Malietoa Talavou Tonumaipe’a
Encyclopedia
Le Susuga Malietoa Talavou Tonumaipe’a was installed as "King" of Samoa
to the western world on August 28, 1879 until his death on November 9, 1880. Since Malietoa Talavou's half brother's (same father M. Vai'inupo) death, Malietoa Moli in 1860, ongoing wars due to power and authority struggle between Talavou and Laupepa (M. Talavou's nephew-his half brother M. Moli's eldest son) over the next Malietoa title holder and the gaining of support by the districts of Samoa. Family rivalry existed as did a 30 year age difference drew a wedge between Malietoa Laupepa
and Malietoa Talavou. They were known to be longtime rivals over the Malietoa title.
Since the death of M. Moli in 1860, the people of Samoa were undecided in their allegiance to one Malietoa title holder. In 1869, Talavou was conferred the Malietoa title by the majority of the districts (Faasalelega, Manono
, parts of Tuamasaga
to Mulinu'u
. This included people from Leulumoega
and Lufilufi
) all of whom were against Laupepa's claim to the Malietoa title. Also in 1869, Laupepa was strongly supported by the majority in the Tuamasaga
district. Both Talavou and Laupepa jointly held the Malietoa title until their deaths.
At the end of Malietoa Gatuitasina's (M Moli and M Talavou's uncle) reign and death in 1858, the Malietoa title did not transition downward in its normal traditional order of succession by generation, age and seniority. M. Talavou should have succeeded M. Moli because they were in the same generation and M. Laupepa was in the next generation. M. Moli and M. Talavou are also half brothers (same father M. Vai'inupo).
M. Moli reigned for two years 1858-1860 and died in 2 years after M. Gatuitasina's death on October 1, 1858.
Malietoa Laupepa was installed as "King" in 1875 then four years later Malietoa Talavou was finally proclaimed and appointed as "King" in his latter years on August 28, 1879 officially recognized on record by the German, British and American governments. Malietoa Talavou was born circa 1810 to Malietoa
Vai'inupo Tavita, by his second wife Fuataiotuimaleali'ifano Malietoa Muagutiti'a (also known as Malietoa Ti'a). It was reported, in a local newsletter, that Malietoa Talavou died on November 9, 1880 (at the age of 70). No official record of Malietoa Talavou's cause of death.
) was born in Sāpapāli‘i, Savai'i
, Samoa
sometime around the year 1810. He lived most of his life on Savai‘i where he commissioned the construction of his tulaga maota named Pouesi ("Papaya-wood Post"). A modern ceremonial meetinghouse now stands on the Pouesi land which is considered the crownland of Talavou’s modern descendants, collectively known as the Sā Talavou. Talavou’s tenure as Malietoa was filled with warfare, religious partisanship, and political maneuvering (including marriage-alliances). He had five wives:
(1) Talavou’s first wife was [Taemanea Falegaoti] the daughter of the high chief [Sala Lenuanua] of Lealatele Savai’i. The couple had three children, a son named Tapu (Tapuulafiti) and 2 daughters Taofimalo (Taofimaloafiafiovasa) and Fuatai (Fuataiotui). Tapuulafiti married [Taele] the daughter of [Leta'a Uipo] of Apia, they had a son who acquired the titles [Papali'i Taimalelagi Tuiletufuga]. Taofimalo married [Tevaga Akalemo Filipo] of Lealatele. They had a son, [Tevaga Milo Filipo] and a daughter [Malia Taliilagi Filipo].
(2) Talavou's second wife was [Fa‘amelea Leiataualesa Malulaufa'i]] was a daughter of Lei‘ataualesā of Manono. Kraemer claims her father was Malulaufa‘i, the brother of Taimalelagi Lei‘ataua. Fa‘alataolefuaaleaigailetai [Fa‘alataitaua, Fa‘alataaloali‘i ] was the son of this couple who went on to become Malietoa, Seiuliali‘i and Ta‘imua.
(3) Third wife Tu‘ua was the daughter of chief Taliaoa from Afega
, Tuamasaga
and the mother of a daughter named Ali‘itasi.
(4) An unnamed woman from Si‘umu is listed as a fourth wife who bore a child named Mu
, although accounts are inconsistent as to whether this child was a male or female.
