Tu'ipelehake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tuʻipelehake (or Tuʻi Pelehake to be more consistent with similar titles, like Tuʻi Tonga, Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua, etc.) is a high ranking, traditional chiefly title from Tonga. There have been several holders of the title over the years, including princes and prime ministers. It is Tongan custom to refer to the holder by his customary title, only adding his personal name if confusion may arise. An example of this would be: Tuʻi Pelehake (ʻUluvalu).
The estates of the Tuʻi Pelehake are:
- A few plots in Vavaʻu, close to Leimatuʻa (Vaihoi), Holonga and Neiafu (Fatai)
- Some areas in Haʻapai, on Foa
- A large area in Hahake district on Tongatapu, centred around the village named after him: Pelehake upo to ʻAlaki. Tonga's main airport, Fuaʻamotu interational airport, is also situated on his estate and not, as the name misleadingly suggests, in neighbouring Fuaʻamotu.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Origin
All noble titles in Tonga were established with the constitution proclaimed by king Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I in 1875. Lekaumoana in the list below was the first holder of the new title as such. However, most titles, Tuʻi Pelehake included, are of an older to much older age. They were just not formalised until then. The fact that they were held by the most powerful chiefs of that time has saved them. Hundreds of minor titles were abolished and have disappeared since.
The Tuʻi Pelehake title goes back to the first Tuʻi Tonga, ʻAhoʻeitu, the youngest son of Tangaloa ʻEitumātupuʻa. His oldest brother, Talafale, fell out of grace and was bestowed the titles Tuʻi Pelehake and also Tuʻi Faleua, a backup in case the Tuʻi Tonga line would die out. Note that the original Tuʻi Pelehake title therefore derives its authority from the Tuʻi Tonga, even though, since it came to George Tupou II, is has been essentially linked to the Tuʻi Kanokupolu.
[edit] Holders of the noble title
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Lekaumoana
[edit] ʻUluvalu
He was the son of Lekaumoana
[edit] Filiaipulotu
He was the son of ʻUluvalu
[edit] Toutaitokotaha
Siaosi Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha, 1842 — 1912. He was the son of Filiaipulotu and the father of King George Tupou II. He was Prime Minister of Tonga in 1905. After his death the title remained vacant as the king had not really need for it, nor had his successor Sālote Tupou III.
[edit] Fatafehi
Sione Ngū Manumataongo Tukuʻaho (7 January 1922 — 10 April 1999), was the youngest son of Sālote Tupou III and was educated in Tonga and Australia. He attended Newington College, Sydney, (1941-1942) [1] and an agricultural college in Queensland. Fatafehi married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune (13 November 1924 — 16 March 1993) on the same day as his older brother, the Crown Prince (in that time still called Tupoutoʻa-Tungī) married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe. That was the famous double royal wedding (taʻane māhanga) of 10 June 1947. He received the title Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi) from his mother in 1944, and he also received the runner up highest title of Tonga of Tuʻi Faleua (king of the second house).
From a non-traditional side, he was knighted as CBE. He inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well known poet and composer.
His career was with his brother in the government. He was first governor of Vavaʻu (1949–1952), later of Haʻapai (1952-1953), next he held various ministerial portfolios in cabinet, until he took over as Prime Minister when his brother had to vacate the post on becoming king in 1965. He remained in this post until he had to withdraw in 1991 because of serious health problems. His last years were spent in a rollchair on a life support system.
He kept the both titles of Tuʻi Pelehake and Tuʻi Faleua for so many years, that they became synonymous with him. But after his death, only the former was conferred to his son, while the latter returned to the king.
[edit] ʻUluvalu
Sione ʻUluvalu Takeivūlai Ngū Tukuʻaho (7 October 1950 — 6 July 2006 (5 July in USA)) was Tuʻi Pelehake from the death of his father until his own death in a car accident near San Francisco, California. He played a key role in mediating between the Government of Tonga and striking civil servants in 2005. At the time of his death he was in the USA for consultations with Tongans living there to present ideas for political reform to his uncle, the king. Prince ʻUluvalu and his wife, Princess Kaimana, died without children.
They were buried at langi Nāmoala in Muʻa on 21 July, apparently as a reminder of the title's Tuʻi Tonga heritage, and not at Malaʻekula in Nukuʻalofa where all kings find their rest.
[edit] Mailefihi
When a title holder dies without heir, the title returns to the king, who then will decide what to do with it. In this case he decided to give it, on 21 July, to ʻUluvalu's younger brother, Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tukuʻaho (17 June 1957 — ). Mailefihi lost his right to the title 'prince' and any possible claim to the throne when he married Mele Vikatolia Faletau against the wishes of his uncle the king. Children are a daughter Taone Tukuʻaho Ramanlal and a son Sione Ngū Tukuʻaho. His (second) marriage in 1996 was with Maʻata Moʻungaloa, when she had just won the yearly miss Heilala beauty pageant. And likewise low was his third marriage with ʻEneʻio Tatafu, a dropout from ʻAtenisi university. According to Tongan law such a person is considered dead as far any royal succession concerns. It does not, however, impede the acquisition of another title. In late August 2006 he also won in a byelection the parliamentary seat which had become vacant by the death of his brother.
[edit] References
- ^ Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp201
[edit] Bibliography
- E. Wood-Ellem; Queen Sālote of Tonga; and several other books
- Tonga Chronicle newspaper, 3 August 2006