Kalaninuiamamao

Kalaninuiamamao was Prince of the Big Island of Hawaii or 1st Alii Nui of Kau, father of Kalaniopuu and ancestor of Queen Liliuokalani. He is probably the Hawaiian chief with the most varied spelling of his name.

He was born Keaweikekahiali'iokamoku, Alii Aimoku of Hawaii, and his wife Lonomaaikanaka, a daughter of Ahu-a-I, of the powerful and widely spread I family of Hilo, and his wife Piilani-wahine, daughter of Kalanikaumakaowakea, Moi of Maui. He was his father's eldest son, but his rank was consider minor because of the distant relationship of his father and mother unlike his brother Kalanikaeeaumoku who was the son of Keawe and his sister, Princess Kalanikauleleiaiwi.

During his father's lifetime, he had established Kai'i'mamao as "Alii-ai-Moku," principal chief of the District of Kau and his other son, Kai'i'mamao's younger half-brother, Kalanikeeaumoku, as the principal chief of Kona and probably portion of Kohala. After the death of their father Keawe, the Big Island was divided with the brother's controlling only the Northern portions of the Big Island since, Mokulani, who ruled over Hilo, Hamakua and part of Puna, declared himself independent of the two brothers, who apparently was unable to enforce their claims to the throne. Legend has it, that after Keawe's death, while both brothers were living in their respective territories a quarrel arose between them over the claim to the Big Island throne, and that Kai'i'mamao was killed, or caused to be killed, by Kalanikeeaumoku. One version of the Kalaninuiamamao legend states that he was deposed ("Wailani") by the landholders-"Maka'ainana"- of Kaui. who were a notoriously and proverbially turbulent people, frequently deposing, and even slaying, their chiefs, when, either from popular caprice of personal tyranny, they had become unpopular. [An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origins and Migrations, By Abraham Fornander, John F. G. Stokes. Page 133]

After Kalaninuiamamao's death, Keeaumoku was not any better off, for Alapainui, the rightful heir of the Kohala district, as representative of the Mahi family, was sojourning at the court of Kekaulike of Maui, on a visit to his half-sister Kekuiawpoiwanui, the wife of Kekaulike. Hearing the trouble on Hawaii, he hastened back to Kohala and gathered an army defeating and killing both Mokulani and Keeaumoku. Alapai took possession of the Kona and Kohala district, while, for political reasons, doubtless, the chieftainship of the Hilo district, with it's outlying possessions, were retained in the person of Mokulani's daughter and only child, Ululani. Kau seem to in a measure to have escaped the troubles and changes incident to the interregnum and civil war after Keawe's death, for we find that when Kalaniopuu, the son of Kalaninuiamamao, was grown up, he assumed the lordship of it as his patrimonial estate. Kalaniopuu later passed it as such from him to his son, Kiwalao then passing it after Kiwalao's death to Keoua-Kuahuula and then finally to Kamehameha the Great who killed Keoua-Kuahuula upon the unification of the Big island. [An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origins and Migrations, By Abraham Fornander, John F. G. Stokes.Page 133]

According to legend, Kalaninuiamamao visited Kauai as well as Oahu, where he fell in love with the Chiefess Kamakaimoku, and engaged her to come to Hawaii as his bride. Living with him at the court of his father Keaweikekahiali'iokamoku, she bore him a son, Kalaniopu'u-a-Kaiamamao, who afterwards succeeded him. Their union was not of long duration, for within a year or two she left him and became the wife of his brother, Kalanikeeaumoku, and to him she bore another son, Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui. Kalaninuiamamao married again to his half-sister, Princesss Kekaulike-i-Kawekiuonalini, youngest daughter of Keawe, by his fourth wife, Kauhiokalani. His third wife was Kapaihi-a-Ahau, the daughter of Ahu. His fourth wife was Kalani-kumaikiekia. His fifth wife was his own daughter Kaolanialii. He had issues, two sons and two daughters. His eldest son was Kalaniopuu, mentioned above. His second son by his second wife and half-sister, Princess Kekaulikeikawekiuonalini, was Keawemauhili. His second son would married the Chiefess of Hilo, Ululani and become the co-ruler of Hilo. His eldest daughter, by Kapaihi Ahu, was Kaolanialii who became his fifth wife. His youngest daughter or granddaughter by his fifth wife and daughter, Kaolanialii, was Alapaiwahine. From Keawemauhili descend the House of Kawananakoa and from Alapaiwahine descended the House of Kalakaua. [ [http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Hawaii/hawaii4.htm HAWAII4 ] ]

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