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== Succession ==
The Oan Isles has never been ruled by Empresses RegnantRégnant (a female ''Rangitanga-a-te-Moana'') in its entire history. However, Empresses Dowager and Empresses Consort 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 Emperor''Rangitanga-a-te-Moana'' inherited the throne by the order that the Emperor''Rangitanga-a-te-Moana'' married their mothers and by the order that they were born. So for example, imagine that the Emperor''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 Emperor''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 ==
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