28-543: Tui Nadi (or I Nakuruvarua, Navatulevu, na Momo na Tui Nadi in full) is the title of the Paramount Chief of Nadi , in Fiji . The Tui Nadi hails from the village of Narewa , and exercises chiefly authority over the subdistricts of Nadi (Narewa, Nakavu, Namotomoto, Navoci, and Dratabu villages) and Sikituru (Sikituru, Moala, Yavunsania, Korovuto villages). The title has been in dispute between two contenders for
56-537: A united Fijian kingdom . He was born on Natauloa, Nairai Island in Lomaiviti but spent his youth on Vanuaso, Gau, Lomaiviti, later returning to Bau to re-establish his Father's Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa reign. Ratu Epenisa Seru Visawaqa was given the name "Cakobau" meaning destroyer of Bau, in reference to his grandfathers' (Nailatikau) effort to first claim the tile from the people of Butoni and Lovoni, returned with most of his warriors from Vanuaso, Gau, Lomaiviti to coup
84-459: A description of him after meeting with him on 7 December 1844: "He is tall, rather good looking, appears fully aware of his consequence, and is not destitute of dignity. He wore an enormous quantity of hair on his head and several yards of native cloth around his body..." Seru was given the name Cikinovu ("Centipede"), "because he moved silently and struck painfully". Later, he was called Cakobau ("destroyer of Bau"), because he had destroyed what
112-549: A family that has traditionally ruled a certain area. The chiefs are of differing rank, with some chiefs traditionally subordinate to other chiefs. The Vusaratu clan is regarded as the highest chiefly clan, with regards to the people of Bau until the rise of the Tui Kaba clan leader, who exiled all Vusaratu members. They are the heirs of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau , the Vunivalu of Bau or Tui Levuka (Paramount Chief of Bau, on
140-571: A name rather than a title.) It has been affixed to the names of Tana and Cakobau by later Fijians, retroactively. The Cakobau Memorial Church on Bau Island is now referred to as the Ratu Cakobau Church. Ratu may also be used as a personal first name or second name. The title may be acquired as part of a chiefly name, by a namesake. In such cases, it does not imply chiefly status. Adi is the female equivalent, sometimes heard as Yadi in Lau. Ra
168-461: A royal palace is called " keraton ", constructed from the circumfix ke- -an and Ratu , to describe the residence of the ratu. Ratu: A chiefly title for men used alone as a form of address, or in front of the chief's name, only in certain places The source of the Fijian title is Verata, and it has spread throughout Fiji during the past century, now applied to many local, minor chiefs as well as
196-586: Is a prefix in many titles ( ramasi, ramalo, rasau, ravunisa, ratu ), and tu means simply "chief". The formal use of "ratu" as a title in a name (as in "Sir" in British tradition) was not introduced until after the cession of 1874 . Until then, a chief would be known only by his birth name and his area-specific traditional title. Regional variations include ro in Rewa and parts of Naitasiri and Tailevu , roko in parts of Naitasiri , Rewa and Lau (particularly
224-648: Is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, adi (pronounced [ˈandi] ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language , the title ratu is also the traditional honorific title to refer to the ruling king or queen in Javanese culture (though it has since been used in modern contexts to refer to both queen regnant and queen consort of any nation, e.g. "Ratu Elizabeth II " and "Ratu Camilla "). Thus in Java ,
252-533: The Great Council of Chiefs often stepped in to provide leadership when the modern political institutions have broken down. Seru Epenisa Cakobau Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau ( pronounced [ˈseru epeˈniːsa ðakomˈbau] ; occasionally spelled Cacobau or phonetically Thakombau ) (c.1815 – 1 February 1883) was a Fijian chief, monarch, and warlord ( Vunivalu ) who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing
