It is likely that he was a son of the king
Itzamnaaj Kʼawiil. He was a successor of
Uchaʼan Kʼin Bʼalam, who was likely his regent. It appears that Kʼawiil Chan Kʼinich repaid his debt to his probable guardian and regent by recording his death and that of
his wife on Hieroglyphic Bench 1. His accession followed the death of his predecessor within days, and it is possible that he was still young enough that the kingdom's enemies saw this as an opportunity to attack. The other possibility is that Kʼawill Chan Kʼinich set out to establish a military reputation for himself; even before his accession he had captured a lord from Ahkul and thereafter styled himself "Master of the Ahkul Lord", while Hieroglyphic Stairway 3 records captures from
El Chorro,
Yaxchilan and
Motul de San José.
Yichʼaak Bʼalam, king of
Seibal, performed rituals overseen by Kʼawiil Chan Kʼinich. A hieroglyphic stairway at
Tamarindito records Kʼawiil Chan Kʼinich's "going out", a verb which often has the sense of "fleeing". It is not known when and where did he died. ==References==