(5) The details of the fifth wife are unknown.
and the London Missionary Society
. Talavou was one of Vai‘inupō’s sons mentioned by Williams as having accepted the Lotu without Vai‘inupō’s permission in 1832. Talavou abruptly ended his affiliation with the L.M.S. in 1842 when Taimalelagi turned against the Christians (Meleiseā 1987a:74-77). Taimalelagi remained anti-Christian until his death but Talavou later attached himself to the Wesleyan [Methodist] sect “through his Tonga
n kin” (Meleiseā 1987b:239). Talavou was one of the first Samoan missionaries of the L.M.S. and he may have become an active advocate of Methodism
as well. Talavou was a keen student and statesman who was highly respected by resident Europeans on account of his dignified and friendly demeanor, not to mention his impressive command of both the English
and Samoan
languages. On account of his linguistic proficiencies and religious interest he was also commissioned to assist in the translation of the Holy Bible into the Samoan language. This “excellent” translation took place between 1835 and 1845 (Masterman 30) but Talavou probably only actively participated in the first seven years of translation process.
Since the Malietoa and Lei‘ataua families were related to and allied with the ruling families of Tonga
it was politically favorable that Talavou take up the religion of his supporters. Since Talavou was unsuccessful in rallying all of Samoa behind his mālō, the espousal of the Methodist denomination may have been designed to provide a unified religious front in opposition to the Sā Mōlī’s L.M.S. faction. Talavou’s conversion to the Lotu Toga also emphasizes political connections with Tonga which are often overlooked. European accounts from the 1770s reveal that Samoa and Tonga were actively engaged in interisland travel, warfare, chiefly intermarriage, and political affairs. King Siaosi [George] Tupou Tāufa‘āhau of Tonga had staunchly supported the Methodist cause taken up by Manono, which was the home island of his Samoan wife Sālata. Tāufa‘āhau and the Tu‘i Kanokupolu establishment were deeply involved in Manono politics and it is likely that his support was held in high regard by the Malietoa faction as well.
Talavou defected from the L.M.S. and joined himself to the Lotu Toga in 1842, perhaps in conjunction with a Tongan alliance formalized with Tonga during Tāufa‘āhau’s visit in that same year. Sioeli [Joel] Tupou and Peniamina [Benjamin] Latūselu were both Methodist preachers of noble Tongan ancestry who were noted for their involvement in Manono religious and political spheres of the time. Certainly there were many genuine converts to Christianity, but ulterior political motives cannot be ignored as the impetus for many religious conversions during this time period. Like his father, it seems that Talavou’s professions of Christianity were more of a socio-political tactic than a spiritual conversion, especially since he continued to defy basic Christian tenets regarding plural marriage and warfare until his death.
who had bombarded Sāgone and Palauli in 1859. The leaders of Savai‘i and ‘Āiga i le Tai opposed the nomination of Laupepa because of his youth and lack of experience in leadership and war. It was also argued that the customary practice called toe o le uso, “the right of the remaining brother,” should have been followed (Keesing 1934:63) as set forth by the example of the Vaiinupō-to-Taimalelagi (brother to younger brother) succession. Although Talavou came the closest, neither candidate succeeded in gaining all of Samoa’s support and so both were nominated and ratified as Malietoa by their respective constituencies.
was declared King of Samoa in 1869, and relocated his government seat from Malie to Matautu on the east shore of Apia Harbor. Talavou’s supporters soon discovered the plot and adamantly refused Laupepa’s claim to the kingship, rejecting him as the leader or organizer of any such confederation (faitasiga). Talavou’s supporters hurriedly established a rival government seat across the harbor on the Mulinu‘u peninsula, crowning Talavou as King of Samoa. Laupepa was deeply insulted when “all the district leaders” of Samoa – including several from Malietoa Laupepa
’s territories – held the deliberating fono at Talavou’s base in Mulinu’u rather than convening at Matautu (Meleiseā 1978a:78).
Even though the faitasiga was Laupepa’s brainchild, it was obvious that he would not be supported as its leader. Laupepa then sent an army to raid Mulinu‘u and Talavou was forced to return to Savai‘i in 1869. Within a couple of months Talavou had amassed a fleet of warriors that far surpassed Laupepa’s militias and Talavou’s warriors from Savai‘i, Manono, Atua, and A‘ana reestablished his government at Mulinu‘u later on that year. “The battle was carried on,” according to Thomas Trood, “around Apia for 72 consecutive hours, without any intermission” and it was during this battle that the British flag was torn from the British Consulate and the head of a decapitated British soldier was impaled on a fencepost in front of the Consulate building. Talavou feared British retribution and issued a formal apology by way of ifoga and even though Consul Williams rejected the gesture, Great Britain was counted “along with Malietoa Laupepa
’s party, as one of the vaivai” because the Consulate did not send warships to punish Talavou (Meleiseā 1987a:79).
