Ari'imate


King Ari'imate Teurura'i was a member and founder of a Polynesian royal family which reigned on the Tahitian island of Huahine and Mai'ao during the 19th century. In Tahitian, his name translate as "sovereign-demised" and "the-sky-forest" respectively.
He was installed as king of Huahine in 1852 until his deposition in 1868.

Family

Ari'imate Teururai was born at Huahine in 1824. He was the second child and only son of Chief Ta'aroa Ari'i and Té-mata-fainu'u vahine. He was the paternal grandson of Mahine Tehei'ura, who reigned as King of Huahine from 1810 to 1815 but abdicated in favor of his niece Teri'itaria II instead of his own son. In his early years, he ruled as the chief of Téfaréri'i.

Founder of the Teururai dynasty

In the beginning of the 1850 year, a civil war deposed Teriitari'a II. The main dignitaries chose him to be king and that is why he assumed the sovereignty, 18 March 1852.
He was installed as king of Huahine in 1852. His crowning took place on March 18, 1852. He took the reign name of Teurura'i.
Twenty year later, a new civil war deposed him in favour of his wife.

Marriage and children

He married in 1840 Princess Maerehia Tamatoa, heiress presumptive to her father King Tamatoa IV of Ra'iatea and Taha'a, and had twelve children:
Their children remain member to the royal family of the former kingdom of Huahine-Maia'o and Raiatea-Taha'a since the end of the monarchy.
Ari'imate died at Huahine on 14 April 1874.

Ancestry