Yajawil of Kaniktun

Yajawil of Kaniktun Yajawil Kaniktun
Flag
Motto: With the Morning, even Death may Die
Anthem: Praise to the Sun
Location of the Yajawil in Mutul
Capital and	Kanma
Official languages	Mutli Utaan Etaan
Ethnic groups (2016)	Xumanec Ytze K'iche B'en Zaa Yokot'anob
Demonym(s)	Kaniktans
Government	Absolute monarchy
• Oxkan Yajaw	Ej K’otuha
Legislature	Oxma Ch'ob
• Upper house	Oxma Sajal Ch'ob
• Lower house	Oxma Mam Ch'ob
Province of the Mutul
Population
• 2018 estimate	860,000
• 2012 census	857,000

Kaniktun is a first-level administrative division of the Mutul located to the north-west of the Xuman Peninsula. It’s delimited to its north by the Kayamuca Sea, to its west by the Makrian Ocean, to the south by the Yajawil of Oxmal, to the south-east by the Yajawil of Kupul, and to the east by the Yajawil of Ekab. It is populated by around 860,000 inhabitants and count 70 Batabils organized in 4 Kuchkabals. Its capital is Kanma, the “Golden City”, famous for its Temple dedicated to K’inich Ajaw the Solar God, one of the main pilgrimage destination of the Sakbe religion. Kanma, between the 40s and the 70s, was also famous for being the main bastion of the Occidentalists, a faction of political thinkers inspired by Technocratic Socialism who held great influence over the Mutul political system during this period. Since then, Kanma’s University continue to be famed for its innovative thinkers, being the cradle of many of the Mutul most reformists politicians and administrators.

Etymology

Kaniktun was originally a nickname given to the region surrounding the three cities given to the Kawkom loyalists in 891 : Kanma, Ikanziho, and Motun. The name is made of glyphs for “Precious”, “Wind”, and “Stone” found in the names of the three cities. After 1317, these cities were all regroupd into a single Yajawil, and Kaniktun became the official name of the new province.

History

Gardens of the current Yajawal palace

Before the rise of the Second Ytze Kingdom, Kanma, the “Golden City”, was one of the largest and more prestigious city of the Xuman Peninsula, covering a minimal urban extension of 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi). Causeways linking it to other cities showed that it had an area of influence of around 5,000 square kilometres in extension. Kanma developed a particular constructive technique involving use of megalithic carved blocks, with defined architectural characteristics like rounded corners, projected mouldings and thatched roofs at superstructures, which also appeared in other important urban centers within its hitherland. Chaan Dynaty codices tell of Kanma as an important place of worship for K’inich Ajaw, the Solar God, by the Xumanec peoples outside of the Mutul’s direct control.

In 250, the Mutul broke down in a succession crisis known as the Brothers War. This allowed the Second Ytze Kingdom to rise in power, with its king being able to declare itself “K’uhul Ajaw” and thus to claim ascendence over other political units of the Peninsula. During the late 3rd century, Kanma was conquered by the Ytze and became part of their kingdom.

In 444, Kanma and other cities of north-western Xuman joined Hunak Keel Kawich in his second rebellion against the Ytze. After the final victory of the rebels and their Kuy allies, what would become Kaniktun was added to the Mutul, as part of the Yajawil of Chakjasaw.

After the Xiu Revolt of the late 9th century, some aristocrats remained loyal to the Kawkom Family. Mo Chel, the son of an important priest of Ekpan, notably foresaw the revolt and fled beforehand to Kanma with some followers. The Halak Winik of the nearby city of Motun, Naum Pech, a relative of the Kawkom family, became the first ally of Mo Chel against the Xiu and their partisans who besieged their lands, before the two were joined by Makam K’in Keh who was the head-priest of Ikanziho and seized powers in that city. Ultimately, neither the “Three Families” nor the Xiu managed to completely defeat the other side and the K’uhul Ajaw decided to grand pardon to the Kawkom loyalists and confirmed them in their respective estates.

The Chel, Pech, and Keh Families remained political allies against the Xiu and the Tutul for the rest of the Chankuy Dynasty and the Cousins war. With the K’iche conquest of the Xuman Peninsula, they were stripped from their titles of Yajaws like all the other rulers of the region, and all placed under the larger Yajawil of Xuman. It’s during the K’iche period that the direct lineage of the Pech family disappeared, and its lands were inherited by Tunal Ak Ben, a member of the Keh dynasty. Today, Tunal Ak Ben lineage remain, under the name of Kech pek, and is considered the direct descendent of the Pech.

