Person

Kiwalaʻō

d. 1782 · 18th century · Also known as Kiwalao

Kiwalaʻō was the son and heir of Kalaniʻōpuʻu, ruler of the island of Hawaiʻi. On his father's death in 1782 he inherited the island, while his cousin Kamehameha received custody of the war god Kūkaʻilimoku. Disputes over the distribution of land led to war, and Kiwalaʻō was killed at the Battle of Mokuʻōhai in July 1782, opening the way for Kamehameha's rise.

Kiwalaʻō
Image: Bishop Museum · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Chiefdom of Hawaii Island

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kiwalaʻō. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kiwalao
MLA
“Kiwalaʻō.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kiwalao. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kiwalaʻō.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kiwalao.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kiwalaʻō’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kiwalao (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