Hawaii (Principia Moderni IV Map Game)

The Kingdom of Hawaii (Hawaiian: Mokupuni o Hawaiʻi) is an independent kingdom located on the island of Hawaii.

Origin
The Mokupuni o Hawaiʻi is said to have been named after Hawaiʻiloa, the legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered it. Other accounts attribute the name to the legendary realm of Hawaiki, a place from which the Polynesian people are said to have originated, the place where they go in the afterlife, the realm of the gods and goddesses.

Around the year 1200 a Tahitian priest named Pā‘ao is said to have brought a new order to the islands, which reformed the previously existing society, and laid the foundation for the feudal society that would rule Hawaii for the next several centuries. The social structure was divided into classes, forming the basis of the caste system, and new laws were created to govern many elements of society. The islands of Hawaii were governed by the aliʻi nui, supreme high chiefs of an island and no others above them. The island of Hawai'i proper was often divided among various, usually warring, chiefs, which were not unified until around the sixteenth century.

Hawai'i Island
ʻUmi-a-Līloa is considered the first ruler of a unified Hawai'i Island, ruling around the turn of the sixteenth century. Under the control of ʻUmi-a-Līloa the island was divided into six districts, each ruled by aliʻi ʻaimoku, who were subordinate district aliʻi. These lesser chiefs remained largely autonomous, controlling their own respective territory, while nominally swearing loyalty to the Aliʻi nui.

ʻUmi-a-Līloa was succeeded by his son, Keli‘iokaloa, around the year 1530. As ruler of Hawai'i, Keli‘iokaloa sought to further centralize his family's control over the island, while also looking toward future expansion and conquest among the other Hawaiian Islands. Up to this point the low centralization had led to constant periods of conflict, often among relatives, who held subdivisions of the kingdom at large. Keli‘iokaloa, and his successors, sought to end the period of violence, by slowly replacing the warring chiefs and lowering their control, however this process was slow to catch on.

During Keli‘iokaloa's reign the seat of the high king would also be moved to Ka-luahine, on the southern coast of the island. Keli‘iokaloa sought to create a more fortified capital for the new kingdom, that would be the center of a new centralized government. Ka-luahine became home to the kingdom's meetings of the chiefs, which would be the foundation of the modern government that eventually developed.

Lokahi Period
By the late seventeenth century the framework set in place by earlier rulers of Hawai'i proper had developed into a loose, central government centered around the settlement of Ka-luahine, which by this time was believed to be the largest settlement on the island of Hawai'i. Despite conflicts over the past two centuries the island remained unified under the House of Keawe, or Hale o Keawe, founded by Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, son of Queen Keakealaniwahine.

In 1701 Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, also known as Keawe II, issued a series of laws and proclamations, ultimately seeking to create a centralized kingdom based around the island of Hawai'i. Ka-luahine was established as the home of semi-regular meetings of the chiefs of Hawai'i, to advise the king, create legislation, and benefit the kingdom as a whole, beginning what would be known as the "unity", or Lokahi Period. Keawe II's decrees greatly reformed the way subordinate chiefs operated within the kingdom, greatly reducing their power and ability to threaten the central government. Firstly, this consisted of new codes for taxation, requiring that a larger portion of funds and manpower be directly handed over to the high chief.

This reform directly contributed to the creation of a central army, consisting of men from across the island, although primarily from the king's own retinue. Keawe II ultimately envisioned outward expansion, having personally toured the Hawaiian Islands throughout much of his life. As such the king also promoted the expansion of ports and naval capabilities, creating a modern fleet of war canoes to rival the other kingdoms of the Hawaiian Islands. Much of Keawe II's reign, however, was peaceful, leaving this fleet to help diminish crime and raiding among the islands, while also fostering trade and commerce.

The additional funds appropriated from the lesser chiefs of Hawai'i went to directly benefiting the lands and people the chiefs controlled. Specifically, the king ordered a rotational system of crop harvesting, and a shared ownership of the lands, which fell under his absolute control. This ensured that no chief could amass enough power to threaten the central government. Overall this reform also led to an expansion of farmlands and an overall greater yield of crops, with the central government receiving the largest yield.

Royal Family

 * Keakamahana (1610 - 1655) - Aliʻi Nui of Hawaii
 * Keakealaniwahine (1630 - 1685) - Aliʻi Nui of Hawaii - Kanaloa-i-Kaiwilena Kapulehu
 * Keawe II (Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku) (1655 - 1705) - Aliʻi Nui of Hawaii
 * Kalaninuiamamao (1674) - Chief of Puna - Ahia of ʻI of Hilo (1675)
 * Kalaniʻōpuʻu-a-Kaiamamao (1694)
 * Keawemauhili (1698)
 * Kalani Kama Keʻeaumoku-nui (1677) - Aliʻi Nui of Hawaii (1705), Chief of Kona (-1705), Chief of Kohala
 * Keōua Kalanikupuapaʻīkalaninui Ahilapalapa (1699)
 * Kamehameha (1680) - Chief of Kona (1705), Chief of Hamakua (1705), Guardian of the God of War
 * - Kanaloa-i-Kaiwilena Kapulehu
 * Kalanikauleleiaiwi (1657 - 1698) - Aliʻi Nui of Hawaii - Kauaua-a-Mahi
 * Alapaʻinuiakauaua (1679 - 1703) - Co-chief of Kohala
 * Haae-a-Mahi (1680)
 * Kekuʻiapoiwa (1681) - King Kekaulike of Maui

Caste System
Hawaiʻi had a caste society developed from Polynesians. The main classes were:
 * Aliʻi. This class consisted of the high and lesser chiefs of the realms. They governed with divine power called mana.
 * Kahuna. Priests conducted religious ceremonies, at the heiau and elsewhere. Professionals included master carpenters and boatbuilders, chanters, dancers, genealogists, physicians and healers.
 * Makaʻāinana. Commoners farmed, fished, and exercised the simpler crafts. They labored not only for themselves and their families, but to support the chiefs and kahuna.
 * Kauwā. They are believed to have been war captives or the descendants of war captives. Marriage between higher castes and the kauwā was strictly forbidden. The kauwā worked for the chiefs and were often used as human sacrifices at the luakini heiau. (They were not the only sacrifices; law-breakers of all castes or defeated political opponents were also acceptable as victims.).

Economy
The Hawaiian economy became complex over time. People began to specialize in specific skills. Generations of families became committed to certain careers: roof thatchers, house builders, stone grinders, bird catchers who would make the feather cloaks of the aliʻi, canoe builders.