In 1290, a crusader army led by Leo Aegidius, landed near the town of Tzilam, 70km north of Kanma. The crusader then tried to besiege Tzilam and pillage the area until their supply lines were cut off and they were forced to flee deeper inland, going as far as Ekpan before being crushed.

The Xuman Crusade led the Ilok’tab Dynasty to fear further assaults from the Latins. Tecuman II moved the capital to K’alak Muul and then divided the old Xuman Yajawil into a number of new principalities. The Kuchkabals of Kankab, Ikanziho, and Motun were all fused into a single Yajawil : the current Yajawil of Kaniktun.Kanma became the seat of the new Yajaw, while Motun became the heart of a new Commandery. Nawa K’uk Kumax of the Kawek Lineage became the first Yajaw of Ikanziho.

During the Belfro-Mutulese war of 1911, the Belfrasians attempted a new landing at Kaniktun after their attack through Ekab started to stall. An important force landed near Tzilam, the largest port of the Province, but was ultimately pushed back after weeks of fightings. Monuments commemorating the battle can be found thourough the city and its area, with notably a temple dedicated to the “Martyrs of Tzilam”.

Geography

A beach in Kaniktun with Pink Flamingo in the foreground

As a whole, the state is extremely flat with little or no topographic variation. Because of its karstic soils, there’s no surface-level water sources. Only near the coast does underground rivers come back to the surface in the form of karst springs but these are rarely used as drinkable waters as they are often polluted by contaminants from upstream, the porous karstic environment offering little to no occasion to filter them.

The coast of the Yajawil is normally covered by Mangroves, but the development of cities like Tzalam and other more minor ports have destroyed most of it in the north. Today most of the remaining Mangroves can be found on the western coast as a large band of saline woodlands, punctuated by small settlements and minor fishing ports.

Climate

Kaniktun is located between 7° and 8° degrees above the equator. It’s climate is nonetheless dominated by the trade winds and currents from the north and north-west, bringing back significantly cooler waters to the Province’s coast. It is not however under the effect of a Monsoon like the Yajawils bordering the Kayamuca Sea are.

Thus, rain is abundant and stable year round, falling mostly late in the afternoon or at night, while the change in temperature between day and night is often larger than the yearly average change in temperature..

Government and politics

Seal of Ej K'otuha, the current Oxkan Yajaw

Kaniktun is ruled by the Oxkan Yajaw, nominated by the K’uhul Ajaw and confirmed in his functions by the Oxma Ch’ob. Executive and judicial powers over the Yajawil reside in him. The Ch’ob remain competent over the economic development of the province, with some inputs from the central government, the organization of public transports, the maintenance of regional roads and infrastructures, the local school system (from the construction of new schools to the recruitment of personnels and the gestion of the dormitories, etc...), the control of the environment, regional culture, sports…

The Superior Court of Kaniktun is last court of cassation before the Holy and Royal Court.

The current Yajaw, Ej K’otuha, is a member of the Ekoamak’ Lineage. During the 18th century, the direction of the Yajawil was granted to the local Chel family as a sign of good will and decentralization. However, their participation in the side of the Noble Republic during the Sajal War meant the main Chel Lineage was stripped away of most of its major titles. The Chel have since then been restored in their conditions of Aristocrats and they remain some of the largest landowners and most important traders and entrepreneurs of the Province, but its been three generations now that the Ekoamak’ have kept the title of Yajaw for themselves.

Kuchkabals

The Yajawil is divided into four Kuchkabals, each headed by an Halak Winik: Kanma, Ikanziho, Motun, and Yobe. Other important cities include Tzilam, Ake, Ixil, Yaxkuh, Chubuma, and Xulub. All of these Kuchkabals and Batabils are held by members of the Chel, Keh, or distant relatives of the Pech families.

Economy

Primary Sector

A sample of corn maize produced in Kaniktun

Like other regions of the Xuman Peninsula, Kaniktun’s agriculture is essentially built around the Milpa System and the Pet Kot agro forestry. The Milpa fields are essentially used to produce the “three sisters” : Corn, Squashes, and Beans, but also tomatoes, chili, sweet potatoes, papaya, pineapples, vanilla, bananas, guava fruits, sunflower seeds, tree spinach, tobacco… while the Pet Kot is used to complement these cultures with the production of hard wood, fruits, nuts, beans, berries, but also of chocolate and other plants and spices.

Alongside chocolate, vanilla, and chili peppers, honey is also an important source of revenues for local farmers and Kaniktunans apiarists have acquired quite a reputation, both at the regional and national levels.

Intensive poultry farming is omnipresent in the Province which exports turkey, chickens, but also more rare meats like Terror Birds or ducks. Dear farming has also become more common thourough the area, but remain quite rare when compared to other Provinces deeper inland.