Many of Malietoa Laupepa
’s supporters fled to their homes but a portion of the army fled south to Sāfata where they defended themselves so fiercely that Talavou’s warriors eventually grew weary of fighting and left Laupepa’s warriors in peace. Laupepa’s allies in Atua and A‘ana built villages to serve as refugee camps for Laupepa’s Tuamasaga supporters who were being driven from their homes by Talavou’s forces. A Native Government document shows that garrisons of Talavou’s “people” from Tuamasaga and Savai‘i were occupying tracts of land in Atua and A‘ana respectively (Tuvale 18). Laupepa’s naval force, led by two “European boats”(probably taumualua ) was destroyed by Talavou’s Manono-based fleet off the A‘ana coast near Faleasi‘u and Tufulele in 1870, the same year that the Manono sea-warriors defeated Laupepa’s Fagaloa-based fleet offshore at Nofoali‘i, A‘ana (Tuvale 18-19).
On several occasions, Malietoa Laupepa
himself fled Tuamasaga and sought temporary refuge in A‘ana where he garnered support among relatives and Tumua allies from A‘ana and Atua districts (Keesing 1934:63); he was also “in retirement” in 1873 during which time he sought refuge for about two years with his father’s-sister, Patosina [Emma]. In 1871, Talavou and Laupepa observed a brief period of peace and mourning in in memory of their fallen kinsman Tuimaleali‘ifano To‘oā Sualauvī. Following this cease-fire the island of ‘Upolu erupted in violence as Talavou’s forces fought Laupepa’s in Tuamasaga, warriors from Itū-o-Tane, Savai‘i besieged Leulumoega, A‘ana and Talavou’s Fa‘asāleleaga fleet invaded Atua.
The War of the Faitasiga was actually a series of conflicts that did not truly end until Talavou’s death in 1880, even though official peace talks were held in April 1873. During the negotiations both parties decided that Laupepa would be installed in joint-kingship with a “co-king” nominated by the Sā Tupua and that Talavou would return to Savai‘i, ending his four-year occupation of Tuamasaga. As the leader of the itū mālō it seems strange that Talavou would agree to give up his holdings on ‘Upolu
and relinquish his claim to the throne and there is indication that the Tuamasaga-Manono-Savai‘i party installed him as King of Samoa in 1874. Tupua Pulepule was chosen over Tuiatua Matā‘afa Fagamanu to rule with Laupepa as joint-king. The dual kingship was supplemented by the “Fono of Ta‘imua, with seven members representing each main district, and the Fono of Faipule, with 36 representatives from the sub-districts” (Meleiseā 1987b:82).
In May 1875, an influential American colonel, Albert Steinberger, coordinated the drafting of a constitution which did away with the co-kingship, reorganized the Faipule and Ta‘imua parliaments, and established a “rotating” kingship which provided the chance for both the Sā Malietoa and the Sā Tupua to occupy the throne in alternating succession. This meant that Laupepa would rule as King of Samoa for four years, at which time a king would be chosen from the Sā Tupua to rule for four years, etc. Steinberger also gained the trust and support of King Laupepa, the Ta‘imua and the Faipule and secured the office of Premier for himself on May 22, 1875 (Gilson 318).
In 1876, King Laupepa was coerced by American
Consul
Foster and L.M.S. figures into signing Steinberger’s deportation order, an action that sorely disappointed the members of the Faipule and the Ta‘imua. The two Fono houses removed Malietoa Laupepa from the throne and Tupua Tamasese Titimaea emerged as a new leader. Meanwhile Laupepa established himself in Malie and rallied support for his campaign, known as the Puletua. The Puletua declared Laupepa king in June 1877, reinforced the Taumuafā fortress and declared war on the Ta‘imua and Faipule. Malietoa Talavou mobilized his forces to attack Laupepa’s Puletua in July 1877, prompting Laupepa’s men to flee Taumuafā for Vaimoso (Tuvale 23). The Puletua disbanded in mid-July when Laupepa was captured by men from Manono and Talavou’s victory against Laupepa’s Faipule and Ta‘imua sympathizers was sealed three months later at Fale‘ula, Tuamasaga.
The Ta‘imua and Faipule reassumed their operation but were unable to simultaneously govern the nation and deal with foreign consular demands; within months of Puletua’s defeat, much of Samoa began looking once again to the two Malietoas for leadership. In 1878, Talavou’s government was reestablished in Mulinu‘u with Talavou declared King of Samoa. Talavou reportedly received the Tuia‘ana title around this time, in January 1879 (Tu'u'u 2002). Talavou was again installed as king on August 28, 1879 and Laupepa’s supporters immediately opposed to this new government. When the Ta‘imua and Faipule expressed their discontent with Talavou’s coronation they were immediately dismissed from Mulinu‘u and literally chased to the A‘ana border by Talavou’s warriors from Vaimauga and Faleata (Tuvale 27).
