Kiha-a-Piilani was an Alii nui of Maui (

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

). He was born ca. 1510. Kiha was a son of

Piʻilani Piʻilani ("ascent to heaven") (born ca. 1460) ruled as Mōʻī of the island of Maui in the later part of the 15th century. At the time Maui was an independent kingdom within the islands of Hawaii. He was the first ''Aliʻi'' to unite the isl ...

, who built great ''

heiau A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...

'' (

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

). Kihaʻs mother was named La’ieloheloheikawai. Shortly after Piʻilani died, Kihaʻs brother

Lono-a-Piilani Lono-a-Piʻilani was the '' Moʻi'' of Maui. He was a king of that Hawaiian islandDavid Malo, ''Hawaiian Antiquities'', Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1951 and was named after god Lono. Biography Lono was a son of the King Piʻilani and grandson of ...

succeeded him. When Kiha had to flee from Maui, he sought refuge with his sister

Piʻikea Piʻikea (Hawaiian: ''piʻi'' = "to ascend", ''ke'' = "the", ''ea'' = "life"; "the life ascends") was a High Chiefess. She was a daughter of Piʻilani and Queen La’ieloheloheikawai and sister of Lono-a-Piilani and Kiha-a-Piilani. Piʻilani built ...

, wife of ʻ

Umi-a-Liloa ʻUmi-a-Līloa (fifteenth century) was the supreme ruler Aliʻi-ʻAimoku (High chief of Hawaiʻi Island) who inherited religious authority of Hawaiʻi from his father, High Chief Līloa, whose line is traced, unbroken to Hawaiian "creation". Ali� ...

, king of Hawaiʻi, at the court of ʻUmi. Here his sister advocated his cause so warmly, and insisted with ʻUmi so urgently, that the latter was induced to espouse the cause of the younger brother against the older, and prepared an expedition to invade Maui, depose Lono, and raise Kiha-a-Piʻilani to the throne of his father. ʻUmi summoned the chiefs of the various districts of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

to prepare for the invasion of Maui. When all the preparations were ready, ʻUmi headed the expedition in person, accompanied by his wife and her brother and by his bravest warriors. Crossing the waters of ʻAlenuihāhā Channel between Maui and Hawaiʻi, the fleet of ʻUmi effected a landing at Kapueokahi, the harbour of Hāna, Maui, where Lono had continued to reside after Piilani's death. Having failed to prevent the landing of ʻUmi's forces, Lono retired to the fortress on the top of the neighbouring hill called Kauwiki. ʻUmi laid siege to the fort of Kauwiki, and, after some delay and several unsuccessful attempts, finally captured the fort, and Lono having fallen in the battle, Kiha-a-Piʻilani was proclaimed and acknowledged as a king. Having accomplished this, ʻUmi and his forces returned to Hawaiʻi.

Personal life

Kiha married Kumaka (Chiefess of Hana).Peleioholani, Solomon Lehuanui Kalaniomaiheuila, ''The Complete Ancestry of John Liwai Kalniopuuikapali-o-Molilele-ma-wai-o-Ahukini-Kau-Hawaii Ena'' Their son was Kamalalawalu.

References

{{Reflist, 33em Royalty of Maui