History of Tonga

The first settlers on the islands of Tonga , who spoke Austronesian languages , sailed from the islands of Santa Cruz (now part of the state of the Solomon Islands ) and were representatives of the archaeological culture of Lapita . The colonization of the islands was carried out during long voyages on large canoes. Travelers also took some useful animals with them, seeds of agricultural plants, which later began to be bred in new lands. During the archaeological excavations in the archipelago, a large number of ceramics from the Lapita culture were found, whose members lived, traded, fought on the territory of the modern islands of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji for 1000 years, after which the eastern islands of Oceania: Markizki , Tahiti were colonized and others. Thus, Tonga played a connecting role, served as the starting point from which further exploration of Oceania began, therefore anthropologists often call the islands of Tonga, like Samoa and Fiji, the cradle of Polynesian culture and civilization.

Initially, the Tongan society was divided into thirteen clans , each of which numbered about eight hundred people. Each clan, in turn, had a common progenitor. Nevertheless, according to the ideas of the Tongans, the ancestors of various clans were relatives, so the clans formed a kind of superclan. ^[one]

Beginning in the 10th century , the hereditary power of the "sacred" Thui-Thong leaders, who create the vast Tongan Empire, is established on the islands of Tonga, Samoa and parts of Fiji. ^[2] Up to this point, the archipelago was heavily influenced by neighboring empires: the Fijian leaders of Tui-Pulotu and the Samoan leaders of Tui-Manua . ^[3] The founder of the Tongan dynasty was Ahoeiu , who, according to local legends, was the son of the supreme god Tangaloa and a Tongan girl named Vaepopua . ^[2] The system of relationships that developed by that time can be described as semi-feudal: in general, Tui-Tong were the owners of all lands that belonged to the empire, and were also revered by the people as semi-divine representatives of the Tongan gods. Each year, they were presented with fruit gifts, and after death, they erected huge gravestone monuments in the shape of truncated pyramids . ^[1] Although Tui-Tong was recognized as the supreme ruler, endowed with secular and religious power, his older sister and her eldest daughter (that is, Tui-Tong's niece) held a higher position in society (primarily during various ceremonies). ^[one]

Around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when Toui-Tonga Momo and his son Tuitatui, the Tongan state was a vast empire, which included all the islands of Fiji and most of Samoa. Under the subsequent rulers, the empire also extended its influence to part of the islands of Melanesia , Micronesia and the central part of Polynesia . ^[3] Nevertheless, the Tongan Empire was not a very solid formation: small wars regularly took place there, the cause of which was the clash of interests of various leaders, and some representatives of Tui-Tong were very brutal, which, in turn, often resulted in their killing (for example, the authorities killed Tui-Tonga Jávea I , Jávea II and Takalaua ). ^[3]

In 1470 , after the assassination of Takalaua, a reform of power was carried out in the country, as a result of which the Tui-Tong deputies, who bore the title of Tui- haatkalaua, began to play the main role in the government. Tui-haatakalaua performed managerial functions and were vested with real power, while tui-tong retained only nominal power (in fact, they left ritual functions). ^[2] Kauulufonois I became the new ruler of Tonga. ^[3]

Although the Tui-Haatakalaua managed to hold power for a century, they were under constant pressure from both internal and external forces. Therefore, by the beginning of the 17th century, they had lost their secular power, and by the end of the 18th century, the dynasty had completely ceased to exist. Representatives of another dynasty, Tui Cancúpolu , formed around 1610, began to play a leading role in the kingdom. Ngata , the son of the sixth Tui-haatakalaua, Moungatong , and the daughter of the Samoan supreme leader from the island of Upolu, became the first Tui- Kanokupolu . The coming to power of Tui Cancúpolu marked the growth of Samoan influence in the kingdom, including in matters of the method of governing the state. ^[3]