280-732: The Moala group), ra in parts of Vanua Levu , particularly the province of Bua . In all those places, it is used as a title preceding the person's name, much like "prince", "duke", "earl", "baron" or "lord". The semantics, however, are a little different in Fijian although the name and title are usually reversed, for example: In English, one would say His Royal Highness (Styling) Prince (address/title) Andrew (name), Duke of York (noble title). In Fijian, one would say, Gone Turaga Na (Styling) Roko Tui Bau (noble title), Ratu (address/title) Joni Madraiwiwi (name). The Fijian nobility consists of about seventy chiefs, each of whom descends from
308-724: The vice-president , and 14 of the 32 senators , members of Parliament's "upper house", which has a veto over most legislation. The 18 other senators are appointed by the Prime Minister (9), the Leader of the Opposition (8), and the Council of Rotuma (1); these appointees may, or may not, be of chiefly rank also. (The Senate was modelled on Britain's House of Lords , which consists of both hereditary and life peers .) The presidency, vice-presidency, and fourteen senators are
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#1732775685693336-591: The General Assembly. Two years later, however, the confederacy split into the Kingdom of Bau and the Confederation of Lau (comprising Bua , Cakaudrove , Lau ), with Cakobau assuming kingship of the former. Supported by foreign settlers, he finally succeeded in creating a united Fijian kingdom in 1871, and established Levuka as his capital. He decided to set up a constitutional monarchy , and
364-464: The House, which is elected by universal suffrage, were of chiefly rank, but in recent elections, the discrepancy between chiefs and commoners is slowly narrowing, as commoners are becoming better educated and have begun to work their way into the power structure. The chiefs, however, retain enormous respect among the Fijian people. In times of crisis, such as the coups of 1987 and the third coup of 2000 ,
392-627: The Legislative Council of Fiji. The United States government had recognised Cakobau's claim to kingship over a united Fijian nation, long before his claims were accepted by his fellow chiefs. In the long term, however, this was not to count in his favour. The American government held him responsible for an arson attack against the Nukulau Island home of John Brown William , the American Consul, in 1849 (before Cakobau
420-410: The colonial rule (1874–1970), the British kept Fiji's traditional chiefly structure and worked through it. They established what was to become the Great Council of Chiefs , originally an advisory body, but it grew into a powerful constitutional institution. Constitutionally, it functions as an electoral college to choose Fiji's president (a largely honorary position modelled on the British monarchy),
448-600: The death of Seru's paternal uncle, the Vunivalu of Bau, Naulivou Ramatenikutu and the installation of Tanoa as Vunivalu . However, after he killed the Roko Tui Bau , Ratu Raiwalui, near Vanua Balavu , amongst other murders and reprisals, Tanoa was exiled in 1832. He married two sisters, Litia (Lydia) Samanunu and Salote (Charlotte) Qalirea Kaunilotuna (daughters of the Roko Tui Bau ). Mary Wallis provided
476-689: The eastern side of Viti Levu , Fiji's most populous island), He proclaimed himself " Tui Viti/King of Fiji " in 1871. (He was only recognised by the British and a few provinces of Viti Levu) He along with 12 high Chiefs subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874. Other prominent chiefly clans include the Vuanirewa (the traditional rulers of the Lau Islands ) and the Ai So'ula (the traditional rulers of Vanua Levu ). During
504-702: The first legislative assembly met in November of that year. Both the legislature and the Cabinet were dominated by foreigners. He gave his war club to Queen Victoria on 10 October 1874 when the Deed of Cession by which the sovereignty of Fiji passed to the British Crown was signed. In October 1932, King Cakobau’s war club was presented, on behalf of King George V , for ceremonial use as the Ceremonial mace of
532-448: The leadership in Bau then and later takeover his father's title; known after his father as the 6th "Vunivalu" or Warlord of Bau. He was born to Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa on Nairai Island, Lomaiviti , and one of his nine wives, Adi Savusavu. The Vunivalu and the Roko Tui Bau (sacred chieftain) had had many power struggles during the course of nearly a century. These struggles led to
