Last week, we followed the Kaba Wars and identified key players, factional alignments and the power play that was involved. We ended with Mara Kapaiwai who was involved in virtually all of the intrigue that revolved around Bau from the late 1820s. This does not mean the tug-of-war was new; its roots went back to ancient times involving the same players even though their faces changed with succeeding generations. To better understand the role of Mara in Bau, we need to go back to the rebellion that rocked Bau in 1832 and momentarily subsided in 1837 after Tanoa returned.
Bau Rebellion 1832
RECORDS clearly show that there were factions within Bau that were involved in the historical power struggles in Bauan politics. These same entrenched as well as opportunistic factions developed a resentment for Tanoa when he ascended to Vunivalu in 1829 after successfully plotting against his older brother, Ratu Naulivou. There were a number of reasons for this. The main one, of course, was that he was seen as a usurper by the old Bauan nobility (Nabaubau, Dewala and the Roko Tui Bau), plus their old warrior allies, the Vusaradave and other supporters both within and outside of Bau. Then, there was his close connection with Rewa through his “favourite” wife, Adi Qereitoga who was Ro Kania’s sister.
Few recall that Tanoa was also a vasu i Rewa as his mother, Roko Lewasau was a daughter of a former Roko Tui Dreketi. Records show that in May 1831, Tanoa was feted in Rewa and presented with “a thousand” pigs (Cary, 1972, p.70). A few months later, in 1832, Tanoa reciprocated by presenting Ro Kania with the largest canoe in the Pacific Ocean measuring some “105 feet in the larger hull with a mast of 63 feet, yards of 83 feet, and a 22-foot platform; it had taken seven years to build and could carry several hundred men, ‘the natives say 700” (Eagleston, UD, 1:392). This helped fan swelling resentment towards Tanoa from within Bau.
Another source of negativity against Tanoa was his protection of beche-de-mer traders whose ships his enemies in Bau were eager to loot (Clunie, 1984). In one recorded case, two schooners from Hawaii were about to be attacked by Bauan and Viwa warriors led by Mara Kapaiwai and Namosimalua when they were warded off by Tanoa. Captain Eagleston captured the aftermath of this quite well by saying: “The King’s protection to these schooners caused a deep and bitter feeling towards him on the part of many of the leading Chiefs, who had for some time greatly disapproved of his friendship to the whites visiting them” (UD, I:383).
These same forces in Bau were also enraged by Tanoa’s refusal to sanction their raids on Rewan towns. There were two key leaders of these forces: Mara Kapaiwai and Seru Tanoa (a different warrior discussed in an earlier article FT 21/06/25). In one 1832 raid, Captain Eagleston’s ship, Emerald, was the target. The plot failed when Captain Eagleston was forewarned by Rewa chief Ro Cokanauto (Kania’s half-brother) and some white men. Among these was David Whippy a close confidant of Tanoa. A furious Mara blamed the Rewans of betrayal and mounted a furious attack on a Rewa town killing more than a hundred people (Sahlins, 2004, footnotes pp.246-7). It needs to be noted that David Whippy’s close association with Tanoa also raised suspicions against the already disliked Bauan king.
We saw earlier that part of the forces against Tanoa involved the warrior clan, the Vusaradave. Three ringleaders are clearly identified as having led the rebellion of 1832 that led to Tanoa fleeing from Bau. These were Seru Tanoa, Ratu Namosimalua and Mara Kapaiwai. Seru Tanoa was the head of the Vusaradave and Namosimalua was the paramount chief of Viwa Island. Captain Eagleston described Namosimalua as a “treacherous daredevil” (Eagleston, UD, 1:385). One such instance was clearly seen in his dealings on Bau when he betrayed Raivalita and informed Tanoa of the plot to kill both him and Cakobau in 1845. Mara, according to records, was apparently not only a leading member of the native aristocracy, but also a vasu of the Vusaradave. Let’s focus on this warrior of pre-cession history here.
