Seru Epenisa Cakobau
Encyclopedia
Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (also spelled Cacobau or Thakombau) (1815–1883) was a Fiji
an Ratu
and warlord
who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing a united Fijian kingdom.
Tanoa Visawaqa
, and one of his nine wives, Adi Savusavu.
The Vunivalu and the Roko Tui Bau
(sacred chieftain) had had many power struggles during the course of nearly a century. These struggles led to the death of Seru's paternal uncle, the Vunivalu of Bau
, Naulivou Ramatenikutu and the installation of Tanoa as Vunivalu. However, after he slew the Roko Tui Bau, Ratu Raiwalui, near Vanuabalavu, amongst other murders and reprisals, Tanoa was exiled in 1832.
Despite his father's exile, Seru was allowed to remain in Bau. He subsequently gained power in 1837 when he persuaded the Lasakau people to overthrow the Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi clan led by Ratu Ravulo Vakayaliyalo. Seru then reinstated his father as the ruling Vunivalu in Bau.
Seru was given the name Cikinovu ("Centipede"), "because he moved silently and struck painfully". Later, he was called Cakobau ("destroyer of Bau"), because he had destroyed what was Bau; but Seru also built a new Bau, under the supremacy of the Vunivalu.
Cakobau, a former cannibal, had himself converted to Christianity and renounced cannibalism
in 1854.
Claiming that Bau had suzerainty
over the remainder of Fiji, he asserted that he was in fact the King of Fiji. However, Cakobau's claim was not accepted by other chiefs, who regarded him as, at best, the first among equals
. Cakobau consequently engaged in constant warfare for almost nineteen years to unify the islands under his authority.
The last, brief rebellion of chiefs against Cakobau's rule culminated in the Battle of Kaba
(a village in Bau Tikina, next to Bau Island). Cakobau crushed the rebellion with the aid of the king of Tonga. Having become a Christian, Cakobau on the battlefield pardoned all the captives; in accordance with pagan Fijian customs, the defeated men would have been ceremonially humiliated, killed, and eaten.
In 1865, a Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti was established, with Cakobau as Chairman of the General Assembly. Two years later, however, the confederacy split into the Kingdom of Bau and the Confederation of Lau, with Cakobau assuming kingship of the former.
Supported by foreign settlers, he finally succeeded in creating a united Fijian kingdom in 1871, and established Levuka
as his capital. He decided to set up a constitutional monarchy
, and the first legislative assembly met in November of that year. Both the legislature and the Cabinet
were dominated by foreigners.
home of John Brown William, the American Consul, in 1849 (before Cakobau was even the Vunivalu, let alone King), and demanded $44,000 compensation. Unable to pay the debt caused by the Rewan Chiefs, and fearing an American invasion and annexation, Cakobau decided to cede the islands to the United Kingdom. He was also motivated partly by the hope that British rule
would bring civilisation and Christianity to Fiji.
Cakobau retained his position as Fiji's second most senior chief the title of Vunivalu of Bau,and formally ceded the highest and most precedent Chiefly title of Tui Viti or Paramount Chief of Fiji to the person of Her Majesty Queen Victoria which is currently held by her descendant Elizabeth II. He lived quietly until his death in 1883.
His great-grandson, Ratu Sir George Cakobau
, served as Fiji's first native-born Governor-General from 1973 to 1983.
Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
, the grandson of Cakobau's daughter Adi Litia Cakobau, became President of Fiji
in 2009.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
, modern Fiji's founding father, is also a descendant of Cakobau's, though not through the male line.
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...
an 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"...
and warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing a united Fijian kingdom.
Background
He was born to RatuRatu
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 one of his nine wives, Adi Savusavu.
The Vunivalu and the Roko Tui Bau
Turaga na Rasau
Turaga Na Rasau is a traditional Fijian chiefly title of the Lau Islands.Prior to Fiji's colonial days, Fiji had many different Vanua with their own Paramount Chieftain which exercised no authority over the other; a saying from the island of Kadavu aptly summarises it “Nomu Turaga o sega na noqu...
(sacred chieftain) had had many power struggles during the course of nearly a century. These struggles led to the death of Seru's paternal uncle, the 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...
, Naulivou Ramatenikutu and the installation of Tanoa as Vunivalu. However, after he slew the Roko Tui Bau, Ratu Raiwalui, near Vanuabalavu, amongst other murders and reprisals, Tanoa was exiled in 1832.
Despite his father's exile, Seru was allowed to remain in Bau. He subsequently gained power in 1837 when he persuaded the Lasakau people to overthrow the Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi clan led by Ratu Ravulo Vakayaliyalo. Seru then reinstated his father as the ruling Vunivalu in Bau.
