Well, I have decided, in my great wisdom, to contribute to your education and tell you a little about the great king. --No, don’t thank me. It’s what I do.
Birth of a King
And so it goes that Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year
Halley’s Comet made an appearance over Hawaiian skies. Kamehameha was born in
Paiea on the Big Island of Hawaii. His father was said to be Keoua, a grandson
of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, who once ruled a large portion of the island.
Translated, Kamehameha means “the lonely one.”
Another legend tells of a kahuna who prophesized that the
man who moved the 7,000-pound Naha Stone would become the greatest king of
Hawaii. When Kamehameha was 14, the story goes, he moved the massive rock, and
then lifted it and turned it completely over.
Rise to Power
Kamehameha grew up in the court of his uncle, Kalaniopuu.
When Kalaniopuu died in 1782, his power was divided between Kamehameha and
Kalaniopuu’s natural son, Kiwalao, who inherited his father’s throne. Civil war
broke out, however, and Kamehameha emerged as the Big Island’s ruler.
Law
Many more battles ensued. During one raid in Puna,
Kamehameha slipped and caught his foot in a crevice of lava. Seeing this, one
of his fleeing opponents returned and beat him on the head with a canoe paddle
until it broke. As a result, Kamehameha proclaimed Mamalahoe Kanawai, or “Law
of the Splintered Paddle,” providing protection to unarmed noncombatants in
war. “Let the aged, men and women, and little children, lie down safely in the
road,” his law decreed.
Uniting the Hawaiian Islands
Having gained control of his home island, Kamehameha turned
to the other Hawaiian islands. Using weaponry purchased from American and
European traders, the king conquered Maui and Molokai, then turned his
attention to Oahu. In 1795, Kamehameha invaded the shores of Waikiki beach and
led his army to Nuuanu, where a bloody battle with Oahu chief Kalanikupule
ensued. Hundreds of Oahu’s warriors were killed, driven over the valley’s Pali
cliffs.
In 1810, Kaumualii, the king of Kauai, peacefully
surrendered his island to Kamehameha to avoid further bloodshed. With that,
Kamehameha fulfilled his destiny of uniting all the Hawaiian islands under one
rule.
Kamehameha’s Reign
The Hawaiian kingdom enjoyed a period of peace during
Kamehameha’s reign. The king unified the legal system and used taxes to promote
trade with the Americans and Europeans.
Kamehameha died in 1819, and his son, Liholiho, took the
throne. Kamehameha’s bones were hidden by his kahuna. Today, his final resting
place remains a mystery.
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