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| Kepaniwai War War of the Dammed Waters of ʻĪao Principia Moderni IV |
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| Part of the Unification of Hawaii | |||||||
 Map of the Hawaiian Islands in 1707, with the Kingdom of Hawaii shown in orange, and the island of Maui in light orange, later claimed by Hawaii. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Hawai'i
|  Kingdom of Maui
District of Puna (1708) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Keeaumoku Nui †
| Kekaulike †
Kalaninuiamamao (1708) † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 15,000 Warriors 1,500 War Canoes | Unknown | ||||||
The Kepaniwai War, Hawaiian for the "War of the Dammed Waters of ʻĪao", was a conflict primarily between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Kingdoms of Maui and O'ahu, two of Hawaii's biggest rivals. The conflict is considered the first in a series of wars in the Unification of Hawaii, which ultimately resulted in the creation of a unified Hawaiian kingdom.
By the early eighteenth century the Kingdom of Hawaii had developed into the most powerful kingdom in the Hawaiian Islands, after years of consolidation and reform into a unified, militarized state. The unification of the island of Hawaii proper, and the reforms to ensure its unity, would usher in the Lokahi Period, in which the island saw relatively rapid expansion of infrastructure and agriculture, which directly led to an expansion of the military. By the beginning of the war the Kingdom of Hawaii is considered to have had a navy capable of rivaling almost any alliance of other Hawaiian Islands, as well as a well trained and greatly expanded army.
Hawaii's expansion eventually led to conflict with its neighbors, particularly the Kingdom of Maui, who in 1706 fired on Hawaiian vessels, sparking the conflict. Dynastic conflicts would weaken both sides, with both Hawaii and Maui experiencing a civil war as part of the larger Kepaniwai War. In 1709 the war would culminate in the titular Battle of Kepaniwai, in which Kamehameha would launch an invasion of Maui, and successfully defeat the then reigning king, Kaeokulani. This victory would ultimately lead to the eventual peace between the Kingdom of O'ahu and Hawaii, as well as the ascension of Kamehameha to the throne of Hawaii.
Overview[]
First Invasion of Maui[]
The many trade missions began by Keawe II, and later continued by his sons, had made Hawaii prosperous, but it also caught the attention of the Kingdom of Maui, Hawaii's neighbor to the northwest. In 1706 a trade mission on its return voyage was unexpectedly fired upon by Aliʻi nui Kekaulike, Moʻi of Maui. The king claimed that earlier in the year Hawaiians from Kona had raided his southern shore, and his attack was in retribution. Keeaumoku Nui, unaware of any actions conducted by his more reckless brother, denied the allegations, but was also hesitant to attack his neighbor. At this time Kekaulike's uncle Kaeokulani ruled Oʻahu, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi, whose combined forces would be difficult for the Hawaiians to match. Unbeknownst to the Hawaiian monarch, Kekaulike had also departed on a voyage to Kaua'i to visit his wife's home, taking a large portion of his army with him. When he stopped in Waimanalo on O'ahu a fight broke out between the king and his uncle, who claimed Maui for himself. Kamehameha eventually caught word of this from allies in Maui, and launched his own invasion without the support of the king.
Kamehameha managed to capture the island, defeating the relatively small garrison left behind. Keeaumoku Nui begrudgingly raised an army to aid his brother, planning to attack O'ahu early the following year with 10,000 men and 1,000 war canoes. on O'ahu, Kekaulike successfully defeated his uncle, but not without it taking a toll on his army. Unaware of the main invasion force still on Hawaii, Kekaulike split his army in half and immediately sailed to retake Maui, landing there the following year. Initially this army managed to beat back the Hawaiian army under Kamehameha. Kamehameha feigned retreat toward the south of the island, drawing out the enemy army. En route to O'ahu, Keeaumoku Nui landed near the site of this battle and marched with the Hawaiian reinforcements to Kamehameha's aid, successfully defeating the enemy forces in a decisive battle. Kekaulike was killed and sacrificed, and Keeaumoku Nui declared himself Aliʻi nui of Maui.
Civil War in Hawaii[]
The following year, with Kekaulike having been killed in battle, Keeaumoku Nui established a tentative rule over the island of Maui. This claim was contested, however, by the late king's uncle, Kaeokulani, King of O'ahu, who launched a naval invasion of Maui early in the year. Around this time word reached Maui that the king's brother, Kalaninuiamamao. had raised his forces in rebellion, allying with the King of O'ahu, with support from the District of Puna and some supporters in Hilo. With the Hawaiian army split, Keeaumoku Nui suffered a minor defeat at the hands of Kaeokulani, and ultimately choose to withdraw and regroup on Hawaii. Kamehameha, likewise withdrew to the settlement of Kawaihae in Kona, where he began recruiting more warriors and training them for a second invasion.
