King Kamehameha I was a great
warrior, diplomat, and leader who created a royal monarchy consisting of all
the Hawaiian Islands in 1810 following years of conflict. King Kamehameha I was
meant to be a great person from birth. It was foretold in Hawaiian mythology
that a light in the sky with feathers named Kokoiki would mean that a great
leader had been born. Historians claim that Kamehameha was born in 1758, when
Halley’s comet flew over Hawaiʻi,
coinciding with the date of the legend.
First addressed as Paiea (Hard
Shelled Crab), the future king was the son of Keoua, a high-ranking chief, and
Kekuiapoiwa, daughter of the previous king Alapai. Having been trained in
warfare and educated in spirituality and culture, he developed a deep
appreciation for the gods, the land, and his people. In this way, a leader
emerged who combined diplomatic and battle prowess.
In the period between the late
1770s and early 1780s, as a young chief (aliʻi) on Hawaiʻi Island,
Kamehameha moved the Naha Stone of Hilo (on Hawaiʻi
Island), thus fulfilling the prophecy which predicted that the one who was able
to move this stone would become the leader who would unify the Hawaiian
archipelago. Kamehameha will go on to fulfill this prophecy.
When King Kalaniopuu died in
1782, Hawaii island fell to his son, Kiwalao, and his nephew, Kamehameha,
despite some jealousy among the two cousins. However, despite their peaceful
relationship, a feud between the two cousins’ chiefs in Keomo escalated into
war in July 1782. Kamehameha defeated his cousin in the battle of Mokuohai,
killing Kiwalao in the process. Thereafter, Kamehameha engaged in a series of
conquests, and in 1795, he managed to conquer all the islands except for Kauai
and Niihau. Through peaceful negotiations, the last two islands were ceded to
him in 1810. This peaceful resort to diplomacy was the result of decades of
warfare and introduced peace and prosperity.
Although Kamehameha was a
military genius, his legacy extends beyond conquest. Shorty after all
atrocities has seceded, he established a system of governance that balanced
local leadership with central authority. He first started by appointed many of
his most ardent supporters and closest family members chiefs and he gave them
vast slices of land as compensation and reward for their unwavering support.
Kamehameha then named Ka-lani-moku commander-in-chief (pukaua) and chief
treasurer (pu‘uku nui) tasked with dividing the assets over governors and
commoners, to all those who had used their strength for the victory of
Kamehameha. Through this act, Kamehameha and any other chief, by the power of
law, had no right to the riches of the land. In other words, no economic
decision is to take place unless it is approved by the chief treasurer. This
arrangement of power resembles to some degree the checks and balances used in
today’s politics.
To improve on his system of
governance, Kamehameha created a council of deliberation comprising military
men, religious men, and advisers to run the affairs of the state and the
welfare of the community. In order to keep his people safe, Kamehameha came up
with laws that were stringent for all, which guaranteed protection of the
chiefs and common people from any violence, theft, and exploitation, providing
a safe environment where even the most vulnerable people could be protected. Kamehameha’s
reforms were comprehensive of every aspect of public life; He regulated fishing,
logging, sailing, taxation, education and other state sectors.
Kamehameha had planned to live on
Oahu till his death, but he suspected treachery among the younger chiefs. He
did not trust their loyalty, even though they were the sons of his earlier
advisers who replaced their fathers on the council. The younger chiefs were
acquiring more and more lands and followers in the districts assigned to them.
The trade with the foreigners gave them more weapons for themselves. As a
result, fearing a potential coup, Kamehameha chose to move his capital back to
Kona in 1812.
In the outset of his illness in 1819, King
Kamehameha was first tended to by the Hawaiian kahuna doctors, but since
nothing could be done, a ship was then sent from Honolulu to bring Don
Francisco de Paula Marín, the Spanish counselor who had some basic Western
medical skills. As Ralph S. Kuykendall mentions, Marín's diary shows that the
Spanish doctor arrived in Kailua in April to attend to the king, although in
vain. As stated by historian Julie Stewart Williams, one of the last acts of
Kamehameha was his clear refusal to accept the suggestion of his kahuna to
sacrifice people in order to keep his life and please the gods. As Kamehameha
said, “No! The men are kapu [sacred] for the king!” in order to guarantee that
there will be enough manpower left to rule his kingdom after him.
Kamehameha was not merely a
conqueror but a visionary, a righteous king, and an inspirational leader. His
greatness was not only because of what he achieved but because he achieved for
his own people, through strength and humility, he sacrificed his own comfort
for the greater good of his own people.