In 1616 the islands were discovered by Dutch travelers Willem Schouten and Jacob Lemer . ^[4] Between May 9 and 10, they sailed through the northern part of the archipelago, discovering the islands of Tafahi (it was called “Cocos Island” ) and Niuatoputapu . On Tafahi Island, travelers replenished supplies of fresh water and coconuts, as well as met with the islanders. At the same time, there was a small incident on the ship: local residents, who were distinguished by great curiosity, when they boarded the ship, tried to drag valuable things from the ship, including iron nails. Such behavior forced the sailors to shoot at them. Initially, gunfire shots caused laughter from the natives until one of them fell dead. ^[5] The inhabitants of Niuatoputapu even tried to seize the ship, for which their island was called “the Island of the Traitors”. The local king also visited the Dutch ship. Lehmer managed to make a short list of words in the niuatoputapu language, which is now extinct. ^[6] On May 14, 1616, the travelers sailed to the island of Niuafou ( “Good Hope Island” ), but were not welcomed by the local population, so the navigators decided not to land on the island. ^[five]

In 1643, another Dutch traveler, Abel Tasman , discovered a number of islands in the southern part of the islands of Tonga: Ata (named navigator "Hooge Pylestert" or "island of a high tropical bird" ), Eua ( "Moddleburgh" ), Tongatapu ( "Amsterdam" ) Nomuka ( “Rotterdam” ), Hunga Haapai , Hunga Tonga (the names were not given), Tofua , Kao , Lat, and several other smaller islands ^{[7] [8]} Residents of Tongatapu Island, which was discovered on January 20 , have shown great interest in the ship traveler. A small canoe with three natives swam up to the ship, to whom Dutch sailors presented linen linens, a Chinese mirror, a fishing hook and a few iron nails. In exchange, the leader of the island ordered to hand over to the mariners a pig, yams and coconuts, and later he himself was on board the ship. According to Tasman, the natives were amazed at playing pipes , violin and flute , they did not know about the existence of tobacco , they did not have weapons. ^[9]

On October 2, 1773, a British ship commanded by the traveler James Cook approached the Tongan island of Eua . ^[10] After disembarking on the northwest coast of the island, an enthusiastic crowd of islanders met travelers. Soon, a local leader in the name of Taion entered the British ship aboard. He immediately gave presents to the foreigners (various clothes from bast , mats and kava drink). Cook, pleased with such a friendly reception, handed the chief a red cloth, an ax and several nails, without refusing the invitation to personally visit the chief's house. Travelers were amazed by the friendliness of the inhabitants of Eua, as well as the high level of farming and handicrafts. However, not finding large sources of fresh water on the island, the British decided to leave Eua. ^[10] The next morning, they reached the nearby island of Tongatapu , on which the supreme leader of the Tui-Tong lived. Like at Eua, travelers were greeted by a joyful crowd of islanders, who exchanged various gifts with them. Subsequently, one of the Tongans named Ataongo escorted the British inside the island. Cook visited a sacred cemetery where local leaders were buried, took part in several rituals, and also met with one of the leaders, taking part in festivities arranged in honor of travelers. ^[ten]

During his second world tour in 1773, the British traveler visited the islands of Tonga just a few days, but during the third ( 1774 ) and last voyage ( 1777 ), Cook was on the archipelago for eleven weeks, making a detailed report on geography, nature, culture and life of the Tongans. In 1777, the traveler first visited Nomuka Island, where fresh water and food were replenished. Here, Cook met with Finau, Ulukalala , the leader of the islands of Vava'u , whom the Briton had mistaken for the supreme leader of the islands of Tonga. According to his advice, Cook visited the island Lifuka , becoming the first European to land on the island. Considering the locals to be very friendly, Cook decided to call the island Friendly. Subsequently, this name (or rather, “Friendship Island” ) spread to the whole archipelago. ^[2] At Lifuka, Cook made sure that Finau was not the supreme leader, and at the invitation of the Tongan king, who arrived from the island of Tongatapu , went to the capital of the Kingdom, Nuku'alofa , where a grand celebration was arranged in honor of the foreigners. Here, Cook presented a representative of the ruling dynasty Galapagos tortoise (she received the name Tui Malil ), who lived until 1966 . ^[eleven]