Fishing is the main activity of most coastal towns, especially the city of Tzilam and its dependencies. In 2016, the Province caught 10,000 tons of squids, 8000 tons of Groupers, and 2000 tons of Sea cucumbers. Fish farms are also being developed more and more, both inland in the form of communal farms around artificial pounds, but also on houseboats rafts.

This is explained by the restrictions on the use of coastal space in place in the Province, to prevent further degradation of the Mangrove, already in a precarious situation. This is also why salt and sugar productions in Kaniktun hasn’t reached their full potential.

Secondary Sector

The main employers in the Province are the Manufacturing and Construction sectors. Around 15% of the wealth produced by the industrial sector is done by the Textile industry, but this still pale in comparison to the food processing (including tobacco) and alimentation sector with 60% of the total wealth generated.

All in all, the secondary sector represent 25% of the total GDP of the Province.

Tertiary Sector

Tourism and Pilgrimages

The Temple of K'inich Ajaw in Kanma

Like the nearby Yajawil of Ekab, Kaniktun boast both a rich history, many archeological and natural sites to visit, protected mangroves to explore, and many sea-related activities being developed by the holidays resorts present in the Province. However, some of the Mutul’s most famous restrictions on foreigners visits, such as outward signs of religious appartenance to a monotheistic faith, have led to the tourism industry to remain smaller than it could potentially be, and behind religious pilgrimages as a source of income for the hotel and restaurant industry, especially in Kanma which enjoy the presence of an important dedicated to Kinich Ajaw, the Solar God, one of the most visited holy site in the Peninsula after the Temple of Ix Chel in Kuzamil.

Demography

Kaniktun population was of 857,000 inhabitants in 2012. The main three cities are Kanma, Tzilam, and Motun, with respectively 300,000 ; 100,000 ; and 60,000 inhabitants, making up 53% of the total population of the state, 60% with their associated urban areas.Ikanziho represent around 40,000 inhabitants and is essentially known for its monuments and museums.

Religion

K'inich Ajaw

Like every other Yajawil, an official one hundred percent of the population belongs to the White Path, a result of laws restricting the access to citizenship to people of this confession. But inside the White Path, the clergy of Kaniktun is especially dedicated to the cult of K’inich Ajaw, the Solar God, and of his other forms such as Night Sun : the Jaguar god of the Underworld carrying the sun during its night travel through Xibalba, Hunaphu, the god of sunrises, and Tohil, god of Noon.

The Temple of K’inich Ajaw in Kanma is especially famous, welcoming hundred of thousands of pilgrims and visitors each years. The Temple has played an important role in Kaniktun’s history, both as a rallying symbol and a political institution. Another important complex is the temple dedicated to the Thirteen Creator Gods. Because of his association with the “true light”, Itzamna is sometime worshiped on his own, without the other twelve creator gods, as the Immaterial aspect of “light” that took part in the creation of the world and thus the forefather of the Sun and fire.

Another deity to have an important following in Kaniktun is Jakawitz, the “First Mountain of Creation”, where the Night Sun, after its adventures through Xibalba, take the primordial energy necessary to revive the solar disk. With the K’inich Ajaw and Itzamna the Creator God, Jakawitz complete the local “sun and fire triad”, patrons of the Yajawil.

Language

The main language of the population is Utaan, a Xumanec language with relations to current Yokot’aan spoken around the Yoko Bay, and to the Ytza tongue. Because of historical links and sometime recent migrations, communities of Etaan, K’iche, Ytza, Yokot’aan, Didze, and Iakty’an all exist within the Yajawil. But even though their maternal languages differ, all Kaniktunans are taught Mutli as a common language.

Culture

Education

During the 20th century, the Kanma B’anawi, the “University of Kanma”, became famous for being the birthplace of a new wave of thinkers, collectively known as the Occidentalists. The Occidentalists promoted the idea that a State’s legitimacy was in its capacity to redistribute wealth thourough the production and distribution network. Inspired by the Daitoa Republic They notably defended the vision of a highly centralized, bureaucratic state with an extensive system of examinations to select the best candidate for a given position. To this day Kanma remain a place of high teaching, especially renown in the matter of mathematics, ecology, and political sciences.

Food

The Cuisine of Kaniktun show a vast diversity of seafood. Some of its speciality include stewed, grilled, or fried squid. The abondance of seafood is what makes the Yajawil stand out compared with its neighbours, with whom the Province share most of its culinary traditions. Fishes, molluscs, and even sea cucumbers, are all very common and often rolled with spices in a corn flatbread.