Tu'i Tonga
Encyclopedia
The Tui Tonga is a line of Tonga
n kings, which originated in the 10th century with the mythical Ahoeitu
; withdrew from political power in the 15th century by yielding to the Tui Haatakalaua
; and died out with Laufilitonga
in 1865. Today its descendants still live forth in the chiefly line of Kalaniuvalu.
Tradition names 39 holders of the title, but there is an alternative list with 48 names.
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 kings, which originated in the 10th century with the mythical Ahoeitu
'Aho'eitu
In Tongan mythology, or oral history, Ahoeitu is a son of the god Tangaloa Eitumātupua and a mortal woman, Ilaheva Vaepopua. He became the first king of the Tui Tonga dynasty in the early 10th century, dethroning the previous one with the same name but originating from the uanga instead of...
; withdrew from political power in the 15th century by yielding to the Tui Haatakalaua
Tu'i Ha'atakalaua
The Tui Haatakalaua was a dynasty of Tongan kings, which originated in the 15th century by taking over the power from the Tui Tonga line. Lost the power in 16th century to the Tui Kanokupolu dynasty, and disappeared into nothingness by the end of the 18th century.#Moungāmotua – around 1470; might...
; and died out with Laufilitonga
Laufilitonga
Fatafehi Laufilitonga was the 39th and last Tui Tonga, a dynasty of kings in Tonga during the Tui Tonga Empire.-Biography:Only little is known about Laufilitonga's life....
in 1865. Today its descendants still live forth in the chiefly line of Kalaniuvalu.
Tradition names 39 holders of the title, but there is an alternative list with 48 names.
- Ahoeitu'Aho'eituIn Tongan mythology, or oral history, Ahoeitu is a son of the god Tangaloa Eitumātupua and a mortal woman, Ilaheva Vaepopua. He became the first king of the Tui Tonga dynasty in the early 10th century, dethroning the previous one with the same name but originating from the uanga instead of...
– divine father, around 900 AD, resided first in Popua and then other places of the Hahake district, like Toloa near Fuaamotu. - Lolofakangalo
- Fangaoneone
- Līhau
- Kofutu
- Kaloa
- Mauhau – residence in Lavengatonga
- Apuanea
- Afulunga
- MomoMomo (Tonga)Momo was the 10th Tui Tonga, a dynasty of mighty kings in Tonga, and lived somewhere in the 11th, maybe 12th century AD. He was named after one of the original gods of Tonga, a trio known as Kohai, Koau, mo Momo...
– married with Nua, the daughter of Loau, the Tui Haamea. The Tongan maritime empireTu'i Tonga EmpireSome early European commentators have propagated the notion of a pre-historic "Tui Tonga Empire" or "Tongan Empire" in Oceania.This idea has long been a source of cultural pride among some Tongans even though it has been seriously challenged and generally discounted by modern archaeologists,...
came into existence. Royal court in Heketā near NiutōuaNiutouaNiutoua is a village in Tongatapu, Tonga. It is located close to the Ha'amonga 'a Maui stone on the extreme northeast corner of the island. It was the first capital of the Tu'i Tonga Empire....
. - TuitātuiTu'itatuiTui-tā-tui was the 11th Tui Tonga, a dynasty of mighty kings in Tonga, and lived somewhere in the 12th century AD...
– around 1100 AD, extended the royal court, built the HaamongaHa'amonga 'a MauiHaamonga a Maui - is a stone trilithon located in Tonga, in the north of the island of Tongatapu, near the village of Niutōua, in Heketā....
; re-established the Fale Fā (house of four), royal counselors and guardians; his cunning stepbrother Fasiapule became a governor. - TalatamaTalatamaTalatama is named as the oldest son of Tuitātui and succeeded him as the 12th Tui Tonga somewhere in the middle of the 12th century AD....
– shifted the residence to Lapaha; died without issue - Tuitonganui ko e Tamatou – said to have been a block of wood, standing in as child of Talatama and father of Talaihaapepe to keep the dynasty pure
- Talaihaapepe – real brother of Talatama and supposed grandson through the woodblock
- Talakaifaiki – around 1250; start of the decline of the Tongan maritime empire, lost Sāmoa due to his cruelty to the MālietoaMalietoaMalietoa 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"....
line - Talafāpite
- Tuitonga Maakitoe
- Tuitonga Puipui
- Havea I – assassinated by a Fijian
- Tatafueikimeimua
- Lomiaetupua
- Havea II – assassinated with an arrow by Tuluvota, a Fijian
- Takalaua – assassinated by Tamasia and Malofafa from UveaWallis IslandWallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
and FutunaFutuna Island, Wallis and FutunaFutuna is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. It is one of the Hoorn Islands or Îles Horne, nearby Alofi being the other...
while taking his bath in the Tolopona stream at Alakifonua; a harsh ruler, start of political upheavals - Kauulufonua I – around 1470, pursued his father's murderers from TongatapuTongatapuTongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
to Eua'EuaEua is a smaller but still major island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is close to Tongatapu, but forms a separate administrative division. It has an area of 87.44 km2, and a population in 2006 of 5,165 people.- Geography :...