In 1781, a number of Tonga islands were rediscovered and explored by the Spanish explorer Francis Morell . On February 26, the traveler sailed past the Late Island, a few days later - the Vavau Islands (they were named “Isla de Don Martin de Mayorga” in honor of the Viceroy of Mexico ), on April 21 he discovered the Islands of Fonaley and Toku (called “Consolación” ), 24 April - Niuafou (named "Maurelle" ). ^[eight]

On December 27, 1787, the French traveler Jean-François de Laperouse sailed past the Vava'u Islands. Due to bad weather, the mariner's ship was not greeted by canoes with the locals. Subsequently, La Perouse saw the islands of Late , Kao and Tofua , and on December 31 he reached the island of Tongatapu , where he compiled a description of the locals. On January 1, 1788, the traveler left the island and headed for Port Jackson . ^[12] In 1793, another French mariner, Bruny D'Antrcasto , sailed past the Tonga archipelago, which reached Tongatapu Island on March 24th . The traveler was hospitably received by the local population and was even accepted by the local king and supreme leader, who gave him gifts. The botanist Jacques-Julien de Labilliardier, who was aboard, collected a lot of useful information about the life of the islanders. Sailors stayed in Tongatapu until April 10 , after which they headed for New Hebrides and New Caledonia . ^[13]

The history of the rebellion on the famous ship “ Bounty ” is also connected with the islands of Tonga: On April 28, 1789 , during a flight to the West Indies , a riot broke out on board the ship. Although most of the crew supported Captain William Bly , none of the sailors offered active resistance. Therefore, the rebels without any problems managed to put the captain and eighteen members of the team, who remained loyal to him, in a 23-foot long boat with food and water for several days, a sextant and pocket watches, but without maps and a compass. Blyu with a part of the team managed to swim to the island of Tofua , hoping to replenish the supply of food and fresh water. However, the British were attacked by the natives and one of the crew members, John Norton, was killed. This forced Bly and his team to leave the island. Only in June were they able to reach Timor , the nearest European colony. ^[14]

The discovery by Francisco Morellem of the Vava'u Islands in 1781 aroused interest among the Spanish crown. In 1793, an expedition led by Alessandro Malaspina was organized to study the possibility of capturing the islands. ^[14] Travelers who arrived on Vava'u on May 20 of the same year were warmly welcomed by local residents: they immediately offered various gifts to foreigners (clubs, chickens and taro ). The Spaniards, in turn, gave the islanders all sorts of trinkets, although the local leaders were given cloth and an ax. ^[15] In the last days of their stay on the island of Malaspina, he buried on the coast of the island a bottle with a letter in which the islands of Vavau were declared the property of the Spanish crown. ^[16] However, in the future, this message was not found, and Spain, concerned about the problems in America , lost all interest in the islands. ^[14]

From 1797, the first missionaries of the London Missionary Society began to arrive in Tonga, and in 1822, Wesley Methodists . But it was not until 1828 that missionaries managed to establish themselves on the islands and begin the conversion of Tongans to Christianity . So, in 1831, Taufaahau, the ruler of the islands of Vavau , later became known as George Tupou I (he named himself in honor of the British King George I , whom he learned a lot from Christian enlighteners) , adopted Christianity. ^[17]

The first Catholic missionaries headed by Bishop J.P. Pomalier ( Fr.JP Pompallier ) landed on the islands of Tonga in 1837 , but then they failed to obtain permission from the King Tupou I to stay on the archipelago. It was received only in 1842 . At the same time, the first years of missionary activity were unsuccessful because of the unfriendly attitude of the Tongan authorities and Wesley missionaries: by 1892 the number of Catholics in Tonga was only 2,315 people. ^[18]