A respected kahuna named Kapoukahi approached the chief and suggested he build a luakini heiau (sacrificial temple) to gain the favor of the war god Kūkaʻilimoku. Kamehameha agreed, and for most of the year remained in the city, tasking his men with the creation of the Puʻukoholā Heiau, meaning "Temple on the Hill of the Whale". The temple was built with no mortar and relatively quickly, with the red stones transported by a human chain about 14 miles long, from Pololū Valley to the east.
In the meantime Kalaninuiamamao fought several skirmishes with his brother, the king. By remaining out of the fighting, preoccupied with building the temple and also guarding the north of the island from attack, Kamehameha managed to appear neutral in the conflict. In late 1708 Kalaninuiamamao traveled to Kawaihae to secretly negotiate an alliance with his brother against the king. However, when the chief arrived Kamehameha has his brother and his main supporters sacrificed. A battle broke out, however it was almost completely one sided, with the majority of Kalaninuiamamao's men coming to Kamehameha's support in the end.
A fleet from O'ahu eventually did arrive as the year was ending, but it was intercepted by the king off the coast of Kahaluu. In the ensuing Battle of Kahaluu, primarily a naval engagement between two of Hawaii's largest fleets, the technologically and numerically superior fleet of Keeaumoku Nui managed to secure victory, however, the king was wounded in the battle and ordered his men back to shore, allowing Kaeokulani to flee to Maui. Haae-a-Mahi, brother of the late Alapaʻinuiakauaua of Kohala fought for Kaeokulani in the battle and was discovered to have been killed. The king rewarded his cousin Kameʻeiamoku with the District of Puna, for his bravery shown during the naval battle.
Second Invasion of Maui[]
The Hawaiian army recovered from the Battle of Kahaluu, and consolidated its forces for an invasion of Maui. As the army was preparing, Keeaumoku Nui fell ill from an infection of his wounds and died in early 1709. As a result Kamehameha was declared the Aliʻi nui of Hawaii, and took over sole command of the invasion. Kamehameha's war fleet landed in Kahului a few kilometers from the base of ʻĪao Valley. Kaeokulani army, largely consisting of loyal chiefs from Maui, blocked entrance into the ʻĪao valley, beginning the battle. In the ensuing battle so many men were killed in rapid succession that the "damming of the waters" was caused by the corpses floating in the river. Kaeokulani aws ultimately killed in battle by Kamehameha, causing his army to retreat. Those still loyal to the late Kaeokulani fled to O'ahu, where his son, Kahekili II, ascended to the throne.
Kamehameha became Aliʻi nui of Maui, and began consolidating his rule over the island, beginning by calling the chiefs of the various districts of Maui to swear their loyalty to him. A series of skirmishes, mostly on sea, continued throughout the later half of the year, in an effort to secure control over Kahoolawe, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi. The skirmishes across the islands continued into the beginning of the following year, with Kahekili II targeting the islands of Kahoolawe, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi with numerous naval raids. The King of O'ahu was ultimately unable to launch a major invasion, and in 1710 when Kamehameha offered peace with O’ahu midway through the year, Kahekili II accepted. Kamehameha hoped to consolidate his rule over the newly conquered islands, and also give his army time to recover and replenish.
Aftermath[]
The ruling class of Maui was greatly shifted, with nobles who were reluctant to support Kamehameha having their power diminished, and those who supported the Hawaiians being elevated in Maui society. A vast amount of land previously owned by dissident or now deceased nobles was seized by the king, including essentially all of Lānaʻi and Kahoolawe. The king offered his veterans sections of the land for free if they agreed to move to the land with their families, leading to a colonization of the newly conquered islands by loyal Hawaiian families, and later others, who flocked to follow the migration of the army. The farming techniques from the island of Hawaii proper were transferred west, leading to a greater harvest the following year. On Kahoolawe the settlement of Hakioawa quickly grew into a town, while on Lānaʻi, Kahemano became the largest settlement on the island. The king himself traveled to Kahemano beach to do some fishing, declaring the spot the best place in Hawaii for fishing, leading to rapid settlement of the island. On Maui, towns such as Wailuku, Kahului, Lahaina, and Hana experienced a boom in population, and the king ordered that ports be constructed in these towns in the fashion of Hawaii proper, to further facilitate trade between the islands, and to facilitate the growing and recovering Hawaiian war fleet.
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