Piʻilani ("ascent to heaven"Piʻilani
/ref>) (born ca. 1460) ruled as Mōʻī of the island of Maui in the later part of the 15th century. At the time Maui was an independent kingdom within the islands of Hawaii. He was the first ''

Aliʻi The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. The word ''aliʻi'' has a similar meaning in the Samoan language and other Polynesian languages, and in Māori ...

'' to unite the

island An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...

under a single line. His rule was peaceful for most of his reign. His father was Kawaokaohele and his mother was Kepalaoa. Pilʻilani and his offspring are important in legends of Maui, in the same way that Līloa and his son ʻ Umi-a-Liloa in the legends of the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. The two family lines of Piʻilani and Liloa were closely associated although from separate islands. ʻUmi was a supporter of

Kiha-a-Piilani Kiha-a-Piilani was an Alii nui of Maui (king of Maui). He was born ca. 1510. Kiha was a son of Piʻilani, who built great ''heiau'' (temple). Kihaʻs mother was named La’ieloheloheikawai. Shortly after Piʻilani died, Kihaʻs brother Lono-a-Piil ...

, Piʻilani's son, when he went to war. The lineage continued in west Hawaii and east Maui in lesser lines and in the lines of Moana ''Kane'' from Liloa and Piʻilaniwahine from Piʻilani in the couple's marriage and offspring. Piʻilani's is a descendant of Puna-i-mua. His father and grandfathers came from western Maui. Under Piʻilani for the first time this family controlled the eastern side as well. Piʻilani began building a roadway to encircle the entire island, the first such road in the islands. It was wide enough for eight men to walk beside each other. It was completed by his son. Some sections of Piʻilani Highway follow the old path. In places, the old stones are still visible. After Piʻilani's death the line of succession became a struggle similar to that of ʻUmi and Hakau of Hawai'i.

Family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pi'ilani Hawaiian monarchs