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ʻUluakimata I
ʻUluaki-mata, also known as Teleʻa (active c. 1580-1600 CE), was the twenty-ninth Tuʻi Tonga. He was reportedly one of the mightiest of these rulers, although his power was often characterized as spiritual rather than political. Many traditions recount that his reign was marked by great social changes. Reign According to some traditions, ʻUluaki-mata was of the lineage of Lo'au. This would suggest that he was the founder of a new royal line. He may have been not a native prince but a foreigner from ʻUvea or Fiji who came with 500 ʻUvean warriors to claim the throne by force. Significant social change occurred in Tonga around the time of ʻUluaki-mata's reign, including the creation of the role of Tuʻi Tonga Fefine. ʻUluaki-mata built the Paepae ʻo Teleʻa (or Paepae o Teleʻa, meaning "Tele'a's Mound"), the royal tomb in Lapaha where one tradition states he was buried. During the 1600s, ʻUluaki-mata also commissioned the construction of a huge kalia (double-hulled ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tuʻi Tonga
The Tuʻi Tonga is a line of Tongan kings, which originated in the tenth century with the mythical ʻAhoʻeitu, and withdrew from political power in the fifteenth century by yielding to the ''Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua''. The title ended with the death of the last ''Tuʻi Tonga'', Sanualio Fatafehi Laufilitonga, in 1865, who bequeathed the ancient title and its ''mana'' to his nephew, Fatafehi Tu'i Pelehake, who was the ''Tu'i Faleua'', or Lord of the Second House (traditionally supposed to succeed to the office of the ''Tuʻi Tonga'' should the original line of kings perish without a natural successor). Tu'i Pelehake surrendered the title and its privileges to his father-in-law, King George Tupou I, who united its power and prestige with that of the ''Tu'i Kanokupolu'', '' Tu'i Vava'u'', and '' Tu'i Ha'apai'' titles to establish the modern-day institution of the Tongan Crown. Though the title is no longer conferred, the ancient line remains unbroken and is represented by the noble titl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited—and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about . The most outlying island group is Ono-i-Lau. About 87% of the total population of live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts: either in the capital city of Suva; or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi—where tourism is the major local industry; or in Lautoka, where the Sugarcane, sugar-cane industry is dominant. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely inhabited because of its terrain. The majority of Fiji's islands were formed by Volcano, volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Some geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tuʻi Tonga Fefine
Tu'i Tonga Fefine ("Female Tu'i Tonga") was a title granted to the eldest heiress of the Tu'i Tonga, or spiritual leader of Tonga, in ancient times. She held a higher social status than the Tu'i Tonga himself. The title is no longer in use. According to tradition, the first Tu'i Tonga Fefine was Sinaitakala-‘ilangileka, a daughter of ʻUluakimata I, ʻUluaki-mata I. Marriage between the Tu'i Tonga Fefine and a Tongan man was deemed inappropriate. The title-holder was expected to remain a virgin unless or until she married a 'stranger' of high rank. The first Tu'i Tonga Fefine married a high-ranking History of Fiji, Fijian, to form the 'Ha'a Falefisi' ("House of Fiji") line. Tu'i Tonga Fefine in succeeding generations were also expected to marry a title holder of the 'Ha'a Falefisi'. This strategy of marrying the title-holder to non-Tongans helped to safeguard the Tu'i Tonga's position, as the Tu'i Tonga Fefine's children would otherwise have outranked him. The Tu'i Tonga Fefine r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muʻa (Tongatapu)
Mua is a small town in the Hahake (eastern) district on the island of Tongatapu, and it was for centuries the ancient capital of the Tongan empire. It is divided in the villages Lapaha and Tatakamotonga, is close to Talasiu and famous for the ancient langi (royal burial tombs). Geography Mua is situated along the eastern side of the lagoon of Tongatapu. Except for a zone along the shore which is low-lying mud (now largely landfilled with stones), the remainder of the village is on high-lying red volcanic soil of high fertility. Lapaha is also the home of the Tu'itonga Empire. Lapaha is also the first capital of Tonga before the Tu'i Kanokupolu move it to Nukualofa. Demography According to the 1996 census there were 3900 people living Mua, a number expected to rise to 4900 if confirmed by the November 2006 census. Most people of Lapaha are Roman Catholic, while Tatakamotonga is largely Wesleyan, although both see an increasing number of Mormons. This has a historical reason: t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vavaʻu
Vavau is an island group, consisting of one large island ( Ê»Utu VavaÊ»u) and 40 smaller ones, in Tonga. It is part of VavaÊ»u District, which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition, the Maui god created both Tongatapu and Vavau, but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises above sea level at Mount Talau. The capital is Neiafu, situated at the Port of Refuge (Puatalefusi or Lolo-a-Halaevalu). History Myths and legends In Polynesia, it is said that the islands were created by the god Maui, who reached into the bottom of the sea with his magic hook, caught something on it, and pulled it up to the sea surface, and it became the islands of Vavau. Recorded history Don Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa, commanding the Spanish frigate ''Princesa'', was the first European to come to Vavau, which he did on 4 March 1781. He charted VavaÊ»u as ''MartÃn de Mayorga'', naming it after the man who was the Viceroy of New Spain at that time. Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
