Enele Ma'afu - The Beginnings of His Kingdom

The Beginnings of His Kingdom

Ma'afu'otu'itonga but known in Fiji as Enele (Henry) Ma'afu was born son of Aleamotu'a Tui Kanokupolu. Aleamotu'a and Taufa'ahau's (later King George 1) grandfather Tuku'aho were sons of Muimui. King George 1 sent Ma'afu to Fiji to organise and lead the Tongans there. This mission to Fiji also solved a potential rival for the throne. Ma'afu established himself at Lakeba as leader of the Tongan community in the Lau Islands in 1848. Aligning himself with the Tui Nayau, the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands, he went on to conquer the Moala Islands and placed them under the Tui Nayau's authority.

In 1853, Matuku was divided between two factions one headed by Yaroi and the other by Qalikarua. Tui Yaroi was against Christianity and remain stubbornly against any forcible attempts by Lakeba to bring him within the fold. Tui Yaroi's traitorous son sided with Donumaibulu and Vuetasau and pressure mounted when Maafu and a large party of Tongans, Moala, Totoya and Lakeba travelled to Matuku under pretext of Lotu but war had broken out. Tui Yaroi and his men defended their position with valour with heavy casualties suffered by Maafu and his men. The siege dragged on when further reinforcements arrived with a negotiated settlement via channel of kinship and custom. The garrison was in sore straits with an appeal for peace with honour presented by Tuilovoni on behalf of Tui Nayau and Tui Yaroi finally accepted. He was not defeated but accepted the customary approach from the Tui Nayau. He was taken to Lakeba and never set foot on Matuku again. His villages were ransacked and burnt. The Matuku people have never forgotten the losses inflicted on the party led by Maafu and Vuetasau and the poor treatment that their Chief and family encountered when they were shipped to Lakeba. This incident caused grave shock to Missionaries on wars being fought in the name of Lotu. It set the scene for Ma'afu's campaigns in Fiji as well as in Tonga where wars were fought to convert people to Christianity.

In 1850, Enele Ma'afu gave the Tui Cakau his canoe Hiki Moe Faliki and in return the Tui Cakau gave the island of Vanua Balavu to Ma'afu. He went on to Vanuabalavu and took up residence called Loto'a in his village called Sawana, Lomaloma, after suppressing a religious war on the island. As referenced in R A Derrick's History of Fiji pp 128 'The presence at Lakeba of Tongan chiefs of high rank, supported and served by strong parties of their own people, formed an effective protection for the people of Lakeba against oppression of Bau and Somosomo'.