Pomaré II.

Pomaré II in Christian garb

Matavai Bay in Tahiti

Tunuieaite atua (* 1782 ; † December 7, 1821 in Motuuta on Moorea ) was King of Tahiti as Pomaré II from 1791 to 1821 .

Origin and family

He was the son of "ari'i rahi" (king or chief chief) Tunuieaite atua i Tarahoi , called "Vairatoa" or "Tu", whom Captain Cook called "Otoo", and his wife Tetuanui reia i te rai.

His first wife was Tetua i Tefana i Ahurai (1782–1802), daughter of Auo terere atua. His 2nd wife was Terito i te rai Tere moemoe Tera vahine, born around 1792, died in April 1867, daughter of Tamatoa III. , King of Raiatea and Tahaa , and his wife Turaiarii Tetua vahine. In 1811 Pomaré II married Terito's sister, Teriitaria Ariipaia vahine, Queen of Huahine , born in 1790 on Raiatea, died in 1858 in Papeete . She was after the death of Pomaré II. Guardianship regent of Tahiti until her son Teriitaria Pomaré King Pomaré III. Died in 1827 at the age of only 7.

history

Already with his father Otoo the young "Tu" took part in the bloody power struggles of the family clans for the leadership role in Tahiti and continued it vehemently during his reign, so that the new diseases and epidemics brought in by the seafarers still decimated the archipelago's population continued to decline.

Since the arrival of Captain Samuel Wallis with the Dolphin in 1767 and the missionaries from the London Missionary Society with the "Duff" in March 1797 and a census in 1892, the population has shrunk from an estimated 120,000 to 10,927.

Since the British, who had now settled on the treatment of Pomaré, as the missionaries called him, existed as king of all Tahiti, a power-political imbalance could arise that led to further disputes.

After the death of his father Vairatoa, the young "Tu" initially retired to the neighboring island of Eimeo (Moorea), but then gave up his previous traditional religion and returned to Tahiti in 1812 as a professed Christian. With the help of the missionaries and armed with pistols and muskets, he defeated Opuhara of the family of Amo, the influential clan chief of Papara and the inner Teva districts. Through a clever marriage, Pomaré was able to expand his position of power. He died on December 7, 1821 in Motuuta, Moorea.

progeny

• Aimata Pomaré IV. (1813–1877)
• Teinaiti Pomaré (1817-1819)
• Teriitaria Pomaré III. (1820-1827)

A postage stamp from French Polynesia was dedicated to Pomaré II .

literature

• François Merceron: Dictionnaire illustré de la Polynésie . Édition de l'Alizé, Tahiti 1988/89 (4 vol.)

Web link

• http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/tahiti/index.html

predecessor	Office	successor
Pomaré I.	King of Tahiti 1791–1821	Pomaré III.