Malietoa Talavou suffered great humiliation when he was taken hostage in July 1879 under command of village leaders from the Gagaifomauga and Gaga‘emauga districts of northern Savai‘i. The village councils involved were fined $2,500 by the government and personal vengeance would later be exacted by Talavou through devastating attacks against Saleaula in 1880.
By September 1879, another major war was waging between the two declared Malietoa kings of Samoa. Malietoa Laupepa
had met with delegates of the foreign consuls and signed a convention through which “the Samoan Government gave up all jurisdiction over the town, harbour and neighborhood of Apia” (Sorenson & Theroux 2005). Many Samoans opposed Laupepa’s actions, which were becoming more and more “puppet-like,” and by December 1879, most of Laupepa’s Puletua chiefs had rallied behind Talavou and his Pulefou, as the new government was called; even the demoralized houses of the Ta‘imua and Faipule endorsed Talavou’s right to the throne. The ascension was made official through the Bismarck Constitution signed on December 15, 1879 aboard the German battleship H.I.G.M. Bismarck. Under the new constitution Malietoa Talavou was recognized as King of Samoa for life; this decision was ratified by the British government on January 14, 1880 (through Captain Purvis’ recognition of Talavou’s sovereignty), and again on March 24, 1880 by the governments of the United States, Great Britain and Germany (Bevans 68-70). Laupepa was named Suitupu (“Vice-King” or “Deputy King”) and Matā‘afa Iosefo, Premier
While support for Talavou as king was overwhelming, it was not unanimous. In June 1880 the Tumua confederates of Atua formally declared their opposition to Talavou’s kingship; Talavou reacted by sending a war party to attack an A‘ana delegation headed for Atua. More chaos ensued in early 1880 when the chiefs of Palauli, Sāleaula, and Tutuila sided with the Tumua faction of the A‘ana and Atua districts. The Samoan chronicler Te‘o Tuvale recorded that the Talavou’s enraged supporters from Sātuapa‘itea Fa‘asāleleaga “arose and drove away the people of Palauli and burned their village” (66). The Tumua quickly launched a counterattack against Talavou’s districts in Savai‘i but the A‘ana-Atua fleet was repelled and the Tumua’s audacity was rewarded with further razing of A‘ana plantations and communities at the hands of Talavou’s Tuamasaga faction (66).
, died November 8, 1880 as King of Samoa, Tupu o Sālafai, Tonumaipe‘a, and alleged Tuia‘ana. His nephew Malietoa Laupepa
was seated on the throne nine days later. Talavou's son, Fa'alataitaua, was installed as Malietoa
in 1900 and also served as Ta'imua until his death in 1910 (Efi 1995).
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
to the western world on August 28, 1879 until his death on November 9, 1880. Since Malietoa Talavou's half brother's (same father M. Vai'inupo) death, Malietoa Moli in 1860, ongoing wars due to power and authority struggle between Talavou and Laupepa (M. Talavou's nephew-his half brother M. Moli's eldest son) over the next Malietoa title holder and the gaining of support by the districts of Samoa. Family rivalry existed as did a 30 year age difference drew a wedge between Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
and Malietoa Talavou. They were known to be longtime rivals over the Malietoa title.
Since the death of M. Moli in 1860, the people of Samoa were undecided in their allegiance to one Malietoa title holder. In 1869, Talavou was conferred the Malietoa title by the majority of the districts (Faasalelega, Manono
Manono
Manono may refer to:* Manono Island, Samoa* Manono, Democratic Republic of the Congo * Manono, the Māori name given to plants of the Coprosma species Coprosma grandifolia, found in New Zealand....
, parts of Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
to Mulinu'u
Mulinu'u
Mulinu'u is a small village situated on a tiny peninsula on Upolu island in Samoa. It became the site of the colonial administration in Samoa in the 1870s and continues to be the site for the Parliament of Samoa...
. This included people from Leulumoega
Leulumoega
Leulumoega is a village situated on the northwest coast Upolu island in Samoa. The village is part of the A'ana Alofi II Electoral Constituency which formas part of the larger A'ana political district....
and Lufilufi
Lufilufi
Lufilufi is a historical village situated on the north coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency Anoamaa East which is within the larger political district of Atua....
) all of whom were against Laupepa's claim to the Malietoa title. Also in 1869, Laupepa was strongly supported by the majority in the Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
district. Both Talavou and Laupepa jointly held the Malietoa title until their deaths.
