Succession to the Oan Throne

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The Rangitanga-a-te-Moana is the head of state of The Oan Isles, and the spiritual head of Mauism.

Succession

The Oan Isles has never had a female Rangitanga-a-te-Moana in its entire history. However, mothers of the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana and Serene Consorts have exerted considerable political and military power from behind the scenes over several Oan monarchs. Succession to the throne of the Oan Isles was tumultuous in the first century as there are many monarchs who passed away due to disease, assassinations and war. The situation stabilised around the start of the 11th century. The system of succession that the Oan Isles has followed was a loose system where the brothers and cousins of Ahua I competed with his sons for power.

This resulted in a system where the most powerful male relative or descendent could muscle his way to power by gaining the support of the nobles (either by coercion or persuasion). This was because Ahua the Great had opened succession to all males and believed that a combination of religious and noble recognition gave someone the legitimacy to be the Emperor. Over time the system became more regular, promoting sons to positions of power based on age. However, there was poor record keeping and the propensity to take power by force or by popularity had not completely gone away such that in 1437, the War of Succession ensued. Following which the system of succession was codified and remained unaltered until 2021.

The system was as follows: sons of the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana inherited the throne by the order that the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana married their mothers and by the order that they were born. So for example, imagine that the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana had 4 wives. Imagine that the first had 2, the third had 4, the second had 5 and the last had 1. Even if the last wife had her son first, the sons of the first wife would take priority such that they would push the last ones son down the line of succession. When polygamy was abolished in 1879, the order was such that the sons of the Emperor would inherit by age even if their father divorced their mother and remarried and had more children with her. This would follow for grandchildren and so on.

Furthermore, if the Rangitanga-a-te-Moana died childless, his brothers would inherit the throne and the same order prevailed for their sons and grandsons and great-grandsons. If none of these were available, the Emperor's uncles would inherit with the same order prevailing for their sons and their great grandsons. This system resulted in the country have several hundred potential heirs in case of a succession crisis. This helped to maintain the stability of the Oan monarch following the war of Succession.

List of Emperors of Polynesia

  1. Ahua the Great: 1000 - 1023
  2. Ahua II: 1023 - 1034
  3. Apauhana I: 1034 - 1052
  4. Rotorua I: 1052 - 1075
  5. Rangitake I: 1075 - 1086
  6. Waitangi I: 1086 - 1088
  7. Ihone I: 1088 - 1098
  8. Waitangi II 1098 - 1111
  9. Waitangi III: 1111 - 1112
  10. Waitangi IV: 1112 - 1116
  11. Rotorua II: 1116 - 1119
  12. Apauhana II: 1119 - 1120
  13. Rangitake II: 1120 - 1123
  14. Rangitake III: 1123 - 1134
  15. Rangitake IV: 1134 - 1145
  16. Waitangi V: 1145 - 1156
  17. Waitangi VI: 1156 - 1165
  18. Apauhana III: 1165 - 1178
  19. Rangitake V: 1178 - 11189
  20. Rangitake VI: 1189 - 1201
  21. Rangitake VII: 1201 - 1223
  22. Rotorua III: 1223 - 1250
  23. Ihone II: 1250 - 1321
  24. Rangitake VIII: 1321 - 1334
  25. Apauhana IV: 1334 - 1356
  26. Rangitake IX: 1356 - 1389
  27. Iano II: 1389 - 1415
  28. Apauhana V: 1415 - 1437
  29. Iano III: 1442 - 1467
  30. Waitangi VIII: 1467 - 1478
  31. Waitangi IX: 1478 - 1501
  32. Aotearoa the Great: 1501 - 1535
  33. Rotorua IV: 1535 - 1552
  34. Rotorua VI: 1552 - 1576
  35. Apauhana VII: 1576 - 1598
  36. Mikaere I: 1598 - 1615
  37. Rangitake X: 1615 - 1634
  38. Watangi X: 1634 - 1667
  39. Kipiri I: 1667 - 1692
  40. Kipiri II: 1692 - 1717
  41. Pakau I: 1717 - 1735
  42. Pakau II: 1735 - 1768
  43. Iano IV: 1768 - 1789
  44. Aotearia VIII: 1789 - 1823
  45. Toroa IV: 1823 - 1843
  46. Tamatea I: 1843 - 1847
  47. Tamatea III: 1847 - 1858
  48. Rangitake the Great: 1858 - 1904
  49. Mikaere III: 1904 - 1936
  50. Rangitake IX: 1936 - 1964
  51. Waitangi XI: 1964 - 1983
  52. Tamatea III: 1983 - 1990
  53. Ehe II: 1990 - 2017
  54. Oahoanu: 2017 - present
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