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Maui-Loa was the 5th Mo'i of Maui. He was the titular chieftain or king of the island of Maui. He had control over portions of Western Maui and relied on the allegiance of the many district chiefs.
He was the son of Hanalaa, Moi of Maui, the son of Palena, the son of Haho, the son of Paumakua of Maui. Maui-Loa was the first independent sovereign of Maui. He was born at Kaupo, in East Maui and out of the control of the Western Mois of Maui from which Maui-Loa's father belonged. He came into his sovereignty at a young age. The beginning of his reign was marked by countless battles to establish his authority from many of the district chieftains of Maui who were loath to surrender their almost autonomous rule to the younger branch of the sacred ruling lineage of Hawaii. The chiefs of Maui preferred to pay homage to the Alii Aimoku of Hawai'i who were distant from them and actually not too interested in their affairs.
Maui-Loa, however, subdued his recalcitrant chieftains and vassals and with the help of his uncle, King of Hawai`i, established his authority over Maui. In return for this help, Maui-Loa ceded the District of Hana to the kings of Hawai`i, and he moved his capital to the village of Lahaina, known in those days as Lele. This cession of Hana to Hawai`i was the root cause of many fierce battles between Hawai`i and Maui for the possession of this rich area in later history. Many generations of independent monarchs ruled in Maui from Maui-Loa until the accession of Piilani the Great who is perhaps the most renowned monarch of the island Kingdom of Maui. The kings of Maui consolidated their strength, built up their armies, and created a nation strong enough to threaten at times even the might of the powerful kings of Hawai`i.
From the time of Mauiloa, to time of Kaulahea I, there must have been troublous times on Maui, and much social and dynastic convulsions, to judge from the confusion and interpolations occuring on the royal genealogy of this period. Mauiloa was a comtemporary of Laamaikahiki on Kauai, his ancestor was Paumakua of Maui was comtemporary of Laamaikahiki's ancestor, Paumakua of Oahu; and yet the Maui genealogist counts thirteen generation between him and Kaulahea I, or sixteen generations between him and Kawaokaohele, whereas the Maweke and Oahu Paumakua genealogies coun only seven generations from Laamaikahiki to Keleanohoanaapiapi, the sister of Kawaokaohele. Even the comtemporary Hawaii royal genealogy from Kaniuhi to Kiha counts only seven generations. Evidently the Maui genealogy has been doubled up by the insertion of contemporar chieftains, who probably divided the rule of tje island. The Oahu and Hawaii genealogies convict the Maui genealogy of error. In the Maui royal genealogy, Mauiloa was succeeded by his son Alo.
Reference
- Abraham Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race: Its Origin and Migrations, Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1969. Page 79-80
- "The Stories & Genealogies of Maui," http://www.mauiculture.net/mookuauhau/index.html, Accessed 9 Oct 2004.
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