At the end of Malietoa Gatuitasina's (M Moli and M Talavou's uncle) reign and death in 1858, the Malietoa title did not transition downward in its normal traditional order of succession by generation, age and seniority. M. Talavou should have succeeded M. Moli because they were in the same generation and M. Laupepa was in the next generation. M. Moli and M. Talavou are also half brothers (same father M. Vai'inupo).
M. Moli reigned for two years 1858-1860 and died in 2 years after M. Gatuitasina's death on October 1, 1858.
Malietoa Laupepa was installed as "King" in 1875 then four years later Malietoa Talavou was finally proclaimed and appointed as "King" in his latter years on August 28, 1879 officially recognized on record by the German, British and American governments. Malietoa Talavou was born circa 1810 to Malietoa
Malietoa
Malietoa is a state dynasty and chiefly title in Samoa. Literally translated as "great warrior," the title's origin comes from the final words of the Tongan warriors as they were fleeing on the beach to their boats, "Malie To`a, Malie tau"....
Vai'inupo Tavita, by his second wife Fuataiotuimaleali'ifano Malietoa Muagutiti'a (also known as Malietoa Ti'a). It was reported, in a local newsletter, that Malietoa Talavou died on November 9, 1880 (at the age of 70). No official record of Malietoa Talavou's cause of death.
Early and family life
Talavou (which means "young" or "energetic" in SamoanSamoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
) was born in Sāpapāli‘i, Savai'i
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
sometime around the year 1810. He lived most of his life on Savai‘i where he commissioned the construction of his tulaga maota named Pouesi ("Papaya-wood Post"). A modern ceremonial meetinghouse now stands on the Pouesi land which is considered the crownland of Talavou’s modern descendants, collectively known as the Sā Talavou. Talavou’s tenure as Malietoa was filled with warfare, religious partisanship, and political maneuvering (including marriage-alliances). He had five wives:
(1) Talavou’s first wife was [Taemanea Falegaoti] the daughter of the high chief [Sala Lenuanua] of Lealatele Savai’i. The couple had three children, a son named Tapu (Tapuulafiti) and 2 daughters Taofimalo (Taofimaloafiafiovasa) and Fuatai (Fuataiotui). Tapuulafiti married [Taele] the daughter of [Leta'a Uipo] of Apia, they had a son who acquired the titles [Papali'i Taimalelagi Tuiletufuga]. Taofimalo married [Tevaga Akalemo Filipo] of Lealatele. They had a son, [Tevaga Milo Filipo] and a daughter [Malia Taliilagi Filipo].
(2) Talavou's second wife was [Fa‘amelea Leiataualesa Malulaufa'i]] was a daughter of Lei‘ataualesā of Manono. Kraemer claims her father was Malulaufa‘i, the brother of Taimalelagi Lei‘ataua. Fa‘alataolefuaaleaigailetai [Fa‘alataitaua, Fa‘alataaloali‘i ] was the son of this couple who went on to become Malietoa, Seiuliali‘i and Ta‘imua.
(3) Third wife Tu‘ua was the daughter of chief Taliaoa from Afega
Afega
Afega is a village on the island of Upolu in Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of the island to the west of the capital Apia in the countryside...
, Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
and the mother of a daughter named Ali‘itasi.
(4) An unnamed woman from Si‘umu is listed as a fourth wife who bore a child named Mu
Mu
- Language :* Mu , Μ or μ, a letter in the Greek alphabet* Mu , represented by the Japanese kana む or ム* 無, Mu , a Japanese and Korean word important in Zen practice...
, although accounts are inconsistent as to whether this child was a male or female.
(5) The details of the fifth wife are unknown.
Military involvement
Talavou’s appetite for war and talent for victory were developed early in his life under the tutelage of his father Vai‘inupō and his uncle Taimalelagi. He was already leading his own war parties in 1830 and had gained a feared reputation while still a young man. Talavou was often called Malietoa Pe‘a because he received the influential Tonumaipe‘a title shortly after Tamafaigā’s death. Kraemer wrote that Manono assisted him in “wresting” the title from Sātupa‘itea (Kraemer I:320) but Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Efi asserts that the Tonumaipe‘a came to Talavou at “the instigation of Manono” through his arranged marriage to “a lady of Tamafaigā’s family" (Efi 1995).Religious affiliations
Talavou’s first association with Christianity was through John Williams (missionary)John Williams (missionary)
John Williams was an English missionary, active in the South Pacific. Born near London, England, he was trained as a foundry worker and mechanic...
