Which events did Maya inscriptions record about rulers and their families?

Maya inscriptions, which were once thought to be primarily religious, have been shown to be largely historical in nature. These texts recorded significant events in the lives of Maya rulers and their families, including:123

• Births: Records of the arrival of royal family members.12
• Accessions: Documentation of when a ruler ascended to power.12
• Marriages: Accounts of dynastic unions.1
• Military Victories: Details regarding conquests and warfare, which were often conducted to secure captives for sacrifice or slavery.14
• Deaths: Commemorations of the passing of ruling figures.2

In addition to these secular events, some inscriptions served to document the histories of royal lineages and their domains, often utilizing "emblem glyphs" to identify specific dynasties. While many texts focused on court affairs, others were sacred and god-oriented, sometimes tracing the ancestry of kings back to divine progenitors or recording events in the lives of distant ancestors.12