Ratu Mara
Mara Kapaiwai’s involvements in and around Bau can be traced back to the late 1820s when Tanoa ascended to Vunivalu. Eagleston described him as a tall warrior “of fine form and high feeling, with an eye like an eagle,” nonetheless “a great scamp and no friend to the Whites or to the King (Ratu Tanoa)” (Eagleston, UD, 1:386). There is no doubt that Mara was extremely popular among a whole spectrum of people at the time. Reid (1990) said that “being rich combined with a winning manner and possessing great stature and personal beauty it would have indeed been strange if he had not been popular… Even Cakobau it seems was attached to him”. Reid added that Mara was renowned for his daring seamanship and was an inveterate traveller. In fact, the name “Kapaiwai alluded to his driving the big drua through waves like a comb through hair,” wrote Reid.
In fact, Mara’s initial fame is traced back to when he made a daring trip by canoe to Tonga. He appeared to be well liked and respected in Tonga as during one of his many trips there, he returned with the powerful Enele Ma’afu in 1847. In one instance, he was reported to have saved King George from a Houma plot in Tonga single-handedly (Hennings, 1910). That was one link, plus the need to convert Fiji to Christianity, that tied relations between the two countries. Of course, links between some of the islands of Lau and the Kingdom of Tonga go way back into history.
As a direct descendant of the Vunivalu, Ratu Mara featured in the rebellion of 1832 that extended to 1837 when Cakobau managed to get Tanoa reinstalled to Vunivalu. It was during this time that he fell into disgrace after seducing a married woman of rank in Bau. For this, he was banished and after falling out with Cakobau, was forced to take refuge with Rewan chief Qaraniqio. He then continued to feature in the skirmishes that culminated in the routing of Rewa in 1845. Then at some stage he allied himself with other chiefs including Qaraniqio of Rewa, Koroi Ravulo of Vusaradave and Tui Levuka in a formidable coalition dedicated to destroying Cakobau. It was these forces that ignominiously swatted Cakobau at the Battle of Kaba in 1853.
The subsequent battle of Kaba in 1855, however, was a major victory for Cakobau, thanks largely to his Tongan allies; this helped finally consolidate his power in Bau and leadership over much of Fiji. He showed his adherence to his new Christian faith by releasing the prisoners taken at the conclusion of that battle. Mara was one of those who was spared the lovo pit and unexpectedly released. He, however, continued to conducted guerrilla campaigns against Cakobau until 1859 when he fatefully surrendered. This is how it happened.
Mara executed
Ratu Mara was induced to return to Bau by connected chiefs, one of whom was Ratu Jone Colata, the Masau of Bua who assured him that Cakobau would forgive him. According to Collins “Mara went to Bau to the house called the Tu ni Toga and from thence proceeded with his soro to Ulunivuaka where Cakobau with his chiefs awaited him”. As he sat there repentant, none of those he trusted spoke on his behalf, so he stood up resignedly and left the council hall. An enraged Cakobau then ordered his immediate arrest and asked the assembled chiefs for a suitable punishment.
The chiefs all voted for his death by execution and the following day, 8 June 1859, the sentence was carried out by strangulation. It appears that before his hanging a son was born to him. Given the tragedy and joy captured on that momentous occasion, a village elder approached him to pronounce the birth of the child by naming him. Mara named the boy Madrai-wiwi (sour bread) saying his life had turned sour because of his impending death and the devious manner in which he had been enticed to surrender.
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi then begot Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, the father of modern Fiji. It was Ratu Sukuna who played matchmaker between Ratu KKT Mara and Adi Lady Lala Mara. And it was Ratu KKT Mara who looked so much like the chiefly warrior, Mara Kapaiwai. The execution of Mara Kapaiwai did not go well with his descendants and wounds were secretly nursed. It emerged when his grandson, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna removed himself and his younger brother, Ratu Tiale Vuiyasawa and his sisters away from the Tui Kaba Registration of Births (Vola ni Kawa Bula) to that of the Vuanirewa Registration in Lakeba, Lau under their mother, Adi Litiana Maopa, who was the sister of the then Tui Nayau, Ratu Alifereti Finau Ulukalala.
The rest is a continuing unfolding of a fascinating history of Fiji and its key families.
DR SUBHASH APPANNA is a senior USP academic who has been writing regularly on issues of historical and national significance. The views expressed here are his alone and not necessarily shared by this newspaper or his employers subhash.appana@usp.ac.fj