Fiji and Tonga – A Family Affair
The chiefly families of Fiji and Tonga are closely related by blood. Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau who was the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji at independence was the son of King George Tupou of Tonga and Adi Cakobau of Fiji. He was hence the half brother of Queen Salote who was the mother of the last King of Tonga and the grandmother of the present King. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, the President of Fiji now, whose father was Ratu Edward, is thus the uncle of the present King of Tonga. The King’s grandmother and Ratu Epeli’s father were half brother and sister.
Queen Salote seemed to have had a lot of regard for Ratu Edward as he was her only brother. As for Ratu Edward, he did not have any other siblings so he seemed to have considered her as his closest relative, ahead of his Fijian cousins. That relationship has continued, even after the deaths of Queen Salote and Ratu Edward, between their children.
This is not the only relationship between Fiji and Tonga. The Lau group of islands which are the furthermost eastern islands in Fiji are closer to Tonga than to the rest of Fiji so from the beginning there were many Tongans living in Lau. The Tongans used to come to Lau for buying boats as they considered the Fijian canoes superior to their own. Since there is a lot of mixing the Lauans are more Polynesian than Melanesian in their appearance too so they look different from the rest of the Fijians.
Ma’afu was a Tongan prince who came to Lau and became the leader of the Tongan community. He aligned himself with the Tui Nayau, the paramount chief of Lau. He was a signatory to the Deed of Cession in 1874.
The Lauan way of living became different from the way of living of the rest of Fiji. For example, there was no cannibalism in Lau though the rest of Fiji was notorious for it. This was the reason that the missionaries, both Methodists and Roman Catholics, came to Lau first before slowly moving to other parts in Fiji.
Education was the tool the missionaries used for conversion. They established schools in Lau and formal education started there much before it started in the rest of Fiji. This was the main reason why the Lauans had been ahead in education even after independence. This was a point of contention between the rest of Fiji and Lau.
The Fijian Nationalists under Sakeasi Butadroka always accused Ratu Mara’s Alliance Party, which was in power, of favouring the Lauans. (Ratu Mara was the high chief of Lau). This was a cry taken up also by Dr. Timothy Bavadra, who became the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and succeeded in defeating the Alliance government in 1987 before he himself was ousted in a coup d’etat soon after .The Alliance government always maintained that scholarships were awarded according to merit.
Though the Lauan chiefs were happy for the missionaries to establish schools and introduce formal education they were not prepared to accept Christianity for about two decades. It was only after Ratu Seru Cakobau, the chief of Bau, who is considered the King of Fiji (Tui Viti) became a Christian in 1854 the rest of Fiji (including the Lauans) followed suit. Ratu Seru Cakobau was influenced to take this drastic action by the King of Tonga.
Fijians were not against colonialism as they did not feel its effects much. This was because of indirect rule. That is, they stayed on in their villages under their chiefs while the Indians who were brought as indentured labourers did all the hard work for the colonial government and the European settlers. So the Fijians did not suffer much under the colonial rule. Similarly Tonga was never a colony as such because what they had was an agreement with Great Britain to “protect” the Independent Kingdom of Tonga.
The chiefly families in Fiji are connected in many ways. From the time of King George I of Tonga, who travelled to Fiji and aided Ratu Seru Cakobau to consolidate his rule over the whole of Fiji, the Tongan royal family and chiefs in Fiji have also been related. As mentioned earlier, King George also had a son from Cakobau’s daughter, Adi Cakobau, Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau.
Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau was the uncle of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the father of Ratu Tevita Mara who has been enjoying the hospitality of the Tongan Royal family. Ratu Edward was also the uncle of the Tongan King’s father so Ratu Tevita and the Tongan King are related in many ways.
Ratu Tevita is the brother-in-law of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, who is the President of Fiji. It has been already pointed out that Ratu Epeli is the son of Ratu Sir Edward. So for the Tongan Royal Family it is a family affair; they are giving protection to one of their family members who is in trouble.
