Piʻilani

Piʻilani ("ascent to heaven"^[2]) (born ca. 1460) ruled as Chief of the island of Maui in the later part of the 15th century. At the time Maui was an independent kingdom within the islands of Hawaii.

Piʻilani
Chief of Maui
Spouse	La’ieloheloheikawai[1] Mokuahualeiakea Kunuʻunuiakapokiʻi
Issue	Lono-a-Piʻilani Kiha-a-Piʻilani Piʻikea, Chiefess of Maui and Hawaiʻi
Father	Kawaokaohele
Mother	Kepalaoa
Religion	Hawaiian religion

Coconut tree on Maui, island of Piʻilani

He was the first Aliʻi to unite the island under a single line.^[3] His rule was peaceful for most of his reign. His father was Kawaokaohele^[4] and his mother was Kepalaoa.^[5] Pilʻilani and his offspring are important in legends of Maui, in the same way that Līloa and his son ʻUmi-a-Liloa in the legends of the island of Hawaii.^[4] The two family lines of Piʻilani and Liloa were closely associated although from separate islands. ʻUmi was a supporter of Kiha-a-Piʻilani, Piʻilani's son, when he went to war. The lineage continued in west Hawaii and east Maui in lesser lines and in the lines of Moana Kane from Liloa and Piʻilaniwahine from Piʻilani in the couple's marriage and offspring.^[6] Piʻilani and his sons were circumcised.

Piʻilani's is a descendant of Puna-i-mua.^[7] His father and grandfathers came from western Maui. Under Piʻilani for the first time this family controlled the eastern side as well.^[8] Piʻilani began building a roadway to encircle the entire island, the first such road in the islands. It was wide enough for eight men to walk beside each other. It was completed by his son. Some sections of Piʻilani Highway follow the old path. In places, the old stones are still visible.^[9] After Piʻilani's death the line of succession became a struggle similar to that of ʻUmi and Hakua of Hawaii.^[8]

Family tree

Kahekili I, Aliʻi of Maui

Kawaokaohele

Hauanuihonialawahine, Chiefess of Kauai

Piʻilani

Kepalaoa

Piʻikea, Chiefess of Maui and Hawaiʻi

Kumalae, Chief of Hilo

ʻUmi-a-Liloa, King of Hawaiʻi

Kaawa

References

1. She was a child of nobleman Kalamakua and famous lady Keleanohoanaʻapiʻapi.
2. Piʻilani
3. Glenda Bendure; Ned Friary (2008). Lonely Planet Maui. Lonely Planet. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-74104-714-1.
4. Patrick Vinton Kirch (7 July 2012). A Shark Going Inland Is My Chief: The Island Civilization of Ancient Hawai'i. University of California Press. pp. 206–. ISBN 978-0-520-95383-3.
5. P. Christiaan Klieger (1 January 1998). Moku'Ula: Maui's Sacred Island. Bishop Museum Press. ISBN 978-1-58178-002-4.
6. Kanalu G. Terry Young (25 February 2014). Rethinking the Native Hawaiian Past. Routledge. pp. 48–. ISBN 978-1-317-77669-7.
7. Kamakau, Samuel (1992). Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii. Honolulu: Kamehameha Schools Press. ISBN 0-87336-014-1.
8. Patrick Vinton Kirch (2 November 2010). How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai'i. University of California Press. pp. 101–. ISBN 978-0-520-94784-9.
9. Greg Ward (2001). Maui. Rough Guides. pp. 229–. ISBN 978-1-85828-852-9.