, HaapaiHa'apaiHaapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavau group to the north. Seventeen of the Haapai islands are populated....
, VavauVava'uVavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
, both NiuaNiuafo'ouNiuafoou is the most northerly island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is a volcanic rim island of 15 km² and with a population of 650 in 2006.-Geography:...
s, then NiuēNiueNiue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, SamoaSamoaSamoa , 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...
, finally arresting them at their home island of either Uvea or Futuna. Back at home in Mua he killed them in a savage way (knocking out their teeth and then letting them chew kavaKavaKava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
), before he devour them giving him the nickname fekai. He started a new dynasty with his younger brother Moungāmotu. This new dynasty was known as Tu'i Ha'atakalaua, named after their father. This new dynasty would carry out the day-to-day duties of the Tu'i Tonga with the people while the Tu'i Tonga became sacred, king of kings like a god. - Vakafuhu – kept away from Tonga by the Tui Haatakalaua, lived in Sāmoa.
- Puipuifatu – lived in Sāmoa, tried in vain to invade VavauVava'uVavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...
to restore power to his dynasty - Kauulufonua II – lived in Sāmoa
- Tapuosi – was allowed to return to Mua, as apparently the Tui Tonga line was now so weakened as to be of no threat to the Tui Haatakalaua. From now on the Tui Tonga functioned as a kind of high priest, taking care of all religious obligations (an honour and a burden), giving him a very elevated status, but no worldly power. But no Tui Tonga was ever murdered anymore either.
- [[ʻUluakimata I]] – also known as Telea, builder of the greatest langiLangiLangi may refer to:*Ləngi, Azerbaijan*Langi people, a people of Uganda* Langi , Tongan burial structures for kings...
on TongatapuTongatapuTongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population... - Fatafehi – around 1600, married the Tui Haatakalaua Mounga o Tonga's daughter, a custom which would last for some generations to come forming a permanent alliance between the two houses; his sister married a Fijian, changing the international orientation of Tonga from Sāmoa to Fiji. Was tattooed in SamoaSamoaSamoa , 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...
by master tattooists in two sessions and received the nickname Fakauakimanuka ("Twice to Manu'a") in commemoration of these rituals. - Kauulufonua III – was met by Abel TasmanAbel TasmanAbel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
in 1643 - Uluakimata II
- Tuipulotu (I) ilangi Tuofefafa - from now on the Tui Tonga principal wife (moheofo) became the daughter of the Tui Kanokupolu instead of the Tui Haatakalaua, showing which dynasty of the latter two was now the most important
- Fakanaanaa
- Tuipolutu (II) ilangi Tuoteau
- Paulaho - Fuanunuiava, was his successor during a grand ceremony in 1777, witnessed by Captain Cook; was defeated and deposed in a following civil war
- Maulupekotofa - the older brother of Paulaho, who should have been Tui Tonga in the first place without Paulaho; tried to reduce the burden of religious taboos grown on the Tui Tonga and to increase its political influence
- Fuanunuiava - took the power from his uncle in or around 1795, but continued his policy; joined Fīnau UlukālalaFinau 'UlukalalaFīnau Ulukālala was a dynasty of 6 important hereditary chiefs from Vavau , currently in the kingdom of Tonga. Started somewhere in the 18th century, died out in 1960...
in the civil war of 1799; died in 1810 - LaufilitongaLaufilitongaFatafehi Laufilitonga was the 39th and last Tui Tonga, a dynasty of kings in Tonga during the Tui Tonga Empire.-Biography:Only little is known about Laufilitonga's life....
- born around 1798 was too young to become Tui Tonga when his father died; by that time the title had so declined as to have lost almost all prestige; tried to opt for power, but lost the final battle during Velata on LifukaLifukaLifuka is an island in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located within the Haapai Group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa...
in 1826 against Tāufaāhau; was (together with the Tui KanokupoluTu'i KanokupoluThe Ha'a Tu'i Kanokupolu is the most junior of the Ha'a Tu'i in Tonga. They are generally refer to as the Kau Halalalo The Ha'a Tu'i Tonga, the most senior and Sacred Ha'a Tu'i in Tonga are generally refer to as the Kauhala'uta, The inland side of the roads...
) mockingly installed as Tui Tonga in 1827 as a king with neither political nor spiritual power; died in 1865 after which the title was abolished.