The chiefly families of Fiji and Tonga are closely related by blood. Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau who was the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji at independence was the son of King George Tupou of Tonga and Adi Cakobau of Fiji. He was hence the half brother of Queen Salote who was the mother of the last...
The chiefly families of Fiji and Tonga are closely related by blood. Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau who was the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji at independence was the son of King George Tupou of Tonga and Adi Cakobau of Fiji. He was hence the half brother of Queen Salote who was the mother of the last King of Tonga and the grandmother of the present King. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, the President of Fiji now, whose father was Ratu Edward, is thus the uncle of the present King of Tonga. The King’s grandmother and Ratu Epeli’s father were half brother and sister.
Queen Salote seemed to have had a lot of regard for Ratu Edward as he was her only brother. As for Ratu Edward, he did not have any other siblings so he seemed to have considered her as his closest relative, ahead of his Fijian cousins. That relationship has continued, even after the deaths of Queen Salote and Ratu Edward, between their children.
This is not the only relationship between Fiji and Tonga. The Lau group of islands which are the furthermost eastern islands in Fiji are closer to Tonga than to the rest of Fiji so from the beginning there were many Tongans living in Lau. The Tongans used to come to Lau for buying boats as they considered the Fijian canoes superior to their own. Since there is a lot of mixing the Lauans are more Polynesian than Melanesian in their appearance too so they look different from the rest of the Fijians.
Ma’afu was a Tongan prince who came to Lau and became the leader of the Tongan community. He aligned himself with the Tui Nayau, the paramount chief of Lau. He was a signatory to the Deed of Cession in 1874.
The Lauan way of living became different from the way of living of the rest of Fiji. For example, there was no cannibalism in Lau though the rest of Fiji was notorious for it. This was the reason that the missionaries, both Methodists and Roman Catholics, came to Lau first before slowly moving to other parts in Fiji.
Education was the tool the missionaries used for conversion. They established schools in Lau and formal education started there much before it started in the rest of Fiji. This was the main reason why the Lauans had been ahead in education even after independence. This was a point of contention between the rest of Fiji and Lau.
The Fijian Nationalists under Sakeasi Butadroka always accused Ratu Mara’s Alliance Party, which was in power, of favouring the Lauans. (Ratu Mara was the high chief of Lau). This was a cry taken up also by Dr. Timothy Bavadra, who became the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and succeeded in defeating the Alliance government in 1987 before he himself was ousted in a coup d’etat soon after .The Alliance government always maintained that scholarships were awarded according to merit.
Though the Lauan chiefs were happy for the missionaries to establish schools and introduce formal education they were not prepared to accept Christianity for about two decades. It was only after Ratu Seru Cakobau, the chief of Bau, who is considered the King of Fiji (Tui Viti) became a Christian in 1854 the rest of Fiji (including the Lauans) followed suit. Ratu Seru Cakobau was influenced to take this drastic action by the King of Tonga.
Fijians were not against colonialism as they did not feel its effects much. This was because of indirect rule. That is, they stayed on in their villages under their chiefs while the Indians who were brought as indentured labourers did all the hard work for the colonial government and the European settlers. So the Fijians did not suffer much under the colonial rule. Similarly Tonga was never a colony as such because what they had was an agreement with Great Britain to “protect” the Independent Kingdom of Tonga.
The chiefly families in Fiji are connected in many ways. From the time of King George I of Tonga, who travelled to Fiji and aided Ratu Seru Cakobau to consolidate his rule over the whole of Fiji, the Tongan royal family and chiefs in Fiji have also been related. As mentioned earlier, King George also had a son from Cakobau’s daughter, Adi Cakobau, Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau.
Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau was the uncle of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the father of Ratu Tevita Mara who has been enjoying the hospitality of the Tongan Royal family. Ratu Edward was also the uncle of the Tongan King’s father so Ratu Tevita and the Tongan King are related in many ways.
Ratu Tevita is the brother-in-law of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, who is the President of Fiji. It has been already pointed out that Ratu Epeli is the son of Ratu Sir Edward. So for the Tongan Royal Family it is a family affair; they are giving protection to one of their family members who is in trouble.
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