Ratu (Fiji)

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Ratu ( raatuu ) is a title for male members of chief families in Fiji . He belongs to a group of honorary names.

Related titles

The Austronesian title applies to male chiefs in Fiji. Equivalent to this is the feminine Adi ( ˈandʒi , en ) and further gradations are Bulou ( Bulou ) and Ro ( Ro ). In the Malay languages , the title Ratu is the traditional title for the ruling king or queen. For example in Java . The title is used today for all female monarchs (queen regnant), e.g. B. "Ratu Elizabeth II ". The Royal Palace is called " keraton called" something out of linguistic structure with a circumfix ke- -an and Ratu arises.

etymology

Ra is a prefix in numerous titles such as Ramasi, Ramalo, Rasau, Ravunisa, Ratu and is probably related to the Indian Raja from Sanskrit . Tu, on the other hand, is the simple name for a chief in Fiji. The use of the form "Ratu" as a title in a name (comparable to "Sir" in the British tradition), however, only emerged after the British came to power in 1874. Until then, chiefs were only addressed by their maiden name and their regional traditional titles.

Regional variations are Ro in Rewa and parts of Naitasiri and Tailevu ; en: Roko (title) in parts of Naitasiri, Rewa and Lau (especially on the Moala Islands), Ra in parts of Vanua Levu , mainly in Bua .

In the construction of the salutation, the name always comes at the end: Gone Turaga Na (styling) Roko Tui Bau (title), Ratu (salutation) Joni Madraiwiwi (name).

Nobility of Fiji

The nobility of Fiji know about seventy chiefs, each of whom is passed down in a family that traditionally ruled a particular area. The chiefs are of different rank; some chiefs were traditionally subordinate to others. The highest-ranking clan is the Vusaratu clan . This refers to the community of construction on the east side of Viti Levu , Fiji's most populous island. However, the Tui Kaba clan has exiled all members of the Vusaratu. They are the heirs of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau , the Vunivalu of Bau or Tui Levuka (Paramount Chief of Bau). Cakobau was the first chief to unite the whole country under his leadership in 1871. He was proclaimed Tui Viti (King of Fiji). Soon after, in 1874, he handed over his kingship to the British .

Other prominent clans are the Vuanirewa of the Lau Islands and the Ai So'ula of Vanua Levu .

During the colonial period , 1874–1970, the British kept the traditional chief structure and used it for their own purposes. They founded the Great Council of Chiefs , which was originally just an advisory body, but developed into a powerful institution in the 1997 Fiji constitution . Today it serves as a constitutional body, which serves as an electoral college ( election body) for the President of Fiji (a largely representative position on the model of the British monarchy), the Vice-President of Fiji and for 14 of 32 senators , i.e. members of the Upper House of the Parliament of Fiji . The other 18 senators are appointed by the Prime Minister (9), the Leader of the Opposition (8) and the Council of Rotuma (1).

The presidency, vice-presidency and fourteen senatorial posts are thus the constitutional offices that are occupied by people from among the chiefs. Since independence, the chiefs in Fiji have always competed for seats in the House of Representatives of Fiji on an equal basis with non-nobles . In the years after independence, this gave the nobles an advantage, as the common folk saw them as their leaders and were more likely to vote for them. Gradually, however, the preference for the nobles is waning, since the common people are now better educated and want to confidently participate in politics. Nevertheless, the Chiefs continue to enjoy great respect among the people. In times of crisis, such as the 1987 Fischi coup and the Fiji coup in 2000 (Third Coup), the Great Council of Chiefs often provided stability when modern political institutions failed.

Chiefs

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Thomas Reuter: Sharing the Earth, Dividing the Land. 2006, ISBN 1-920942-70-X , p. 257. "For the purposes of this discussion, however, it is sufficient to know that all land is traditionally vested in the ratu, and there are no higher order structures of customary landownership . "
  2. ↑ Sartono Kartodirdjo: The Peasants' Revolt of Banten in 1888: Its Conditions, Course and Sequel: A Case Study of Social Movements in Indonesia. (= Negotiating van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. Vol. 50). Springer, 2014, ISBN 978-94-015-7543-0 , p. 51.
  3. ↑ Peter Bellwood, James J. Fox, Darrell Tryon: The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives. (= Comparative Austronesian Series ). ANU E Press, 2006, ISBN 1-920942-85-8 , p. 314.
  4. ↑ Asesela Ravuvu: Development Or Dependence: The Pattern of Change in a Fijian Village. editorips@usp.ac.fj 1988, ISBN 982-02-0040-7 , p. 108 ff.

literature

  • Arthur Maurice Hocart: Lau Islands. Fiji. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Ethnology, Original from the University of Michigan, no.62, 1929, digitized February 23, 2007, p. 150.
  • Ernst Eichler, Gerold Hilty, Heinrich Löffler, Hugo Steger, Ladislav Zgusta: Namenforschung / Name Studies / Les noms propres. 1st half band. (= Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science (HSK ). Vol. 11). Walter de Gruyter, 2008, ISBN 978-3-11-020342-4 .
  • Christina Toren: 6. Making The Chief: An Examination of Why Fijian Chiefs Have To Be Elected. In: João de Pina Cabral, Antónia Pedroso de Lima: Elites. Part II: Choice and Tradition. Etnográfica Press, 2000, pp. 113-129. (books.openedition.org)

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