Kingdom of Tonga (1900–1970)

Kingdom of Tonga
Kingdom of Tonga
1900–1970
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location of the Kingdom of Tonga with present-day borders shown.
Status	Protected state of the United Kingdom
Capital	Nuku'alofa
Common languages	English ; Tongan
Religion	Free Wesleyan Church
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
Monarch
• 1900–1918	George Tupou II (first)
• 1965–1970	Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (last)
Prime Minister
• 1900–1905	Siosateki Veikune (first)
• 1965–1970	Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake (last)
Legislature	Legislative Assembly
History
• Treaty of Friendship	18 May 1900
• End of protection status	4 June 1970
Currency	Tongan pound (1921–1967) ; Tongan paʻanga (1967–1970)
ISO 3166 code	TO
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Tonga
Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga was a protected state of the United Kingdom from 1900 to 1970, when its protectorate status was removed.

History

Tonga became a British protected state under a Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second King. The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended in 1970 under arrangements established prior to her death by the third monarch, Queen Sālote.

An unspoken agreement of the treaty that was common in British protected states was a new monopoly on Tonga's thriving vanilla industry, and their small deposits of minerals.

On 18 May 1900, to discourage German advances,^[1] the Kingdom of Tonga became a Protected State with the United Kingdom under a Treaty of Friendship signed by George Tupou II after European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs attempted to overthrow him.^[2]^[3] While never directly ruled by the British, its foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Tonga were conducted through the British Consul that gave the United Kingdom veto power over foreign policies and finances of the Kingdom of Tonga.^[1]

Tonga was affected by the 1918 flu pandemic, with 1,800 Tongans killed, around eight per cent of the residents.^[4]

For most of the 20th century Tonga was quiet, inward-looking, and somewhat isolated from developments elsewhere in the world. Tonga's complex social structure is essentially broken into three tiers: the King, the nobles, and the commoners. Between the nobles and commoners are Matapule, sometimes called "talking chiefs," who are associated with the King or a noble and who may or may not hold estates. Obligations and responsibilities are reciprocal, and although the nobility are able to extract favours from people living on their estates, they likewise must extend favours to their people. Status and rank play a powerful role in personal relationships, even within families.

On 4 June 1970, protected state status of the Kingdom of Tonga ended. The end of the Kingdom of Tonga protected state status was arranged by Salote Tupou III prior to her death in 1965.

Tonga remains a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Gallery

Tomb of King George Tupou I, 1900
Tomb of King George Tupou I, 1900
King George Tupou II going to the opening of the Tongan Parliament in 1900
Richard Seddon and his wife at the opening of the Tongan parliament, 1900
The royal throne of Tonga, 1900.
World War I memorial in Nukuʻalofa
Members of the Tonga Defence Force of the 2nd NZEF on parade in Tonga celebrating the capitulation of Italy in 1945
Bishop John Rodgers, Pīsila (wife of Lord Fusitu'a(Tevita Tu'iniua),full name Pisila Fotofili Fusitu’a) and Suli Seuli (matāpule of Fusitu'a) watching dancing. Inauguration of the Catholic church in Kolofo'ou. 1967