and the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
. Talavou was one of Vai‘inupō’s sons mentioned by Williams as having accepted the Lotu without Vai‘inupō’s permission in 1832. Talavou abruptly ended his affiliation with the L.M.S. in 1842 when Taimalelagi turned against the Christians (Meleiseā 1987a:74-77). Taimalelagi remained anti-Christian until his death but Talavou later attached himself to the Wesleyan [Methodist] sect “through his Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n kin” (Meleiseā 1987b:239). Talavou was one of the first Samoan missionaries of the L.M.S. and he may have become an active advocate of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
as well. Talavou was a keen student and statesman who was highly respected by resident Europeans on account of his dignified and friendly demeanor, not to mention his impressive command of both the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Samoan
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
languages. On account of his linguistic proficiencies and religious interest he was also commissioned to assist in the translation of the Holy Bible into the Samoan language. This “excellent” translation took place between 1835 and 1845 (Masterman 30) but Talavou probably only actively participated in the first seven years of translation process.
Since the Malietoa and Lei‘ataua families were related to and allied with the ruling families of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
it was politically favorable that Talavou take up the religion of his supporters. Since Talavou was unsuccessful in rallying all of Samoa behind his mālō, the espousal of the Methodist denomination may have been designed to provide a unified religious front in opposition to the Sā Mōlī’s L.M.S. faction. Talavou’s conversion to the Lotu Toga also emphasizes political connections with Tonga which are often overlooked. European accounts from the 1770s reveal that Samoa and Tonga were actively engaged in interisland travel, warfare, chiefly intermarriage, and political affairs. King Siaosi [George] Tupou Tāufa‘āhau of Tonga had staunchly supported the Methodist cause taken up by Manono, which was the home island of his Samoan wife Sālata. Tāufa‘āhau and the Tu‘i Kanokupolu establishment were deeply involved in Manono politics and it is likely that his support was held in high regard by the Malietoa faction as well.
Talavou defected from the L.M.S. and joined himself to the Lotu Toga in 1842, perhaps in conjunction with a Tongan alliance formalized with Tonga during Tāufa‘āhau’s visit in that same year. Sioeli [Joel] Tupou and Peniamina [Benjamin] Latūselu were both Methodist preachers of noble Tongan ancestry who were noted for their involvement in Manono religious and political spheres of the time. Certainly there were many genuine converts to Christianity, but ulterior political motives cannot be ignored as the impetus for many religious conversions during this time period. Like his father, it seems that Talavou’s professions of Christianity were more of a socio-political tactic than a spiritual conversion, especially since he continued to defy basic Christian tenets regarding plural marriage and warfare until his death.
Family rivalry
After Mōlī’s death, the Sā Malietoa was torn along religious and geopolitical lines: Savai‘i, Manono, parts of Tuamasaga and the Methodists (including Tongan Wesleyans) were behind the Sā Talavou while Malie, the rest of Tuamasaga, and the L.M.S. congregationalists remained loyal to Laupepa. The Gato‘aitele and Tamasoāli‘i were conferred upon To‘oā Sualauvī who was to serve as temporary guardian of the titles until the “official” Malietoa was chosen and installed. Even though Talavou was a seasoned leader and feared warrior, Malie authorities opposed his leadership because of the loss of prestige his mālō had suffered at the hands of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who had bombarded Sāgone and Palauli in 1859. The leaders of Savai‘i and ‘Āiga i le Tai opposed the nomination of Laupepa because of his youth and lack of experience in leadership and war. It was also argued that the customary practice called toe o le uso, “the right of the remaining brother,” should have been followed (Keesing 1934:63) as set forth by the example of the Vaiinupō-to-Taimalelagi (brother to younger brother) succession. Although Talavou came the closest, neither candidate succeeded in gaining all of Samoa’s support and so both were nominated and ratified as Malietoa by their respective constituencies.
Wars of the Confederation – Taua o le Faitasiga
After Malietoa Mōlī died in 1860 there was no universally recognized leader of Samoa and since the rival contenders had not yet met in battle there was neither an itū mālō nor itū vaivai. Talavou’s constituency vastly outnumbered the Laupepa partisans but neither succeeded in gaining complete control over all of Samoa’s districts. In 1868, the chiefs and orators loyal to Laupepa instituted a government based on the Western notion of parliamentary monarchy. Malietoa LaupepaMalietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
was declared King of Samoa in 1869, and relocated his government seat from Malie to Matautu on the east shore of Apia Harbor. Talavou’s supporters soon discovered the plot and adamantly refused Laupepa’s claim to the kingship, rejecting him as the leader or organizer of any such confederation (faitasiga). Talavou’s supporters hurriedly established a rival government seat across the harbor on the Mulinu‘u peninsula, crowning Talavou as King of Samoa. Laupepa was deeply insulted when “all the district leaders” of Samoa – including several from Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
’s territories – held the deliberating fono at Talavou’s base in Mulinu’u rather than convening at Matautu (Meleiseā 1978a:78).
