Kahekili II

Kahekili II ('Kahekilinuiahumanu) (1706, Haliimaile, Hawaii - 1793, Waikiki, Hawaii) 25th Mo'i of Maui. His name was short for Kāne-Hekili after the Hawaiian god of thunder. Because he was named for the god of thunder, who was believed to be black on one side of his body, Kahekili may have been tattooed on one side from head to foot.

His kingdom encompassed seven of the Hawaiian Islands except the Island of Hawaii and paved the way for the emergence of Kamehameha I. He was a son of Kekaulike the 23rd Mo'i of Maui and his half-sister wife Kekuaipoiwa-nui Kalani-kauhihiwakama Wanakapu (Kekuaipoiwa I). He succeed his brother Kamehameha-nui Ai'luau as king of Maui, Lanai and Molokai in 1765. He treacherously conquered King Kahahana of Oahu and killing most of the O'ahu chiefs that stood in his way and using their skeletons to construct a house of bones. This insurrection of the Oahuan chiefs is known as Waipi‘o-Kimopo. He had influence on Kauai through his brother Kaeokulani who was the consort of Kamakahelei, Queen regnant of Kauai. After his death in July 1793, war broke out between his son Kalanikupule, King of Oahu. and his brother Kaeokulani over succession to Kingdom of Maui. Kalanikupule enventually overcome his uncle's in December 6 1794. As Kalanikupule's forces were weak it gave Kamehameha a chance to conquer Maui. The Kingdom of Maui would eventually fall after the Battle of Nuuanu in May 1, 1795 just less than 2 years after Kahekili's death.