the rare

queens regnant A queen regnant (plural: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning ...

history. His wife or mother was Yohl Ik'nal. During reign of his probable brother Ajen Yohl Mat, Palenque was invaded on April 4, 611 by

Scroll Serpent Scroll Serpent (Uneh Chan) was a Maya ruler of the Kaan kingdom. He ruled from AD 579 to 611. He acceded on September 2. Reign Inscriptions at Palenque record two long-range attacks by Kaan during the reign of this powerful king in the years fo ...

, ruler of the Kaan kingdom (

Calakmul Calakmul (; also Kalakmul and other less frequent variants) 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 large ...

). They were dead c. sixteen months later. In later years, he is ascribed a full emblem glyph. He should not be confused with his grandson, K'inich Janaab Pakal I who during a long reign of some 68 years was responsible for the construction or extension of some of Palenque’s most notable surviving inscriptions and monumental architecture.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janahb Pakal 610s deaths Rulers of Palenque 7th-century monarchs in North America Year of birth unknown 7th century in the Maya civilization