Ah Kin Chel

Kuchkabal Ah Kin Chel
← 1441–1547 →
Capital		Tecoh
Religion		Maya religion
Government		Monarchy
Halach Uinik
•	1441-?	Mo-Chel
•	1527-1547	Namux Chel
Historical era		Post classic and Early modern
•	Mo-Chel flees Mayapan with his followers to Tecoh where he establishes an independent state	1441
•	Spanish conquest of Yucatan	1547

Ah Kin Chel was the name of a Maya chiefdom or Kuchkabal of the northern Yucatán Peninsula, before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century.^[1]

Ah Kin Chel was founded with the capital at Tecoh in 1441 when the League of Mayapan collapsed and was divided into seventeen nations.

History

Before Mo-Chel

In the mid 9th century, Maya civilization began to collapse. In the early 10th century, Yucatan was divided into many different polities. At this time Ce Acatl Topiltzin Tlatoani of the Toltec Empire conquered the Yucatan Peninsula. Toltec control however did not last long. In 987 Ah Mekat Tutul Xiu united the cities of Uxmal, Mayapan, and Chichen Itza to form the League of Mayapan. The League was a confederation of Maya polities, it promised peace, and many cities joined it. Most places joined of their own free will, Izamal was the fifth city to join, but Tecoh was conquered by K'ak'upakal one of the four k’ul kokom (rulers) of Chichen Itza, as well as the head of the Itza military. Yawahal Cho Chak and Hun Pik Tok May were two of the other k’ul kokom.^[2]

Independence

Mo-Chel was the first Halach Uinik of the Kuchkabal Ah Kin Chel. He started the rule of the Chel family and the political state ruled by them. He was originally a nobleman, the son in law of one of the principal priests at Mayapan. Another priest Ah Xupan Nauat married his daughter Namox Chel to Mo. Mo-Chel is said to have foreseen the destruction of the League of Mayapan, and he fled with some followers to Tecoh near Izamal, where he established an independent state. He named the nation Ah Kin (high priest, literally means is from the sun) Chel (from his last name, a way of naming used by many Kuchkabal).^[3] Soon afterwards the League of Mayapan descended into a civil war between the Cocom and the Tutul-Xiu. The war started in 1441 and ended with the destruction of Mayapan and the League fracturing into seventeen states called Kuchkabal in 1461.

The chel family remained in rule until the end of Ah Kin Chel. Namux Chel was the last ruler, he was already in power in 1527 when Francisco de Montejo visited. To avoid conflict he allowed the Spaniards passage through Namux's territory. The Spaniards later made camp in the ruins of Chichen Itza. After three attempts the Spaniards conquered Yucatan in 1547

Organization

The Kuchkabals were divided into municipalities called batalib (plural batalibob) each Batalib was ruled by a batab (batabob plural). The ruler of a Kuchkabal was called a Halach Uinik which means "person of fact, person of command". A Halach Uinik was a monarch, but some kuchkabals were oligarchies, with batabil having a seat on a senate. As in the case of Ekab one batalib usually had more powerful batabob. The batabob were normally related to the Halach Uinik.

References

1. Roys, Ralph Loveland (1957). The political geography of the Yucatan Maya. Carnegie Institution of Washington. p. 78. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
2. http://www2.bmaf.org/node/427
3. http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Book-of-Chilam-Balam-the-of-Chumayel.pdf