Seru was given the name Cikinovu ("Centipede"), "because he moved silently and struck painfully". Later, he was called Cakobau ("destroyer of Bau"), because he had destroyed what was Bau; but Seru also built a new Bau, under the supremacy of the Vunivalu.
Rise to power
On 8 December 1852, Cakobau succeeded as Vunivalu of Bau.Cakobau, a former cannibal, had himself converted to Christianity and renounced cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
in 1854.
Claiming that Bau had suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
over the remainder of Fiji, he asserted that he was in fact the King of Fiji. However, Cakobau's claim was not accepted by other chiefs, who regarded him as, at best, the first among equals
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
. Cakobau consequently engaged in constant warfare for almost nineteen years to unify the islands under his authority.
The last, brief rebellion of chiefs against Cakobau's rule culminated in the Battle of Kaba
Battle of Kaba
The Battle of Kaba was fought at Kaba, Fiji, in 1855. It was fought between Fijian Tui Viti Cakobau and his enemies from Rewa and Bau. Cakobau was supported by a strong fleet from Tonga, sent by Tu'i Tonga Taufa'ahau of Tonga and Ma’afu, governor of the Tongan population in Fiji...
(a village in Bau Tikina, next to Bau Island). Cakobau crushed the rebellion with the aid of the king of Tonga. Having become a Christian, Cakobau on the battlefield pardoned all the captives; in accordance with pagan Fijian customs, the defeated men would have been ceremonially humiliated, killed, and eaten.
In 1865, a Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti was established, with Cakobau as Chairman of the General Assembly. Two years later, however, the confederacy split into the Kingdom of Bau and the Confederation of Lau, with Cakobau assuming kingship of the former.
Supported by foreign settlers, he finally succeeded in creating a united Fijian kingdom in 1871, and established 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...
as his capital. He decided to set up a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, and the first legislative assembly met in November of that year. Both the legislature and the Cabinet
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
were dominated by foreigners.
Cession of power
The United States government had recognised Cakobau's claim to kingship over a united Fijian nation, long before his claims were accepted by his fellow chiefs. In the long term, however, this was not to count in his favour. The American government held him responsible for an arson attack against the Nukulau IslandNukulau
Nukulau Island is a small islet belonging to Fiji. It is close to Suva, Fiji's capital, which lies about ten kilometers to the west. It is an island rich in history, which has played a pivotal role in Fiji's demographic and political development over the past 160 years.- History :Nukulau played a...
home of John Brown William, the American Consul, in 1849 (before Cakobau was even the Vunivalu, let alone King), and demanded $44,000 compensation. Unable to pay the debt caused by the Rewan Chiefs, and fearing an American invasion and annexation, Cakobau decided to cede the islands to the United Kingdom. He was also motivated partly by the hope that British rule
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
would bring civilisation and Christianity to Fiji.
Cakobau retained his position as Fiji's second most senior chief the title of Vunivalu of Bau,and formally ceded the highest and most precedent Chiefly title of Tui Viti or Paramount Chief of Fiji to the person of Her Majesty Queen Victoria which is currently held by her descendant Elizabeth II. He lived quietly until his death in 1883.
Legacy
Several of Fiji's leading figures were direct descendants of Cakobau.His great-grandson, Ratu Sir George Cakobau
George Cakobau
Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was Governor General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign in the mid-1800s and subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in...
, served as Fiji's first native-born Governor-General from 1973 to 1983.
Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
Epeli Nailatikau
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is a Fijian chief and the current President of Fiji. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and government...
, the grandson of Cakobau's daughter Adi Litia Cakobau, became President of Fiji
President of Fiji
The President of the Republic of Fiji is the head of state of Fiji. The President was appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution. The Great Council of Chiefs is constitutionally required to consult the Prime Minister, but...
in 2009.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
, modern Fiji's founding father, is also a descendant of Cakobau's, though not through the male line.
Titles
See also
- Fiji during the time of CakobauFiji during the time of CakobauThe first three quarters of the 19th century were marked by tribal warfare, incursions from neighbouring Tonga, and the increasing encroachment of foreign powers...
- First Fiji ExpeditionFirst Fiji ExpeditionThe First Fiji Expedition undertaken by the United States Navy occurred in October 1855 during the civil war on the islands. In response to the alleged arson attacks on the American commercial agent in Lautoka, Viti Levu, the navy sent a warship to demand compensation for the attack from King Seru...
- Second Fiji ExpeditionSecond Fiji ExpeditionThe Second Fiji Expedition was an 1858 United States Navy operation against the native warriors of Seru Epenisa Cakobau on the island of Waya in Fiji...