In 1799, 14 representatives of Tui-Kanokupolu , Tukuakho , were killed , followed by a long civil war. In 1845, the last thirty-ninth tui-tonga, Luafilitong , died . He left no offspring. Taking advantage of this ruling Tui-kanokupolu, Oneou George Tupou I , concentrated power in his hands and proclaimed himself king of Tonga. The unification of the country under the leadership of one ruler, in turn, allowed the kingdom to maintain independence during the active European colonization of Oceania . Not the last role in strengthening the status of the monarch played the publication in 1839 of the first written set of laws on the islands of Tonga, known as the "Code of Vavau" . He limited the power of local leaders, consolidated the position of the king ^[17] , and also fixed the commitment of the Tongan population to Christian ideas. ^[19] George Tupou I enjoyed the strong support of Christian missionaries, implemented a series of reforms that strengthened the feudal system and royal power, and laid the foundations of government and public relations, which have been preserved in many ways until today. Thus, in 1862, he abolished serfdom , and also created a new land tenure system, according to which all male Tongans, aged 16 years, received the right to lease for life and at face value a small piece of land of 8.25 acres, covered with bushes, and a plot in a village of 3/8 acres for building your house. ^[4] In addition, responsibility for the law was introduced for all Tongans (including the leaders), a parliament was established, which consisted of leaders and representatives of the people, and for the first time foreigners were given the right to lease land. ^[17] In 1875, with the help of missionary Shirley Baker, George Tupou I proclaimed Tonga a constitutional monarchy . At the same time, the Constitution of Tonga was approved. ^[2]

One of the main activities of Tupou I was the preservation of the country's independence through the recognition of its leading European colonial powers. Thanks to the help of Shirley Baker, who in 1880 became the prime minister of Tonga, the king managed to conclude treaties of friendship with the three powers. The first of the treaties was concluded in 1876 with the German Empire . In 1879 a similar document followed with Britain , and in 1886 with the United States . ^[17]

In February 1893 , at the age of 97, King George Tupou I died. On the throne came his great grandson of nineteen, who was officially crowned the throne in 1896 under the name of George Tupou II . After becoming the ruler of Tonga, he soon dismissed the government of Tukuaho, accusing him of not quarantining the vessel that became the source of the measles epidemic in the archipelago. Sateki Tonga was appointed a new prime minister. ^[2]

In the 1870s – 1880s, Germany , Great Britain, and the United States concluded treaties with Tonga that recognized the independence of the kingdom; nevertheless, the struggle for spheres of influence in Oceania , including Tonga, between the colonial powers continued. In 1899 , when Germany, the United States and Britain redistributed spheres of influence in the Pacific, Britain abandoned its claims to Samoa , demanding that Germany and the United States recognize their influence in Tonga. ^[20]

In 1900, the British special envoy, Basil Thomson, was sent to the Kingdom, whose main task was to persuade Tupou II to sign a new Friendship Treaty with Britain. Especially for this purpose, a draft Treaty was prepared, which was largely beneficial to Britain: it gained control over the foreign policy of the Kingdom, and also extended its jurisdiction to all foreigners in the archipelago. Instead of the British Vice-Consul, who previously reported on the state of internal affairs in Tonga, but did not have the right to interfere in them, the post of British Commissioner and Consul appointed by the Ministry of Colonies on the advice of the High Commissioner was established . The main task of the consul was to represent the interests of the British government in Tonga. In addition, he was entitled to intervene in the internal affairs of the Kingdom. ^[20]

Enlisting the support of local leaders, who were generally dissatisfied with the policies of George Tupou II, on May 18, 1900 , according to the Treaty of Friendship between Britain and Tonga, a British protectorate was proclaimed over the islands, while local kings retained their power. In addition, Tongan society remained autonomous, and Britain was only responsible for foreign policy and defense of the islands. ^[4] The treaty was finally ratified in 1901 , although the king refused to sign in front of the article, which referred to the transfer of control over foreign policy to the British government. ^[20]

Although, according to the Treaty, George Tupou II retained all the fullness of the previous government, his positions among the local aristocracy were not strong, so Britain did not lose hope of strengthening its influence in the Kingdom. In 1902, and. The High Commissioner cited four reasons why the British government would consolidate its power in the islands: corruption and the inefficiency of the government in Tonga, forcing Tongan community members to work for the nobility and leaders, King’s selfishness and the failure of Tupou II to implement land reform. ^[21]

