King Ari'imate Teurura'i (1824 – 14 April 1874) was a member and founder of a Polynesian

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

( House of Teurura'i) which reigned on the

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

an island of

Huahine Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands (Society Islands), Leeward Islands group ''(Îles sous le V ...

and Mai'ao during the 19th century. In Tahitian, his name translates as "sovereign-demised" and "the-sky-

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

" respectively. He was installed as king of Huahine in 1852 until his deposition in 1868.

Family

Ari'imate Teururai was born at

in 1824. He was the second child and only son of Chief Taaroaari'i and Tematafainu'u vahine. He was the paternal grandson of Mahine Tehei'ura Puru, who reigned as King of Huahine from 1800 to 1815 but abdicated in favor of his niece Teri'itaria II instead of his own son. In his early years, he ruled as the chief of Tefareri'i.

Founder of the Teururai dynasty

On the 26 of December 1851, Teriitari'a II was deposed while she was at Tahiti with her adopted son Teratane Teriitaria Pomare. The main dignitaries chose Ariimate to be king. He was installed as king of Huahine and Maia'o on January 5, 1852. He took the reign name of Teururai. Sixteen years later, on July 7, 1868, he was deposed by the chiefs in favour of his wife.

Marriage and children

He married in 1840 Princess Maerehia a Tamatoa, heiress presumptive to her father King

Tamatoa IV Tamatoa IV (1797–1857), also known as Moe'ore Teri'itinorua Teari'inohora'i, was the King of Raiatea, Ra’iātea and Taha'a from 1831 until his death in 1857. He played a significant role in the sociopolitical history of the Leeward Islands duri ...

of Ra'iatea and Taha'a, and had twelve children: * Princess Temari'i a Teururai (1848–1891), Queen of Huahine. * Princess Tapiria a Teururai (1850–1888). * Crown Prince Marama a Teururai (1851–1909), Head of the royal family of Huahine and father of Teha'apapa III. * Princess Vaira'atoa a Teururai, she had issue. * Prince Ioata,Ari'imate,Teururai a Teururai (1853–1905), or Tamatoa VI, last king of Rai'atea and Tahaa.He had five children. * Prince Teri'iteporouara'i a Teururai (1857–1899), his family established in Tahiti. * Prince Fatino,Maraeta'ata a Teururai (1859–1884), he had eight children. * Princess Turaiari'i,Haamairia a Teururai (1862–?), she had two children through an irregular union. * Princess Teri'inavahoro'a Teururai (1863–1918), she had eleven children. * Princess Tefa'aora vahine a Teururai (1868–1928), she had two daughters. Their children remain member to the royal family of the former kingdom of Huahine-Maia'o and Raiatea-Taha'a since the end of the monarchy. Ari'imate died at Huahine on 14 April 1874.

Ancestry

References

* ''Tahiti, les temps et les pouvoirs. Pour une anthropologie historique du Tahiti post-européen,'' Paris, ORSTOM, 543 p., Jean-François BARE. * ''Trois ans chez les Canaques. Odyssée d'un Neuchâtelois autour du monde.'' Lausanne, Payot & Co Editeurs, 342p., Eugène HANNI. * ''Tahiti aux temps anciens (traduction française de Bertrand Jaunez'', Pars, Musée de l'Homme,

Société des Océanistes The ('Society of Oceanicists') is a French scientific society, founded in 1936, that brings together specialists and interdisciplinary scholars of the cultures and societies of Oceania. It was originally located at the in Paris, but moved to t ...

, 671p. (édition originale ''Ancient Tahiti'', Honolulu 1928) de Teuira Henry. * ''Huahine aux temps anciens'', Cahiers du Patrimoine avoirs et traditionset Tradition orale, B.SAURA, édition 2006. * ''Chefs et notables au temps du protectorat: 1842–1880'', Société des Etudes Océaniennes, Raoul TEISSIER, réédition de 1996.

External links