Kwaisulia

Kwaisulia (early 1850s-1909) was a prominent tradesman and strongman on the island of Malaita in the late nineteenth century.^[1] A noted friend of the marooned Scottish headhunter Jack Renton, Kwaisulia, who was not a member of any traditionally prominent families on the island, began his rise to prominence by enlisting as a labourer in the Queensland sugar cane industry during the 1870s.^[2] The experience he gained from his time in Queensland meant that he was suited to the role of intermediary between the people of his native Lau Lagoon and European traders.^[3] In his role, Kwaisulia controlled trade between Malaita and the rest of the world, in doing so becoming very wealthy by the standards of the area.^[4] He fathered three sons, two of whom also had significant influence in Malaita.

Early life[]

Kwaisulia was born on the island of Sulufou, the most heavily populated of the several islands located within the Lau Lagoon, at some point in the early 1850s. Kwaisulia's father hailed from the interior of Malaita, and was not of a high rank in society, while his mother was a member of the family who were the chiefs of Sulufou. In this way, Kwaisulia was often close to prestigious individuals who had substantial amounts of power, but was of a low status himself.^[3]

Career[]

Jack Renton and Queensland[]

Prior to his ascension to prominence, Kwaisulia was a "ramo", or warrior, which granted him some prestige.^[4] In 1868, Scottish sailor Jack Renton arrived on Sulufou, as a slave of a bigman and chieftain named Kabbou.^[5] He and Kwaisulia soon became close friends, with Kwaisulia learning a limited amount of English from Renton. Renton was rescued in 1875, and later that year returned and convinced Kwaisulia to leave and work in Queensland for six years.^[6][7] Alternatively, historian Deryck Scarr states that Kwaisulia accompanied Renton when he was rescued, though he agrees that Kwaisulia spent six years in Queensland.^[8]

Growing influence[]

Kwaisulia returned from Queensland in 1881. Upon his return, he took up a role as a passage master in the "recruitment" trade, encouraging people to work on farms in Queensland, and in return received weapons and supplies from European traders.^[9] In his position, Kwaisulia often coerced or forced people to join up with the recruiters, thus engaging in a form of blackbirding.^[10] He increased his power by assuming the duties of several traditionally separate roles, involving himself in the arranging of marriages, taking command of hunting parties, and procuring human sacrifices.^[11] Anthropologist Roger Keesing states that it is believed that the Europeans thought that Kwaisulia was a traditional chief, when in actuality his power and influence largely came trough his good relations with the British.^[7]

Kwaisulia began to cultivate an image among the people of the Lau Lagoon as an ally of the British. His wealth and growing prestige allowed him to gain a large following.^[4] His power increased considerably when Kabbou died in 1886, thus altering the local balance of power in favour of Kwaisulia.^[12] Kwaisulia's main power base was the island of Adagege, which he fortified with barbed wire.^[9] By 1897, Kwaisulia was the most powerful figure in northern Malaita.^[13] At the height of his power, it was said by his contemporaries that he could field a force of 1,000 fighters, and that he held influence as far south as the Maramasike Passage.^[14] This level of authority was unprecedented in Malaita, and the resulting stability made the areas under Kwaisulia's control appealing to visitors.^[15]

Despite his good relations with Europeans, Kwaisulia was a staunch opponent of Christianity, opposing attempts to spread the religion in the area.^[16] Originally, he actively opposed all missionary work in the region under his influence, but later in his life he allowed white missionaries to preach, feeling that the prestige of having Europeans work under him was a satisfactory trade off for the potential destabilising influence of Christianity.^[6]

Later life and death[]

As the British began to expand their influence further during the beginning of the 20th century, Kwaisulia's power began to wane somewhat, though he still commanded considerable influence.^[17] In 1902, while meeting with Christian missionaries, Kwaisulia was described by missionary Arthur Hopkins as wearing "a helmet, trousers, shirt (inside out), and a dirty blazer".^[18] In 1903, Queensland banned foreign labourers from entering the state, which forced Kwaisulia to instead refocus his efforts on sending labourers to Fiji.^[4] Kwaisulia died in 1909, when, while hunting fish with dynamite, a cartridge he was holding "exploded in his face".^[4] After Kwaisulia's death, his followers accused a chieftain of the nearby island of Sulu Vou of killing him with sorcery, and as a result skirmishes broke out between them and the inhabitants of Sulu Vou.^[19]

Legacy and character[]

Kwaisulia has a complicated legacy in his native Lau Lagoon, with him being remembered both as an effective warrior and leader by some, and as a tyrant by others.^[20] He was noted for his trustworthiness by his contemporaries, in contrast to several other people involved in the recruitment trade in the area.^[21] Kwaisulia was survived by at least three sons, two of whom, Jackson Kaiviti and , also rose to prominence.^[22]

References[]

Bibliography[]

Further reading[]

• Corris, Peter (1973). "Kwaisulia of Ada Gege: A Strongman in the Solomon Islands". In James Wightman Davidson; Deryck Scarr (eds.). Pacific Islands Portraits. ANU Press. pp. 253–266. ISBN 978-0708101667.