The widespread discontent of the Tongan aristocracy was caused by the collection of rent by Tupou II for the use of crown land, which was transferred to Tupou I by the government, and also by rent from those who lived free of charge in the royal estates. Many representatives of the Tangan aristocracy, who were not hereditary landowners, but owned the land according to custom, demanded that these properties be granted the status of royal or other hereditary estates. ^[21] Uncertainty over land rights was also accompanied by discontent of the nobility with the right of the monarch to endow with noble titles, as happened, for example, in 1903 , when Tupou II gave his loyal prime minister, the leader of the Vavau islands, Siozateki , with a noble title, thereby causing serious differences in society. In 1904, Tupou II dismissed the governor of Vava'u, Ulukalal , who was considered the main opponent of Siozateki. ^[22]

The widespread dissatisfaction of European merchants, who also had to pay heavy taxes, was the reason for the British consul on the islands to recommend the overthrow of Tupou II and enthrone his father, Tuipelehak . With a special mission in 1903, High Commissioner Jackson went to Tonga, but because of the epidemic of measles in the Fiji Islands, the Tongan king forbade him to land on Tongatapu . Nevertheless, the king's triumph was short-lived, since as early as next year, the new High Commissioner Everard Im Turn, authorized to remove Tupou II and enthire Tuipelehak, arrived in Tonga. Although it was intended to carry out a coup d'etat, the annexation of the islands was prohibited until the relevant consultations were received from the Secretary of the Colonial Affairs of the British Empire. ^[23] Upon arrival, Im Turn offered the king to choose between overthrowing and signing an addendum to the 1900 Friendship Treaty. The monarch was forced to agree with the second option. The main provisions of the agreement were as follows:

• the king must rule the monarchy jointly and with the assistance of local leaders;
• the king must consult with the British commissioner and agent in the islands of Tonga;
• Kingdom laws should be published in both Dongan and English ;
• lands should be distributed in the way Tupou I intended to do;
• collection of rentals from lands that were transferred to Tupou I to the government, should be returned to the government, and not be considered part of the income of the monarch;
• land leasing must be resumed by European traders;
• appointment to various government positions should be carried out by the monarch only after consultation with the British Commissioner and the consul;
• guaranteed the principle of inheritance. ^[24]

In December 1914 , under Prime Minister Semuthele, King George Tupou II carried out an important constitutional reform in the country, as a result of which the national parliament underwent strong changes. Now, instead of representing all 32 peers in the legislature of the Kingdom, only seven seats were assigned to the nobility (these parliamentarians were elected by peers from among their members). In addition, the number of representatives from the common people of Tonga was reduced from 32 to 7. The monarch, in turn, was given the right to appoint any number of ministers in the government, however, in agreement with the British plenipotentiary. ^{[25] [2]}

On April 5, 1918, Tupou II passed away, and his daughter, Queen Salote Tupou III , entered the throne. Like her father, she continued to carry out extensive transformations in the country. Thus, she managed to unite two groups of methodologists called the Free Wesley Church of Tonga, with which women were granted electoral rights , and reforms were carried out in the social sphere and education. The rules of Salote Tupou III until his death on December 16, 1965 . ^[2]

During the Second World War , Tonga, thanks to the support of New Zealand , formed a self-defense force of 2,000 people who took part in the battles in the Solomon Islands. In Tongatapu , in turn, housed New Zealand and American troops. ^[four]

In 1958, a new Treaty of Friendship and Protection was signed between Tonga and the United Kingdom. With its ratification in May 1959, the posts of the British Plenipotentiary and the consul on the Tonga Islands appeared, responsible to the Governor of Fiji , who was considered the British High Representative for Tonga. In mid- 1965, the British Commissioner and Consul to Tonga began to bear responsibility directly to the British Minister of Colonies. ^[four]

After the death of Queen Salote, the new ruler of Tonga became Prince Tungi, who received the name Taufaahau Tupou IV . During World War II, while still a crown prince, he studied at the University of Sydney , becoming the first Tongan to receive a university education. ^[26] Subsequently, in 1949, Prince Tungi became Prime Minister, remaining in that post until taking the throne in 1965 . Becoming the monarch of Tonga, Tupou IV initiated a cautious policy to modernize various spheres of society. Under his rule, on June 4, 1970 , the Kingdom gained complete independence from Great Britain, and in 1976, Tonga became the first South Pacific state to establish diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union . ^[26]

• Хронологическая таблица по истории Тонга