Kahekili II

Kahekili II, whose full name was Kahekilinuiʻahumanu, was a formidable aliʻi (mōʻī) of Maui, born around 1737 in Hāliʻimaile on the island of Maui. His name, an abbreviation of Kanehekili, the Hawaiian god of thunder, profoundly influenced his identity and rule. Believing the god Kanehekili to be black on one side, Kahekili famously tattooed one side of his body from head to foot, including his face, a practice that earned him the epithet Pahupū, or “cut in two.” This distinctive appearance and his association with the god of thunder instilled both awe and fear among his people and rivals alike. He was also known to European explorers as Titeeree, King of Mowee.

Kahekili’s lineage was deeply rooted in Maui royalty. His father was Kekaulike Kalani-nui-Kui-Hono-i-Kamoku, the 23rd Moʻi of Maui, and his mother was Kekuaipoiwa-nui Kalani-kauhihiwakama Wanakapu (Kekuiapoiwa I), who was also Kekaulike's half-sister. He had a sister named Kalola. Kahekili was known to have at least two wives, including Kauwahine Luahiwa, and fathered several children, including Kalanikūpule, Koalaukani, Kalilikauoha, Kaloa, and Kahekilinuiahunu Manonokauakapekulani. A significant theory, supported by traditions preserved by figures like Kameʻeiamoku, suggests that Kahekili was the biological father of Kamehameha I, the future unifier of the Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha I was reportedly told this and provided with proof, adding a complex layer to their later rivalry.

Kahekili’s political reign, spanning nearly three decades from 1765 until his death in 1794, was marked by relentless warfare and strategic expansion. He inherited the rule of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai from his brother Kamehamehanui ʻAilūʻau in 1765. He delighted in war, constantly battling chiefs from neighboring islands to expand his dominion. His primary rival was Kalaniopu’u, the high chief of Hawaiʻi Island, with whom he frequently clashed over control of Hana on Maui. Kahekili consistently emerged victorious in these conflicts, employing clever tactics such as trapping Kalaniopu’u’s forces in the hills of Kaupū and annihilating 800 warriors at Honua’ula, likening it to ‘killing fish enclosed in a net.’ His most famous victory on Maui was the Battle of Wailuku, where his warriors, hidden behind sand dunes, ambushed and routed Kalaniopu’u’s army, demonstrating Kahekili’s tactical prowess and the invincibility of his forces.

By the 1780s, Kahekili’s influence extended beyond Maui, encompassing Lanai, Kaho’olawe, and most of Maui. He strategically manipulated the succession on Oʻahu, grooming his nephew Kahahana, who had been raised on Maui, to become its ruler. However, Kahekili systematically undermined Kahahana’s government through deception and false information, eventually leading to an invasion of Oʻahu in 1783. His Pahupū warriors landed at Waikiki, divided into three groups, and swiftly defeated Kahahana’s unprepared army. Kahahana and his wife were hunted down and killed, solidifying Kahekili’s rule over Oʻahu and Molokai, in addition to Maui. This ruthless act, even against his own kin, underscored his ambition and determination to consolidate power.

Kahekili’s cultural contributions were deeply intertwined with his identity as a warrior chief. His adoption of the Pahupū tattooing tradition, mirroring the god Kanehekili, was a powerful symbol of his divine connection and martial prowess. He recruited and trained Pahupū warriors, who, like him, tattooed half their bodies black, creating a fearsome and distinctive fighting force. While celebrated as protectors on Maui, these warriors were ruthless killers to their enemies, their approach heralded by the wailing of women and children. Kahekili was also renowned for his skill in *lele kawa*, the ancient art of cliff-jumping, reportedly leaping from heights of up to 600 feet. Black Rock in Ka’anapali and Kahakuloa head were among his favored spots, and cliffs on Lanai and Oʻahu bear his name, testament to his physical prowess and cultural significance.

His relationship with the nascent Hawaiian Kingdom, particularly with Kamehameha I, was complex and pivotal. As Kahekili aged, his son Kalanikūpule took on more active military leadership. By 1790, Kamehameha I, then in his early 30s, was aggressively consolidating power on Hawaiʻi Island and posed a significant threat to Kahekili’s expansive domain. Kamehameha’s invasion of Maui, culminating in the Battle of ʻIao Valley, marked a turning point. Despite the bravery of Kalanikūpule’s warriors, Kamehameha’s superior firepower, acquired from Western merchants, led to a brutal defeat for Maui. Following this, Kahekili received a message from Kamehameha regarding a prophecy that whoever built a temple at Puukohola on the Big Island would unite all the islands. Kahekili’s enigmatic response, “go back and tell Kamehameha when the black tapa covers Kahekili, then it is time,” is often interpreted as a tacit acknowledgment of Kamehameha’s destiny, perhaps even a strategic deferral of conflict until his own passing.

Kahekili II died in July 1794 at Ulukou, Waikīkī, on Oʻahu, at approximately eighty years old. His death was a significant event, with high-ranking aliʻi Kameʻeiamoku and Kamanawa secretly taking charge of his body, hiding it in a *kapu* cave at Honokōhau in North Kona, a site later associated with Kamehameha’s own bones. This secrecy and reverence surrounding his burial underscore his immense *kapu* (sacred) status and high blood-rank. Just a year after his death, Kamehameha I invaded Oʻahu, defeating Kalanikūpule at the Battle of Nu’uanu, thereby inheriting most of Kahekili’s vast territories. While Kamehameha is credited with uniting Hawaiʻi, Kahekili’s decades of warfare and consolidation of power across multiple islands inadvertently laid much of the groundwork for Kamehameha’s ultimate success. His strategic conquests and the weakening of rival chiefs created a political landscape ripe for unification.

Kahekili’s legacy endures in various forms. The Kahekili Highway in West Maui is named in his honor, a tangible reminder of his historical presence on the island. His reputation as a fierce warrior and cunning strategist is a prominent part of Hawaiian oral tradition. He is remembered as a powerful and ruthless leader who expanded Maui’s influence significantly, a figure whose ambition and military prowess were unmatched in his time. His story highlights the intense rivalries and complex political dynamics among the aliʻi before the full unification of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and his indirect role in paving the way for Kamehameha I’s achievements remains a crucial aspect of Hawaiian history.