TIME: Almanac 1993/TIME Almanac 1993.iso/time/world/t/tonga.2a

Text File | 1993-05-14 | 6.4 KB | 131 lines

                                                                                History

   The word Tonga means "south" in numerous Polynesian
languages. Some scholars believe the inhabitants originally
came from the islands now known as Western Samoa. Archeological
evidence indicates that the Tonga islands have been settled
since at least 500 B.C., and local traditions have carefully
preserved the names of the Tongan sovereigns for about 1,000
years. The power of the Tongan monarchy reached its height in
the 13th century. At the time, chieftains exercised political
influence as far away as Western Samoa.

   During the 14th century, the King of Tonga delegated much of
his temporal power to a brother while retaining the spiritual
authority. Sometime later, this process was repeated by the
second royal line, thus resulting in three distinct lines: the
Tu'i Tonga with spiritual authority, which is believed to have
extended over much of Polynesia; the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua; and the
Tu'i Kanokupolu. The latter two had temporal authority for
carrying out much of the day-to-day administration of the
kingdom.

   Dutch navigators in 1616 were the first Europeans to sight
the Tongan archipelago. The main island of Tongatapu was first
visited by the Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, in 1643. Continual
contact with Europeans, however, did not begin until more than
125 years later. Captain James Cook visited the islands in 1773
and 1777 and gave the archipelago the name "the Friendly
Islands" because of the gentle nature of the people he
encountered. He, of course, was never aware of the acrimonious
debate that raged among contending nobles over who should have
the honor of attacking Cook's tiny fleet and killing its
sailors. In 1789, the famous mutiny on the British ship,
Bounty, took place in the waters between the Ha'apai and Nomuka
island groups.

   Shortly after Captain Cook's last visit, warfare broke out in
the islands as the three lines of kings contended for dominance.
At about the same time, young Tongan nobles serving as
mercenaries took Tongan culture to Fiji's most eastern island
group, the Laus. The first missionaries, attached to the London
Missionary Society, arrived in Tonga in 1747. A second
missionary group followed in 1822, led by Walter Lawry of the
Wesleyan Missionary Society. They converted Taufa'ahau, one of
the claimants to the Tu'i Kanokupolu line, and Christianity
began to spread throughout the islands.

   At the time of his conversion, Taufa'ahau took the name of
Siaosi (George), and his consort assumed the name Salote
(Charlotte), in honor of King George III and Queen Charlotte of
England. In the following years, he united all of the Tongan
islands for the first time in recorded history. In 1845, he was
formally proclaimed King George Tupou I, and the present dynasty
was founded. He established a constitution and a parliamentary
government based, in some respects, on the British model. In
1862, he abolished the existing system of semi serfdom and
established an entirely alien system of land tenure. Under this
system every male Tongan, upon reaching the age of 16, was
entitled to rent -- for life and at a nominal fee -- a plot of
bush-land (api) of 8 1/4 acres, plus a village allotment of
about three-eighths of an acre for his home.

   Tonga concluded a treaty of friendship and protection with
the United Kingdom in 1900 and came under British protection. It
retained its independence and autonomy, while the United Kingdom
agreed to handle its foreign affairs and protect it from
external attack.

   During World War II, in close collaboration with New Zealand,
Tonga formed a local defense force of about 2,000 troops that
saw action in the Solomon Islands. In addition, New Zealand and
U.S. troops were stationed on Tongatapu, which became a staging
point for shipping.

   A new treaty of friendship and protection with the United
Kingdom, signed in 1958 and ratified in May 1959, provided for a
British Commissioner and consul in Tonga who were responsible to
the Governor of Fiji in his capacity as British Chief
Commissioner for Tonga. In mid-1965 the British Commissioner and
consul became directly responsible to the U.K. Secretary of
State for Colonial Affairs. Tonga became fully independent on
June 4, 1970, an event officially designated by the King as
Tonga's "reentry into the comity of nations."

Political Conditions

   There are no political parties in Tonga. The people's
representatives in the Legislative Assembly are elected as
independents -- three from the Tongatapu island group and two
each from the Ha'apai and Vava'u groups.

   For most of the 20th century Tonga has been quiet, inward-
looking, and somewhat isolated from developments elsewhere in
the world. The Tongans, as a whole, continue to cling to many of
their old traditions, including a respect for the nobility.
Tonga's complex social structure is essentially broken into
three tiers: the king, the nobles, and the commoners. Between
the king, nobles, and commoners are Matapule, sometimes called
"talking chiefs," who are associated with the king or a noble
and who may or may not hold estates. Obligations and
responsibilities are reciprocal, and although the nobility are
able to extract favors from people living on their estates,
they likewise must extend favors to their people. Status and
rank play a powerful role in personal relationships, even
within families.

   Tongans are beginning to confront the problem of how to
preserve their cultural identity and traditions in the wake of
the increasing impact of Western technology and culture.
Migration and the gradual monetization of the economy have led
to the breakdown of the traditional extended family. Some of the
poor, supported by the extended family, are now being left
without visible means of support.

   Educational opportunities for young commoners have advanced,
and their increasing political awareness has stimulated some
dissent against the nobility system. In addition, the rapidly
increasing population is already too great to provide the
constitutionally mandated 8 1/4 acre api for each male at age
16. In mid-1982, population density was 134 persons per square
kilometer. Because of these factors, there is considerable
pressure to move to the kingdom's only urban center or to
emigrate.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, June
1988.