Roko Malani (died 1833) was high chief of the

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 ...

an island of Lakeba. He held the title ''

Tui Nayau ''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the la ...

'' (

paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in anthropological and arch ...

of the

Lau Islands The Lau Islands aka little Tonga (also called the Lau Group, the Eastern Group, the Eastern Archipelago) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty a ...

) and was a popular chief. He increased the influence the island of Lakeba had in Fiji. The first

Christian missionaries A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

arrived in Fiji in 1830 at Malani's request, these were three

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

an missionaries of the London Missionary Society. Malani's younger brother, Taliai Tupou, succeeded him as ''Tui Nayau'' after Malani's death in 1833. Malani's son,

Vuetasau Viliame (William) Vuetasau (c.1820-1857) was a Fijian explorer who was the son of Roko Malani, the seventh Roko Sau of Lau and second Tui Nayau and Ciri of Taqalevu. During the reign of his Uncle Taliai Tupou, third Tui Nayau, he was considered h ...

, was among the first Fijians to convert to Christianity.

References

Sources

* * * {{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFJEj1h5Q2AC&q=Malani&pg=PA65, title=The inheritance of hope : John Hunt : apostle of Fiji, last=Thornley, first=Andrew, date=2000, publisher=Institute of Pacific Studies,

the University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...

, isbn=9820201594, oclc=47830991 Fijian chiefs Politics of Fiji Tui Nayau 1833 deaths People from Lakeba