Fiji Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Cakobau and the wars against Christian infiltration === [[File:Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa.jpg|thumb|Ratu [[Tanoa Visawaqa]]]] [[File:Cakobau, died February 1883, photograph by Francis H. Dufty.jpg|thumb|Ratu [[Seru Epenisa Cakobau]], ''Self Proclaimed Tui Viti'']] The 1840s was a time of conflict where various Fiji clans attempted to assert dominance over each other. Eventually, a warlord named [[Seru Epenisa Cakobau]] of Bau Island was able to become a powerful influence in the region. His father was Ratu [[Tanoa Visawaqa]], the [[Vunivalu of Bau|Vunivalu]] (a chiefly title meaning warlord'','' often translated also as paramount chief) who had previously subdued much of western Fiji. Cakobau, following on from his father, became so dominant that he was able to expel the Europeans from Levuka for five years over a dispute about their giving of weapons to his local enemies. In the early 1850s, Cakobau went one step further and declared war on all Christians. His plans were thwarted after the missionaries in Fiji received support from the already converted Tongans and the presence of a British warship. The Tongan Prince [[Enele Maʻafu]], a Christian, had established himself on the island of Lakeba in 1848, forcibly converting the local people to the [[Methodism|Methodist Church]]. Cakobau and other chiefs in the west of Fiji regarded Maʻafu as a threat to their power and resisted his attempts to expand Tonga's dominion. Cakobau's influence, however, began to wane, and his heavy imposition of taxes on other Fijian chiefs, who saw him at best as [[Primus inter pares|first among equals]], caused them to defect from him.<ref>[[#Gravelle|Gravelle]], pp. 67–80</ref> Around this time the [[United States]] also became interested in asserting their power in the region, and they threatened intervention following a number of incidents involving their consul in the Fiji islands, John Brown Williams. In 1849, Williams had his trading store looted following an accidental fire, caused by stray cannon fire during a [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] celebration, and in 1853 the European settlement of Levuka was burnt to the ground. Williams blamed Cakobau for both these incidents, and the U.S. representative wanted Cakobau's capital at Bau destroyed in retaliation. A naval blockade was instead set up around the island which put further pressure on Cakobau to give up on his warfare against the foreigners and their Christian allies. Finally, on 30 April 1854, Cakobau offered his ''soro'' (supplication) and yielded to these forces. He underwent the ''lotu'' and converted to Christianity. The traditional Fijian temples in Bau were destroyed, and the sacred ''[[Casuarina equisetifolia|nokonoko]]'' trees were cut down. Cakobau and his remaining men were then compelled to join with the Tongans, backed by the Americans and British, to subjugate the remaining chiefs in the region who still refused to convert. These chiefs were soon defeated with Qaraniqio of the [[Rewa Province|Rewa]] being poisoned and Ratu Mara of Kaba being hanged in 1855. After these wars, most regions of Fiji, except for the interior highland areas, had been forced into giving up much of their traditional systems and were now vassals of Western interest. Cakobau was retained as a largely symbolic representative of a few Fijian peoples and was allowed to take the ironic and self proclaimed title of "Tui Viti" ("King of Fiji"), but the overarching control now lay with foreign powers.<ref>[[#Gravelle|Gravelle]], pp. 76–97</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page