The Kingdom of Tonga was a protected state of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...

from 1900 to 1970, when its protectorate status was removed.

History

Tonga became a British protected state under a Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second King. The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended in 1970 under arrangements established prior to her death by the third monarch, Queen Sālote. An unspoken agreement of the treaty that was common in British protected states was a new British monopoly on Tonga's thriving vanilla industry, and their small deposits of minerals. On 18 May 1900, to discourage German advances, the

Kingdom of Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

became a Protected State with the United Kingdom under a Treaty of Friendship signed by

George Tupou II George Tupou II ( to, Siaosi Tupou II; 18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918) was the King of Tonga from 18 February 1893 until his death. He was officially crowned at Nukuʻalofa, on 17 March 1893. He was also the 20th Tuʻi Kanokupolu. Life S ...

after European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs attempted to overthrow him. Foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Tonga were conducted through the British

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

. The United Kingdom had veto power over foreign policies and finances of the Kingdom of Tonga. Tonga was affected by the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

, with 1,800 Tongans killed, around eight per cent of the residents. For most of the 20th century

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

was quiet, inward-looking, and somewhat isolated from developments elsewhere in the world. Tonga's complex social structure is essentially broken into three tiers: the

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 t ...

, the nobles, and the commoners. Between the nobles and commoners are Matapule, sometimes called "talking chiefs," who are associated with the King or a noble and who may or may not hold estates. Obligations and responsibilities are reciprocal, and although the nobility are able to extract favours from people living on their estates, they likewise must extend favours to their people. Status and rank play a powerful role in personal relationships, even within families. On 4 June 1970, protected state status of the Kingdom of Tonga ended. The end of the Kingdom of Tonga protected state status was arraigned by Salote Tupou III prior to her death in 1965. Tonga remains a member state of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the ...

. File:Tomb of King George Tubou I, 1900.jpg, Tomb of King George Tupou I, 1900 File:Tomb of King George Tubou I, 1900 (close-up).jpg, Tomb of King George Tupou I, 1900 File:George Tupou II going to the Opening of Tongan Parliament in 1900.jpg, King

going to the opening of the Tongan Parliament in 1900 File:Richard Seddon and wife at the openinig of the Tongan parliament.jpg, Richard Seddon and his wife at the opening of the Tongan parliament, 1900 File:Royal Throne of Tonga, 1900.jpg, The royal throne of Tonga, 1900. File:Tongawar.jpg,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fight ...

memorial in

Nukuʻalofa Nukualofa (; ) is the capital and largest city of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the country's southernmost island group. History First western records of Nukualofa On 10 June 1777, British captain James ...

File:Tonga-Italian Capitulation Parade.jpg, Members of the Tonga Defence Force of the 2nd NZEF on parade in Tonga celebrating the capitulation of Italy in 1945 File:Officials watching dancing, Kolofo'ou, 1967.jpg, Bishop John Rogers, Pīsila (wife of Fusitu'a) and Suli Seuli (matāpule of Fusitu'a) watching dancing. Inauguration of the Catholic church in Kolofo'ou. 1967

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingdom of Tonga (1900-70) History of Tonga British Western Pacific Territories Former British colonies and protectorates in Oceania

1900 establishments in the British Empire 1970 disestablishments in the British Empire 1900 establishments in Oceania 1970 disestablishments in Oceania 20th century in Tonga States and territories established in 1900 States and territories disestablished in 1970 Tonga and the Commonwealth of Nations United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations