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- Kamehameha I
- Also known as
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Kamehameha I
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primary name: Kamehameha I
- Details
- individual; ruler; royal/imperial; warrior; Hawaiian; Male
- Life dates
- 1758-1819 (circa)
- Other dates
- 1810-1819 (Ruling over the entire island chain, i.e. the Hawaiian Kingdom, circa)
- Biography
- "Kamehameha Paiʻea was born. ca. 1758 to Kekuʻiapoiwa, the daughter of Kekela and Hāʻae, and Kalanikupuapāikalaninui Keōua. Descended from the chiefly lineage of Keawe, the King of Hawaiʻi Island in the late seventeenth century, these men held great power on Hawaiʻi. Kamehameha received training in warfare and leadership from the warrior Kekūhaupiʻo while under the care of his uncle, Kalaniʻōpuʻu [Kalaniopuu], who then ruled the island as King. Because he fought valiantly during battles on Maui led by Kalaniʻōpuʻu (1775-1779), Kamehameha was called Paiʻea ("hard chelled crab"). Kalaniʻōpuʻu's death in 1782 brought tension: his son, Kīwalaʻo, succeeded him in political authority, although many recognized that Kamehameha was the stronger leader. Kalaniʻōpuʻu bequeathed to Kamehameha Kūkaʻilimoku. hi sacred akua hulu (feathered-god image).
Kamehameha demonstrated a commitment to sacred traditions but was open to innovations that benefited his authority and his people. He is known for his drive, military acumen, and leadership as he battled for power on Hawaiʻi Island. He extended his authority through the creation of a consolidated Hawaiian Kingdom, the birth of which is usually associated with his victories on Oʻahu in 1795. The entire island chain did not come under his rule until 1810, when Niʻihau and Kauaʻi were brought into the kingdom through negotiation with Kamualiʻi. He died May 8,1819." (Caldeira & Al., 2015: p. 259)
He was succeeded by his son Liholiho (Kamehameha II).
- Bibliography
- Caldeira & Al. 2015. Nā Hulu Aliʻi: Royal Hawaiian Featherwork. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press: p. 259.
Kirch. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawaiʻi. Berkeley: University of California Press.