Kalani-Paiea-Wohi-o-Kaleikini-Keali'i-Kui-Kamehameha-o-'Iolani-i-Kaiwikapu-Kau-i-Kaliholiho-Kunuiakea Kamehameha I (abt. 1736 - 1819)

Born about Nov 1736 in Kohala District, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaiian Islands

Ancestors

Husband of Kalola -a-Kumukoa — married [date unknown] in Hilo, Hawaii Island

Descendants

Died 8 May 1819 at about age 82 in Kamakahonu, Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, Kingdom of Hawaii

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Biography

King Kamehameha I is Notable.

Universally known as "Kamehameha I" or "Kamehameha the Great" (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kəmehəˈmɛhə]); this notable Hawaiian warrior chief was born in "ikuwā " (winter) or around November 1736 on the Island of Hawaii (the "Big Island"), most-likely in the Kohala (northern) District. Of the hereditary "Ali'i " (Hawaiian nobility) social class, he was the recognized eldest son of Kohala's Ali'i chief: Keōua, founder of the House of Keoua, and his sacred half-sister-wife, Kekuʻiapoiwa II. Later in life, he was told he was actually the biological son of Maui's Ali'i nui (High Chief), Kahekili II, contemporary ruler of all the Hawaiian islands, except for the Island of Hawaii, and offered tokens as proof of this pedigree. ^[1]

Through his mother (Native Hawaiians followed a matrilineal descent system), Kamehameha I was the great-grandson of 17th Century Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, the Aliʻi nui (High Chief) of the island of Hawaii, and possessor of very strong "mana " or personal spiritual power. Kamehameha I was believed to have inherited these powers, assisting him as he achieved the long-held Ali'i goal of uniting all of Hawaii's archipelago under one ruler at about 60 years old. After a bloody war of conquest, he ruled as "King Kamehameha I," the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii from the late 1790s until his death in May 1819. Reflecting his noble pedigree and high achievements, his name in Hawaiian is: "Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea ". It is at the same time his official name and a collection of descriptive titles that he bore.^[1][2]

Just before the time of Kamehameha's birth, the island of Hawai'i was racked by a civil war, following the death of his great-grandfather, High Chief Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku. Kamehameha's father and his half-brother, Chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu, were captured by High Chief Alapaʻinui, who had seized the island's throne, killing several other Ali'i contenders, including Keōua's and Kalaniʻōpuʻu's fathers (they had the same mother). Those warriors' sons, following an ancient Hawaiian custom, were then raised by the victor as his bondsmen. Keōua died when his son was still a baby. Kamehameha was raised by Alapa'inui's wife as hana'i, or an adopted son. After Alapai's death, his half-uncle, Kalaniʻōpuʻu, became High Chief and so Kamehameha was raised at his court on the Island of Hawaii, alongside his 1st cousin, Kalaniʻōpuʻu's son: Kīwalaʻō.

In 1782, Kīwalaʻō inherited his father's throne on the latter's death. He offered Kamehameha an important, but largely ceremonial, counselor position in his government, hoping to avoid a new civil war. His efforts were in vain as Kamehameha, influenced by an ancient prophecy that had predicted he should unify the Hawaiian islands, was determined to gain ultimate power.^[3] Backed by five related "Ali'i" chiefs from the Kona side of the island, Kamehameha quickly routed his cousin in battle and in July 1782 assumed power as the Ali'i Nui "" of Hawaii's Big Island.^{[4] [5][6][7]}

After consolidating his power on the Island of Hawaii, Kamehameha embarked on a bloody war of conquest of the other 7 Hawaiian islands and emerged victorious with the conquest of O'ahu in 1795. Eventually, in 1810, even the Al'i nui of the islands of Kauai and Ni'ihau, acknowledged himself to be Kamehameha's vassal, completing the unification of all 8 major Hawaiian islands. The unified Kingdom of Hawaii, "Aupuni Mōʻī o Hawaiʻi," under the House of Kamehameha, was born.^[8]

The House of Kamehameha (Hale O Kamehameha), or the Kamehameha dynasty, was the reigning Royal Family of the Kingdom of Hawaii, beginning with its founding by Kamehameha I in 1795 and ending with the death of Kamehameha V in 1872 and Lunalilo in 1874.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Wikipedia:Kamehameha_I article on Wikipedia. Cites several Hawaiian histories and meles or ancient oral genealogical chants.
2. ↑ Foerster, Brian. The Real History Of Hawaii: From Origins To The End Of The Monarchy Published by Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-300-46126-5
3. ↑ Naha Stone article on Wikipedia
4. ↑ The 5 Kona chiefs were: Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi (Kamehameha's father-in-law/grand Uncle), Keaweaheulu Kaluaʻāpana (Kamehameha's uncle), Kekūhaupiʻo (Kamehameha's warrior teacher), Kameʻeiamoku and Kamanawa (twin uncles of Kamehameha).
5. ↑ World Civilizations, The Global Experience, Combined Volume: Civilizations, Civilizations. (26 September 2016) published by Cram101 ISBN: 978-1-4902-9395-0. Page-136
6. ↑ Mookini, Esther T. (1998). "Keopuolani: Sacred Wife, Queen Mother, 1778-1823" 32. Honolulu: Hawaiian Historical Society. ASIN B002T9NQT2. hdl:10524/569
7. ↑ Potter, Norris Whitfield; Kasdon, Lawrence M.; Rayson, Ann (2003). History of the Hawaiian. Kingdom. Bess Press. Page- 10 ISBN 978-1-57306-150-6. OCLC 131810736.
8. ↑ Kingdom of Hawaii article on Wikipedia
9. ↑ Homans, Margaret; Munich, Adrienne (2 October 1997). Remaking Queen Victoria. Cambridge University Press. Page- 47. ISBN 978-0-521-57485-3

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Kamehameha-1 was created from first-hand information, as remembered by MK Ka'ana'ana, a Hawaiian descendant, on Friday, September 12, 2014.
• This profile was adopted, researched and rewritten by Chet Snow on November 21-22, 2018. He also merged WikiTree profile Kamehameha-2 with it.

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