Tonga History

Pre 20th Century

The Tongan archipelago is thought to have been colonised around 3000 BC, but the earliest date verified by radiocarbon dating is about 1100 BC. The Lapita people arrived in Tonga between 3500 and 3300 years ago, and their first capital was near present-day Fua'amotu Airport on Tongatapu. The Tongans' oral history tells of a girl shellfishing who was caught and raped by the sun god Tangaloa, and she gave birth nine months later. The date for this event (determined by oral history) has been placed at 950 AD. Significantly, the Incas also believed their king was descended from the sun, and Thor Heyerdahl put forward the unconventional theory that Polynesians migrated from the Americas, not Asia, given the presence of sweet potato on many Pacific islands. Most of the scientific community has never swallowed this theory.

Tongan warriors were the Vikings of the Pacific, wreaking havoc in their wake. They subscribed to the view that war was pursued by noble and worthy men and peace was strictly for lightweights. They extended the Tongan Empire to include parts of Fiji, the Samoas, Tokelau and Niue.

The royal title Tu'i Tonga was passed from father to son, and during the mid-17th century the most powerful royal title to emerge was the Tu'i Kanokupolu. By the time of the first European contact the Tu'i Kanokupolu was the most powerful figure in Tonga. The first Europeans known to reach the islands were the Dutch, who got inter-racial relations off to a classy start by killing one islander and taking several captive en route to the East Indies. Abel Tasman, another Dutchman, passed through the southernmost islands in 1643, taking on supplies and trading with the people of 'Ata, 'Eua and Tongatapu. Needless to say, the Tongans were relatively indifferent to the European place names of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Pylstaart and Middleburgh that the Dutch magnanimously bestowed on their islands.

The Brits were the next to turn up (and to impose their tyranny of place-names) in the late 18th century. Captain James Cook was among them, and he called Tonga the Friendly Islands, which the Tongan Tourist Bureau today likes to trumpet. While Cook boasted that his ambition had taken him 'as far as it was possible for man to go', he liked to pretend that he hadn't gone very far at all really, likening Tonga to the most beautiful and fertile plains of Europe. Equally ironic was that Cook never knew that the friendliness extended to him was part of a failed plot to kill him and steal all the neat stuff the Tongans saw on his ships.

The Spanish laid claim to Vava'u then promptly sailed away for good. The French certainly sniffed around, but no 19th century power managed to set up a colonial administration. Pirates, deserters, whalers, blackbirders - who ravaged some of the outer isles - and sandalwooders were the most permanent of European residents until the missionaries started spreading their influence in 1822. The Wesleyans were the most successful. By the time the French Catholic missionaries arrived, the Wesleyans had already converted Taufa'ahau, ruler of Ha'apai. Under his influence the whole of Ha'apai converted, and he took the name George when he was baptised, later becoming King George Tupou I when he united Tonga and ascended the throne.

Modern

When George's great-grandson took the throne in 1896, the British coerced him into a treaty putting Tonga under British protection in foreign affairs. In 1918, his 18 year old daughter became Queen Salote I. During WWII Tonga formed a local defence force of about 2000 men, which saw action in the Solomon Islands. New Zealand and US troops were stationed on Tongatapu, which became a staging point for shipping.

Queen Salote was less interested in squabbles between churches than in education and medicine for her people. She was a popular queen at home, won friends for Tonga throughout the world and was mourned widely when she died in 1965. Her son, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, ruled for 41 years. During this time, by 1976 Tonga's full sovereignty was restored and the country was readmitted to the Commonwealth. The King established relations with the Soviet Union that year, which made the USA, New Zealand and Australia sit up and take notice of this stirring kingdom. King Taufa'ahau's reign has emphasised economic development, and the country has even enjoyed a pumpkin-led boom in recent years, with massive exports of pumpkins to the profitable Japanese export market.

By the early 1990s, corruption at high levels and increasing foreign influence had brought about a degree of dissatisfaction with traditional ways, at least in government. A 1990 parliamentary election resulted in unexpected victories for the dissident Tongan Pro-Democracy Movement (TPDM), whose platform included demands for the power of the aristocracy to be curbed and for a constitutional monarchy based on the British model rather than one in which government ministers must also be nobles and enjoy lifetime appointments.

The TPDM has gathered widespread support among Tongans, who, although they may not openly favour democracy or a change to their political system, continue to support the party at elections. There is also a widespread belief that the royally-appointed cabinet minsters and nobles' representatives promote the interests of their own class. TPDM is, however, outnumbered in Parliament by nobility in hereditary positions, and its leaders are continually harassed and imprisoned. In a paternal concession, King Taufa'ahau said that he would hand more power to the commoners at some future date, (as they did not have the experience or integrity to govern at present).

Recent

King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV died on September 10, 2006, aged 88. His son, Crown Prince Tupouto'a was sworn in as King George Tupou V the following day. Younger Westernised Tongans are increasingly questioning the role of the monarchy, especially as there are concerns about a conflict of interest between King George's role as head of state and his role as an entrepreneur. However, in 2003 constitutional amendments assured greater powers for the monarchy and further concentrated government media control.

One of a series of financial crises caused the cash-strapped national carrier Royal Tongan Airlines to close. King George has an interest in the new local airline, Peau Vava'u, and his company, Shoreline, which has a monopoly on Tonga's power generation and distribution, is accused of charging high prices for electricity. Activists hope the king will use his new position to advance democratic reform and cut back on his business interests.

Tonga's application to join the World Trade Organization was accepted in 2005, but the WTO is said to have applied the worst terms ever to their accession package, with tariffs to be set below 20%, compared to the US which applies a 350% tariff on some imports. It is feared that such terms will wipe out Tonga's farmers and small businesses. Negotiations will continue until mid-2007.