Laufilitonga

Tomb of Laufilitonga, Langi Tu'ofefafa.

Fatafehi ​​Laufilitonga (* August 24, 1797 ; † December 9, 1865 ) was the 39th and last Tuʻi Tonga from the Tuʻi Tonga dynasty in Tonga .

Life

Little is known about the life of Laufilitonga. He was the eldest son of King Fatafehi ​​Fuanunuʻiava and his wife Tupou Veiongo Moheofo . He succeeded his father in 1810 as head of the Tonga family. However, it was found that he was too young to be promoted to Tu'i Tonga of the Tongan Empire . The title had already lost power and prestige by that time, and real power lay with the Tuʻi Kanokupolu .

Laufilitonga struggled to restore the power of the Tuʻi Tonga and worked to use his spiritual leadership role politically. He challenged Taufaʻahau (later George Tupou I ) in Haʻapai .

The outcome of this battle was ultimately decided in the Battle of Velata near Tongoleleka on Lifuka (1826). Laufilitonga was defeated after an important ally, the Chief of Ha'afeva, turned against Laufilitonga. Although he was used together with the Tuʻi Kanokupolu in 1827 to ridicule him as Tuʻi Tonga, it had no political or religious function.

On November 7, 1851 Laufilitonga officially converted to Catholicism and was baptized in the name of Samuelio Fatafehi ​​Laufilitonga . After his death in 1865 he was buried in the langi Tuʻofefafa i in Muʻa and the title Tuʻi Tonga was abolished.

His wife Sālote Lupepauʻu later married the first king of Tonga, George Tupou I.

predecessor	Office	successor
Fuanunuiava	Tuʻi Tonga 1827-1865	Lapse of title

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Royal Ark

literature

• Ian Christopher Campbell: Classical Tongan kingship. 1989.
• Elizabeth Bott: Tonga society at the time of Captain Cook's visit. 1982.
• ʻOkusitino Māhina: Ko e ngaahi ʻata mei he histōlia mo e kalatua ʻo Tongá: Ke tUFaʻi ha lea Tonga fakaako. 2006. ISBN 978-0-908959-09-9

Web links

• Royalark: Laufilitonga