Mara Kapaiwai
Encyclopedia
Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Mara (born between 1815 and 1820 - 8 June 1859), chiefly seafarer, and descendant of the Vunivalu of Bau
.
Ratu Mara's father was Ratu
Vuibureta (half brother of Ratu
Tanoa Visawaqa
) of Bau, who was the son of Ratu
Banuve, Vunivalu of Bau
. He was thus not only a potential contender for the title of Vunivalu of Bau
, but vasulevu , from which came many of the great canoes on which Bau's naval might rested. His mother was Roko
Mere Veisaca of Lakeba
in Lau
.
Ratu Mara was married to Adi
Loaloakubou, daughter of Ratu
Tanoa Visawaqa
and Adi Talatoko of Somosomo
. They had one son, Ratu
Joni Madraiwiwi I
, who became the father of Ratu
Sir Lala Sukuna
and others.
His grandmother was Adi
Talatoka, who was the daughter of Ratu
Yavala (Tui Cakau
) of Somosomo
and Adi
Levulevu of the Roko
Tui Bau Royal Court. Adi
Levulevu and Adi
Savusavu
(Ratu
Cakobau's mother) were sisters.
, an act of unprecedented audacity for a Fijian seafarer. Returning to Fiji
with Ma'afu in 1847, he finally fell out with Ratu
Cakobau and was forced to take refuge with Qaraniqio of Rewa
. He allied with him and other chiefs, including Koroi Ravulo of Vusaradave and Tui
Levuka
in a formidable coalition dedicated to the destruction of Ratu
Cakobau.
He waged guerilla campaigns against Ratu Cakobau until 1859 when he was gulled into surrendering himself in Bau, only to be hanged the next day by order of his cousin, Ratu Cakobau.
The wounds caused by the hanging of Ratu Mara were secretly nursed by his descendants, but it eventually surfaced during the time of his grandson, Ratu
Sir Lala Sukuna
when he removed himself and his younger brother, Ratu Tiale Vuiyasawa and his sisters away from the Tui
Kaba
Registration of Births (Vola ni Kawa Bula) to that of the Vuanirewa
Registration in Lakeba
, Lau
under their mother, Adi
Litiana Maopa
, who was the sister of the Tui Nayau
, Ratu
Finau.
Vunivalu of Bau
Turaga na Vunivalu ni Bau is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means Warlord of Bau or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high ranking member of the Tui Kaba clan.-A brief history:The...
.
Ratu Mara's father was Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Vuibureta (half brother of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tanoa Visawaqa
Tanoa Visawaqa
Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa was a Fijian Chieftain who held the title Vunivalu of Bau. With Adi Savusavu, one of his nine wives, he was the father of Seru Epenisa Cakobau, who succeeded in unifying Fiji into a single kingdom.- Installation :...
) of Bau, who was the son of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Banuve, Vunivalu of Bau
Vunivalu of Bau
Turaga na Vunivalu ni Bau is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means Warlord of Bau or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high ranking member of the Tui Kaba clan.-A brief history:The...
. He was thus not only a potential contender for the title of Vunivalu of Bau
Vunivalu of Bau
Turaga na Vunivalu ni Bau is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means Warlord of Bau or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high ranking member of the Tui Kaba clan.-A brief history:The...
, but vasulevu , from which came many of the great canoes on which Bau's naval might rested. His mother was Roko
Roko
Roko is a title used by Fiji of chiefly rank specifically from the Lau Islands. Its equivalent from the Kubuna Confederacy is the Bauan form of Ratu and Ro from parts of the Burebasaga Confederacy. This title was widely used amongst members of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan up to the mid 19th century...
Mere Veisaca of Lakeba
Lakeba
Lakeba is an island in Fiji's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa...
in Lau
Lau
Lau may refer to:An indigenous people that live on the Solomon Islands.People with the German/Austrian surname:* Charlie Lau, catcher and hitting coach in Major League Baseball* Laurence Lau , actor...
.
Ratu Mara was married to Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Loaloakubou, daughter of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tanoa Visawaqa
Tanoa Visawaqa
Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa was a Fijian Chieftain who held the title Vunivalu of Bau. With Adi Savusavu, one of his nine wives, he was the father of Seru Epenisa Cakobau, who succeeded in unifying Fiji into a single kingdom.- Installation :...
and Adi Talatoko of Somosomo
Somosomo
Somosomo is a chiefly village in Taveuni, which is the island where the international date line crosses on land in Fiji. This island is part of the Cakaudrove Province and the holders of the title of Tui Cakau, the Paramount Chief of the Tovata Confederacy, are historically and traditionally...
. They had one son, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Joni Madraiwiwi I
Joni Madraiwiwi I
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi was a Fijian chief. Ratu Madraiwiwi was a Bauan chief, and the son of the Bauan chief and rebel Ratu Mara Kapaiwai . After joining the Audit Office as a clerk at an early age, Ratu Madraiwiwi had steadily worked his way up through the civil service...