Even though the faitasiga was Laupepa’s brainchild, it was obvious that he would not be supported as its leader. Laupepa then sent an army to raid Mulinu‘u and Talavou was forced to return to Savai‘i in 1869. Within a couple of months Talavou had amassed a fleet of warriors that far surpassed Laupepa’s militias and Talavou’s warriors from Savai‘i, Manono, Atua, and A‘ana reestablished his government at Mulinu‘u later on that year. “The battle was carried on,” according to Thomas Trood, “around Apia for 72 consecutive hours, without any intermission” and it was during this battle that the British flag was torn from the British Consulate and the head of a decapitated British soldier was impaled on a fencepost in front of the Consulate building. Talavou feared British retribution and issued a formal apology by way of ifoga and even though Consul Williams rejected the gesture, Great Britain was counted “along with Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
’s party, as one of the vaivai” because the Consulate did not send warships to punish Talavou (Meleiseā 1987a:79).
Many of Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
’s supporters fled to their homes but a portion of the army fled south to Sāfata where they defended themselves so fiercely that Talavou’s warriors eventually grew weary of fighting and left Laupepa’s warriors in peace. Laupepa’s allies in Atua and A‘ana built villages to serve as refugee camps for Laupepa’s Tuamasaga supporters who were being driven from their homes by Talavou’s forces. A Native Government document shows that garrisons of Talavou’s “people” from Tuamasaga and Savai‘i were occupying tracts of land in Atua and A‘ana respectively (Tuvale 18). Laupepa’s naval force, led by two “European boats”(probably taumualua ) was destroyed by Talavou’s Manono-based fleet off the A‘ana coast near Faleasi‘u and Tufulele in 1870, the same year that the Manono sea-warriors defeated Laupepa’s Fagaloa-based fleet offshore at Nofoali‘i, A‘ana (Tuvale 18-19).
On several occasions, Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
himself fled Tuamasaga and sought temporary refuge in A‘ana where he garnered support among relatives and Tumua allies from A‘ana and Atua districts (Keesing 1934:63); he was also “in retirement” in 1873 during which time he sought refuge for about two years with his father’s-sister, Patosina [Emma]. In 1871, Talavou and Laupepa observed a brief period of peace and mourning in in memory of their fallen kinsman Tuimaleali‘ifano To‘oā Sualauvī. Following this cease-fire the island of ‘Upolu erupted in violence as Talavou’s forces fought Laupepa’s in Tuamasaga, warriors from Itū-o-Tane, Savai‘i besieged Leulumoega, A‘ana and Talavou’s Fa‘asāleleaga fleet invaded Atua.
The War of the Faitasiga was actually a series of conflicts that did not truly end until Talavou’s death in 1880, even though official peace talks were held in April 1873. During the negotiations both parties decided that Laupepa would be installed in joint-kingship with a “co-king” nominated by the Sā Tupua and that Talavou would return to Savai‘i, ending his four-year occupation of Tuamasaga. As the leader of the itū mālō it seems strange that Talavou would agree to give up his holdings on ‘Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
and relinquish his claim to the throne and there is indication that the Tuamasaga-Manono-Savai‘i party installed him as King of Samoa in 1874. Tupua Pulepule was chosen over Tuiatua Matā‘afa Fagamanu to rule with Laupepa as joint-king. The dual kingship was supplemented by the “Fono of Ta‘imua, with seven members representing each main district, and the Fono of Faipule, with 36 representatives from the sub-districts” (Meleiseā 1987b:82).
Malietoa Talavou, Malietoa Laupepa and New Governments
In May 1875, an influential American colonel, Albert Steinberger, coordinated the drafting of a constitution which did away with the co-kingship, reorganized the Faipule and Ta‘imua parliaments, and established a “rotating” kingship which provided the chance for both the Sā Malietoa and the Sā Tupua to occupy the throne in alternating succession. This meant that Laupepa would rule as King of Samoa for four years, at which time a king would be chosen from the Sā Tupua to rule for four years, etc. Steinberger also gained the trust and support of King Laupepa, the Ta‘imua and the Faipule and secured the office of Premier for himself on May 22, 1875 (Gilson 318).
