Kiha-a-Piilani was an Aliʻi nui of Maui (

tribal chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

). He was born ca. 1510. Kiha was a son of

Piʻilani Piʻilani ("ascent to heaven") (born ca. 1460) ruled as Alii nui of Maui, Chief of the island of Maui in the later part of the 15th century. At the time Maui was an independent Monarchy, kingdom within the List of islands of Hawaii, islands of Haw ...

, who built great ''

heiau A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...

'' (

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

). Kihaʻs mother was named La’ieloheloheikawai. Shortly after Piʻilani died, Kihaʻs brother

Lono-a-Piʻilani Lono-a-Piʻilani was ''Aliʻi'' of Maui. He was a chief of that Hawaiian islandDavid Malo, ''Hawaiian Antiquities'', Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1951 and was named after god Lono. Biography Lono was a son of the King Piʻilani and grandson of K ...

succeeded him. When Kiha had to flee from Maui, he sought refuge with his sister

Piʻikea Piʻikea (Hawaiian: ''piʻi'' = "to ascend", ''ke'' = "the", ''ea'' = "life"; "the life ascends") was a High Chiefess. She was a daughter of Piʻilani and Chiefess La’ieloheloheikawai and sister of Lono-a-Piʻilani and Kiha-a-Piʻilani. Piʻilani ...

, wife of ʻ

Umi-a-Liloa ʻUmi-a-Līloa (fifteenth century) was the supreme ruler Aliʻi nui of Hawaii, Aliʻi-ʻAimoku (High chief of Hawaiʻi Island) who inherited Hawaiian religion, religious authority of the Hawaiian Islands from his father, High Chief Līloa, whose li ...

, king of Hawaiʻi, at the court of ʻUmi. Here his sister advocated his cause so warmly, and insisted with ʻUmi so urgently, that the latter was induced to espouse the cause of the younger brother against the older, and prepared an expedition to invade Maui, depose Lono, and raise Kiha-a-Piʻilani to the throne of his father. ʻUmi summoned the chiefs of the various districts of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

to prepare for the invasion of Maui. When all the preparations were ready, ʻUmi headed the expedition in person, accompanied by his wife and her brother and by his bravest warriors. Crossing the waters of ʻAlenuihāhā Channel between Maui and Hawaiʻi, the fleet of ʻUmi effected a landing at Kapueokahi, the harbour of Hāna, Maui, where Lono had continued to reside after Piilani's death. Having failed to prevent the landing of ʻUmi's forces, Lono retired to the fortress on the top of the neighbouring hill called Kauwiki. ʻUmi laid siege to the fort of Kauwiki, and, after some delay and several unsuccessful attempts, finally captured the fort, and Lono having fallen in the battle, Kiha-a-Piʻilani was proclaimed and acknowledged as a king. Having accomplished this, ʻUmi and his forces returned to Hawaiʻi.

Personal life

Kiha married Kumaka (Chiefess of Hana).Peleioholani, Solomon Lehuanui Kalaniomaiheuila, ''The Complete Ancestry of John Liwai Kalniopuuikapali-o-Molilele-ma-wai-o-Ahukini-Kau-Hawaii Ena'' Their son was Kamalalawalu.

References

{{Reflist, 33em Hawaiian chiefs