, who became the father of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Sir Lala Sukuna
Lala Sukuna
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, KCMG, KBE was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji...
and others.
His grandmother was Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Talatoka, who was the daughter of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Yavala (Tui Cakau
Tui Cakau
The Tui Cakau is the Paramount Chief of Cakaudrove Province in Fiji. In Modern Fiji this chiefly title is regarded as the most senior in the Tovata Confederacy, and the third most senior in the country.-Recent history :...
) of Somosomo
Somosomo
Somosomo is a chiefly village in Taveuni, which is the island where the international date line crosses on land in Fiji. This island is part of the Cakaudrove Province and the holders of the title of Tui Cakau, the Paramount Chief of the Tovata Confederacy, are historically and traditionally...
and Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Levulevu of the Roko
Roko
Roko is a title used by Fiji of chiefly rank specifically from the Lau Islands. Its equivalent from the Kubuna Confederacy is the Bauan form of Ratu and Ro from parts of the Burebasaga Confederacy. This title was widely used amongst members of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan up to the mid 19th century...
Tui Bau Royal Court. Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Levulevu and Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Savusavu
Savusavu
Savusavu is a town in the Fijian Province of Cakaudrove. The town is located on the south coast of Vanua Levu Island and had a population of 3,372 in the 2007 census.Savusavu is known as "the hidden paradise of Fiji."- Geography :...
(Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Cakobau's mother) were sisters.
Ratu Mara's Legacy
Ratu Mara won fame by sailing his canoe to TongaTonga
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...
, an act of unprecedented audacity for a Fijian seafarer. Returning to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
with Ma'afu in 1847, he finally fell out with Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Cakobau and was forced to take refuge with Qaraniqio of Rewa
Rewa (princely state)
Rewa was a princely state of India, surrounding its eponymous capital, the town of Rewa.-Description:With an area of about 13,000 mi², Rewa was the largest princely state in the Bagelkhand Agency and the second largest in Central India Agency. The British political agent for Bagelkhand resided...
. He allied with him and other chiefs, including Koroi Ravulo of Vusaradave and Tui
Tui
As a noun, Tui may refer to:* Tu'i , a title of nobility in Polynesia and some of Melanesia* Tui Awards, New Zealand's annual music industry awards* Tui , a brand of New Zealand beer produced by Tui Breweries...
Levuka
Levuka
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. It was formerly the Capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 , about half of Ovalau's 8,360 inhabitants...
in a formidable coalition dedicated to the destruction of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Cakobau.
He waged guerilla campaigns against Ratu Cakobau until 1859 when he was gulled into surrendering himself in Bau, only to be hanged the next day by order of his cousin, Ratu Cakobau.
The wounds caused by the hanging of Ratu Mara were secretly nursed by his descendants, but it eventually surfaced during the time of his grandson, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Sir Lala Sukuna
Lala Sukuna
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, KCMG, KBE was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji...
when he removed himself and his younger brother, Ratu Tiale Vuiyasawa and his sisters away from the Tui
Tui
As a noun, Tui may refer to:* Tu'i , a title of nobility in Polynesia and some of Melanesia* Tui Awards, New Zealand's annual music industry awards* Tui , a brand of New Zealand beer produced by Tui Breweries...
Kaba
Kaba
Kaba may refer to:* Ka'ba , the holiest place in Islam, a large cube building inside the al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca* Kaba, Hungary, a town in Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary, which had a rare carbonaceous chondrite meteorite fall in 1857...
Registration of Births (Vola ni Kawa Bula) to that of the Vuanirewa
Vuanirewa
The Vuanirewa is the ruling tribe of the Lau Islands, a scattered group of more than a hundred islands and reefs along the eastern edge of Fiji.- Origins :...
Registration in Lakeba
Lakeba
Lakeba is an island in Fiji's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa...
, Lau
Lau
Lau may refer to:An indigenous people that live on the Solomon Islands.People with the German/Austrian surname:* Charlie Lau, catcher and hitting coach in Major League Baseball* Laurence Lau , actor...
under their mother, Adi
Adi
Adi may refer to:Peoples and places:*Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca*Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India**Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi...
Litiana Maopa
Litiana Maopa
Adi Litiana Maopa was a prominent member of two of Fiji's main chiefly houses, those of the Tui Nayau, the paramount chief of the Lau Islands, and the chiefly house of the Vunivalu of Bau, the paramount chief of the Kubuna Confederacy....
, who was the sister of the Tui Nayau
Tui Nayau
Tui Nayau is the title held by the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated Tui Nayau means Lord of Nayau, an island north of Lakeba, the latter accepted by many to be the chiefly island in the Lauan...
, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Finau.