In 1876, King Laupepa was coerced by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Foster and L.M.S. figures into signing Steinberger’s deportation order, an action that sorely disappointed the members of the Faipule and the Ta‘imua. The two Fono houses removed Malietoa Laupepa from the throne and Tupua Tamasese Titimaea emerged as a new leader. Meanwhile Laupepa established himself in Malie and rallied support for his campaign, known as the Puletua. The Puletua declared Laupepa king in June 1877, reinforced the Taumuafā fortress and declared war on the Ta‘imua and Faipule. Malietoa Talavou mobilized his forces to attack Laupepa’s Puletua in July 1877, prompting Laupepa’s men to flee Taumuafā for Vaimoso (Tuvale 23). The Puletua disbanded in mid-July when Laupepa was captured by men from Manono and Talavou’s victory against Laupepa’s Faipule and Ta‘imua sympathizers was sealed three months later at Fale‘ula, Tuamasaga.
The Ta‘imua and Faipule reassumed their operation but were unable to simultaneously govern the nation and deal with foreign consular demands; within months of Puletua’s defeat, much of Samoa began looking once again to the two Malietoas for leadership. In 1878, Talavou’s government was reestablished in Mulinu‘u with Talavou declared King of Samoa. Talavou reportedly received the Tuia‘ana title around this time, in January 1879 (Tu'u'u 2002). Talavou was again installed as king on August 28, 1879 and Laupepa’s supporters immediately opposed to this new government. When the Ta‘imua and Faipule expressed their discontent with Talavou’s coronation they were immediately dismissed from Mulinu‘u and literally chased to the A‘ana border by Talavou’s warriors from Vaimauga and Faleata (Tuvale 27).
Malietoa Talavou suffered great humiliation when he was taken hostage in July 1879 under command of village leaders from the Gagaifomauga and Gaga‘emauga districts of northern Savai‘i. The village councils involved were fined $2,500 by the government and personal vengeance would later be exacted by Talavou through devastating attacks against Saleaula in 1880.
By September 1879, another major war was waging between the two declared Malietoa kings of Samoa. Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
had met with delegates of the foreign consuls and signed a convention through which “the Samoan Government gave up all jurisdiction over the town, harbour and neighborhood of Apia” (Sorenson & Theroux 2005). Many Samoans opposed Laupepa’s actions, which were becoming more and more “puppet-like,” and by December 1879, most of Laupepa’s Puletua chiefs had rallied behind Talavou and his Pulefou, as the new government was called; even the demoralized houses of the Ta‘imua and Faipule endorsed Talavou’s right to the throne. The ascension was made official through the Bismarck Constitution signed on December 15, 1879 aboard the German battleship H.I.G.M. Bismarck. Under the new constitution Malietoa Talavou was recognized as King of Samoa for life; this decision was ratified by the British government on January 14, 1880 (through Captain Purvis’ recognition of Talavou’s sovereignty), and again on March 24, 1880 by the governments of the United States, Great Britain and Germany (Bevans 68-70). Laupepa was named Suitupu (“Vice-King” or “Deputy King”) and Matā‘afa Iosefo, Premier
While support for Talavou as king was overwhelming, it was not unanimous. In June 1880 the Tumua confederates of Atua formally declared their opposition to Talavou’s kingship; Talavou reacted by sending a war party to attack an A‘ana delegation headed for Atua. More chaos ensued in early 1880 when the chiefs of Palauli, Sāleaula, and Tutuila sided with the Tumua faction of the A‘ana and Atua districts. The Samoan chronicler Te‘o Tuvale recorded that the Talavou’s enraged supporters from Sātuapa‘itea Fa‘asāleleaga “arose and drove away the people of Palauli and burned their village” (66). The Tumua quickly launched a counterattack against Talavou’s districts in Savai‘i but the A‘ana-Atua fleet was repelled and the Tumua’s audacity was rewarded with further razing of A‘ana plantations and communities at the hands of Talavou’s Tuamasaga faction (66).
Death and succession
Malietoa Talavou, “the central figure” (Gray 68) of the newborn Samoan monarchyMonarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
, died November 8, 1880 as King of Samoa, Tupu o Sālafai, Tonumaipe‘a, and alleged Tuia‘ana. His nephew Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
was seated on the throne nine days later. Talavou's son, Fa'alataitaua, was installed as Malietoa
Malietoa
Malietoa is a state dynasty and chiefly title in Samoa. Literally translated as "great warrior," the title's origin comes from the final words of the Tongan warriors as they were fleeing on the beach to their boats, "Malie To`a, Malie tau"....
in 1900 and also served as Ta'imua until his death in 1910 (Efi 1995).