Warlords
Capell in his study of Fijian history stated that, "the history of Fiji is the history of chiefly families". The phrase in fact emphasized the hierarchical nature of Fijian traditional society where chiefly power was absolute. The relationship between Chiefs and Westerners in especially Missionaries thus became a focal point for gathering insight into Fijian culture and tradition in the nineteenth century. On the rise of the Matanitu of Bau, David Routledge pointed out that the ".. support of the Lasakau was necessary to stability on Bau, even though they were not of the ruling family". Adolf Brewster described the Lasakau as ... “the Royal Fishermen, a highly important and powerful clan, who like our Marines were soldiers and sailors too, as they were warriors in addition to their ordinary calling.” The feats of the warmongering Lasakau tribe became widespread and abhorred by Missionaries such as Reverend Williams who stated, "The Lasakau people especially, were widely known as dangerous men (tamata rerevaki)".."Very bloodthirsty and cruel". Reverend Jagger said of the Lasakau, " much feared on that account, the circumstance of them having plenty of canoes at their command enables them the more effectively to carry their schemes into practice".
The introduction of firearms in tribal skirmishes by Bau added to their naval superiority. From 1803 to 1829, during Ratu Naulivou's reign as Vunivalu of Bau, the islet kingdom reached the zenith of its power. Naulivou recruited European beachcombers as mercenaries into his Bauan forces and was able to make good use of this advantage to further his political control. Mercenary Charlie Savage fought alongside Bauan forces in many skirmishes and was given the title Koroinavunivalu. He terrorized Bau's enemies with his musketry though this did not spare him from the club. In 1813 he was ambushed along with others in the sandalwood trade skirmishes in Bua, Vanua Levu. At the time of Naulivou’s death though, Bau was well on the way to establishing a Fiji-wide political hegemony founded on sea power and western fire arms.
During the reign of Naulivou (1803–1829) probably around 1810, there was an internal power struggle in Lasakau due to the rise of the Tui Kaba Vunivalu as the premiere chief in Bau. This led to the banishment of the sacred king, the Vuaniivi Roko Tui Bau to Vanua Balavu, Lau. See Turaga na Rasau. This inversion of the chiefly role led to drawn out internal strife on the island. In Lasakau within the Nabou clan, the Tunidaunibau sub-clan led by Bulewa succumbed to the Mataqalikira sub-clan led by Drose. The Mataqalikira supported the Tui Kaba Vunivalu in the overthrow of the Roko Tui Bau. This struggle continued during the time of Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa and his son Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau. Riven with intra-tribal schisms, a faction of the Tui Kaba had ousted Ratu Tanoa as Vunivalu. In 1837, Ratu Seru re-installed his father Tanoa through a plot with the Lasakau Mataqalikira.
Around the early nineteenth century the contention for ascendency in the Kubuna hierarchy of Bau between the Roko Tui Bau and the Vunivalu Tui Kaba spilled over to Lasakau's Nabou clan. Its leading sub-clan the Tunidaunibau who were loyal to the Roko Tui Bau was overpowered by its younger competing sub-clan, the Mataqalikira. This subversion of the Roko Tui Bau by the Tui Kaba Vunivalu was gained and alliance with the Mataqalikira sealed by marriages to Bauan ladies of rank.
Sahlins typifies this relationship of the Sea warriors or Kai wai and the paramount chief as, "always of outside origin and condition, considered different people or Kai tani, even when long established within the chiefdom, such service are attached to the paramount service by founding gift of a royal daughter".
Consequently the daughters of Bau's sacred King, the Roko Tui Bau: Adi Vuniwaqa and Adi Sivo, were betrothed to Lasakau chiefs; Tuisavura I and Tutekovuya. In addition, Adi Loloakubou the half sister of Cakobau was given as a bride to notorious Lasakau chief Ratu Gavidi. This traditional marriage is vividly captured by Mary Wallis in 1851. Adi Litiana and Adi Kaunilotuma of the Vunivalu Tui Kaba clan were also given as wives to Kolivisawaqa II and Ratu Isoa Tuituba both of the Mataqalikira, sub-clan of the Nabou.
Read more about this topic: Lasakau Sea Warriors