560-473: The major ones. The concept of his type of title is from Tonga. Strictly speaking, the title belongs only in Verata. In their time, Cakobau or Tanoa, his father, never themselves used the title of Ratu. It does not appear with Cakobau's name or any other chief's name in the Deed of Cession of 1874. (Exceptionally, in the 1850s, Ratu Mara Kapaiwai was one of the few who did use the word Ratu, though that may have been
588-468: The many years. Ratu Kaliova Dawai and his kinsman Ratu Napolioni Dawai have each been installed by factions loyal to them. The matter was slowly making its way through the courts, and a judgement was originally expected in 2006. This was put on hold, however, in the wake of the military coup of 5 December 2006. This Fiji -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ratu Ratu ( [ˈrɑːtu] )
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#1732775685693616-414: The only constitutional offices whose appointment is controlled by persons of chiefly rank. Chiefs in post-independence Fiji have always competed for parliamentary seats on an equal footing with commoners. In the years following independence, this favored the chiefly class, as the common people looked to them as their leaders and generally voted for them. For several elections, many ethnic Fijian members of
644-482: The rebellion with the aid of the King of Tonga . Having converted to Christianity, on the battlefield he pardoned all the captives; in accordance with pagan Fijian customs, the defeated men would have been ceremonially humiliated, killed and eaten. On 8 May 1865, a Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti was established (comprising Bau , Bua , Cakaudrove , Lakeba , Macuata , Naduri ), with Cakobau as Chairman of
672-617: The remainder of Fiji, he asserted that he was the King of Fiji. However, Cakobau's claim was not accepted by other chiefs, who regarded him, at best, as the first among equals . Cakobau consequently engaged in constant warfare for almost nineteen years to unify the islands under his authority. The last, brief rebellion of chiefs against Cakobau's rule culminated in the Battle of Kaba (a village in Bau Tikina, next to Bau Island). Cakobau crushed
700-422: The speaker of Fiji's House of Representatives, is a grandson of Cakobau's granddaughter, Adi Litia Cakobau. Ratu Epeli is also a cousin of parliamentarian and former leader of opposition Ro Teimumu Kepa , who descends from Adi Teimumu Vuikaba, the younger sister of Adi Litia Cakobau. A number of other political figures are also descendants of Cakobau, including Roko Tupou Draunidalo , former President of
728-893: The title of Vunivalu of Bau, and formally ceded the highest and most precedent Chiefly title of Tui Viti or Paramount Chief of Fiji to the person of Her Majesty Queen Victoria . This title continued to be held by her descendants, until the de-establishment of the Great Council of Chiefs on 14 March 2012, making Elizabeth II the last Paramount Chief. He lived quietly until his death on 1 February 1883. Several of Fiji's leading figures were direct descendants of Cakobau. His great-grandson, Ratu Sir George Cakobau who descended from Cakobau's third son, served as Fiji's first native-born Governor-General from 1973 to 1983, while Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara , modern Fiji's first Prime Minister and second President descended from Cakobau's second daughter, Adi Asenaca Kakua Vuikaba. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau , who became President of Fiji in 2009 and currently
756-462: Was Bau; but Seru also built a new Bau, under the supremacy of the Vunivalu. After he converted to Christianity, he also took the additional name of Epenisa (Ebenezer). On 8 December 1852, Cakobau succeeded as Vunivalu of Bau. Cakobau, a former cannibal, was converted to Christianity by the missionary James Calvert and renounced cannibalism in 1854. Claiming that Bau had suzerainty over
784-572: Was even the Vunivalu, let alone King), and demanded $ 44,000 compensation. Unable to pay the debt caused by the Rewan Chiefs, and fearing an American invasion and annexation, Cakobau decided to cede the islands to the United Kingdom. He and his diplomatic party sailed to Sydney to celebrate the annexation, where they contracted measles . Their return triggered an epidemic. Cakobau retained his position as Fiji's second most senior chief
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