Kuhina Nui was the name of an office in the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was usually held by a relative of the King and was the rough equivalent of the 19th century European office of Prime Minister. Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani, a member of the Kalakaua Dynasty, was in line to become Queen of Hawai‘i when her kingdom was overthrown by local American businessmen with the aid of the United States Marine Corps The Kingdom of Hawai‘i was established in 1810 upon the unification of... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the continent. ... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives...

Origin of the Office

Queen Kaahumanu was the first kuhina nui.

When King Kamehameha II assumed the throne in 1819, his father’s favorite wife, Queen Kaahumanu, told him that his father, Kamehameha I, had wished for her to rule the kingdom alongside him. Whether this was really the will of Kamehameha I is a matter of debate. In either case, Kamehameha II didn’t object and the office of kuhina nui was created for Kaahumanu. Portrait of Queen Kaahumanu provided by the Hawaii State Archives and is released into the public domain for historical, educational purposes. ... Portrait of Queen Kaahumanu provided by the Hawaii State Archives and is released into the public domain for historical, educational purposes. ... Kamehameha II succeeded the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i upon the death of his father, Kamehameha I. He and his Queen Consort died in London from the measles. ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ka‘ahumanu served as Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i during the terms of Kamehameha II and Kamehameha III. Ka‘ahumanu, formally Elizabeth Ka‘ahumanu, (1768-1832), Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. ... This article is about the Hawaiian ruler. ...

Kaahumanu became the driving force behind the kingdom’s policy during the reign of Kamehameha II. She and another one of Kamehameha I's wives, Keopuolani, pressured Kamehameha II into abolishing the old kapu system of laws and religion. The Hawaiian word kapu best translates as forbidden. In ancient Hawaii, kapu refers to the ancient system of laws and regulations. ...

Conflict between the Kuhina Nui and the King

After the death of Kamehameha II in 1824, his younger brother and heir, Kauikeaouli, was still only a child. Because of this, Kaahumanu ruled in his place as regent. After her death in 1832, a chiefess named Kinau assumed the office of kuhina nui and the regency until Kauikeaouli declared himself to be of age in 1833. Kauikeaouli was crowned King Kamehameha III thereafter and the office of kuhina nui became the second most powerful office in the Kingdom. 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Stub | 1814 births | 1854 deaths | Royal Family of Hawaii ... A regent is an acting governor. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

During Kinau's time in office, the offices of the king and kuhina nui often battled for power. This was mainly due to conflict between the views of the two people holding the office. While Kamehameha III desired a revival of the old Hawaiian culture, Kinau wanted Hawaii to be a Protestant state which tolerated no other religion. For the first few years of Kamehameha III’s reign, the Kingdom suffered from the frequent quarrels between Kinau and the King. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

The Constitution of 1840

The 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii codified the office of kuhina nui into law. The constitution specified the following duties and powers for the kuhina nui: The 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was the first official body of written law in the Hawaiian Islands, primarily for the sovereign state known as the Kingdom of Hawaii. ...

• The kuhina nui was to be appointed by the King.
• All business connected with the special interests of the kingdom, which the King wished to transact, was to be done by kuhina nui under the authority if the King
• All documents and business of the kingdom executed by the kuhina nui, were to be considered as executed by the King's authority.
• All government property was to be reported to the kuhina nui.
• The King was not allowed to act without the knowledge of the kuhina nui, nor was the kuhina nui allowed to act without the knowledge of the King.
• All important business of the kingdom which the King chose to transact in person, he could do only with the approbation of the kuhina nui.

The Constitution also created a degree of power sharing between the king and kuhina nui. Both were given seats in the House of Nobles in the legislature and both also held seats in the Kingdom’s judiciary.

The Constitution of 1852

The 1852 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii dedicated a full section (Section 2) to the office of kuhina nui. Articles 43 through 48 described the kuhina nui's office: The Constitution of 1852 was written in 1852 for the Hawaiian Kingdom. ...

• The kuhina nui was given the title, "Kuhina Nui of the Hawaiian Islands," and the style of "Highness."
• All business connected with the special interests of the kingdom, which the King wished to transact, was to be done by kuhina nui under the authority if the King
• All documents and business of the kingdom executed by the kuhina nui, were to be considered as executed by the King's authority.
• All important business of the kingdom which the King chose to transact in person, he could do only with the approbation of the kuhina nui.
• The kuhina nui was to act as regent in the absence of the King, or if the King was too young to rule on his own. In addition, should the crown become vacant, the kuhina nui would act as monarch until a new king was chosen.

A title is a prefix or suffix added to a persons name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. ... Style may refer to genre, design, format, or appearance, including: Clothing: fashion Flower part: flower Music: music genre Sundial part: Gnomon Titles or honorifics: Style (manner of address) including Chinese courtesy names Web design: Cascading Style Sheets Writing: style guide and literary genre Linguistics: Variation in language use of an... HH may stand for: Hamburg Happy Hardcore Helly Hansen Herbie Hancock His Highness or Her Highness Hooper Holmes Inc. ...

End of the Office

The power sharing scheme set in place by Kamehameha III in 1852 seemed to work and it remained in place throughout the remainder of Kamehameha III’s reign and throughout the reign of Kamehameha IV. When Kamehameha V assumed the throne in 1863, however, the new king made it clear that he favored a more autocratic monarchy over the constitutional one set in place in 1852. In 1864, the King issued a new constitution that was much less liberal than the Constitution of 1852. The 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii, among other things, abolished the office of kuhina nui and, for all intents and purposes, merged the powers of the kuhina nui into his own office as King. The office was never revived after that, with the Hawaiian monarchy lasting only about three more decades before being overthrown. 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Alexander Liholiho assumed the title of Kamehameha IV, King of Hawai‘i in 1855. ... Kamehameha V was the last monarch of the House of Kamehameha. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Autocracy is a form of government where unlimited power is held by a single individual. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Constitution of 1864 of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a rewrite of the 1852 constitution issued by King Kamehameha V. It dramatically changed the way Hawaiis government worked by increasing the power of the king and changing the way the kingdoms legislature worked. ...

List of kuhina nuis

• Kaahumanu (1819-June 5, 1832)
• Kinau (Kaahumanu II) (June 5, 1832-April 4, 1839)
• Kekauluohi (April 5, 1839-June 7, 1845)
• John Kaleipahala Young II (Keoni Ana Opio) (June 10, 1845-January 16, 1855)
• Victoria Kamamalu (January 16, 1855-1863)
• Mataio Kekuanaoa (1863-August 24, 1864)

Note that the kuhina nui often took the title "Kaahumanu," in honor of the first holder of the office (in much the same way that all members of the Kamehameha dynasty took the title "Kamehameha"). Ka‘ahumanu served as Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i during the terms of Kamehameha II and Kamehameha III. Ka‘ahumanu, formally Elizabeth Ka‘ahumanu, (1768-1832), Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... For other uses, see number 5. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Kamehameha II succeeded the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i upon the death of his father, Kamehameha I. He and his Queen Consort died in London from the measles. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Kamehameha the Great established his dynasty in 1810 upon unifying the islands of Hawaii to become the Kingdom of Hawaii. ...

Bibliography

• Mrantz, Maxine. Hawaiian Monarchy: The Romantic Years. Honolulu: Tongg Publishing Co., Ltd., 1974.
• Potter, Norris W. The Hawaiian Monarchy. – Honolulu: The Bess Press, Inc., 1983.

External Links

• Hawaii Government 1842-1899 (http://www.worldstatesmen.org/US_Hawaii.html)