Piʻilani ("ascent to heaven"^[2]) (born ca. 1460) ruled asChief of the island of Maui in the later part of the 15th century. At the time Maui was an independentkingdom within theislands of Hawaii.

He was the firstAliʻi to unite the island under a single line.^[3] His rule was peaceful for most of his reign. His father wasKawaokaohele^[4] and his mother was Kepalaoa.^[5] Pilʻilani and his offspring are important in legends of Maui, in the same way thatLīloa and his son ʻUmi-a-Liloa are in the legends of the island ofHawaii.^[4] The two family lines of Piʻilani and Liloa were closely associated although from separate islands. ʻUmi was a supporter ofKiha-a-Piʻilani, Piʻilani's son, when he went to war. The lineage continued in west Hawaii and east Maui in lesser lines and in the lines of MoanaKane from Liloa and Piʻilaniwahine from Piʻilani in the couple's marriage and offspring.^[6] Piʻilani and his sons were circumcised.

Piʻilani's is a descendant of Puna-i-mua.^[7] His father and grandfathers came from western Maui. Under Piʻilani for the first time this family controlled the eastern side as well.^[8] Piʻilani began building a roadway to encircle the entire island, the first such road in the islands. It was wide enough for eight men to walk beside each other. It was completed by his son. Some sections of Piʻilani Highway follow the old path. In places, the old stones are still visible.^[9] After Piʻilani's death the line of succession became a struggle similar to that of ʻUmi and Hakua of Hawaii.^[8]

• Hawaiian chiefs
• 15th-century monarchs
• Royalty of Maui

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata