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Ratu ([ˈrɑːtu]) is anAustronesian title used by maleFijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title,adi (pronounced[ˈandi]), is used by females of chiefly rank. In theMalay language, the titleratu is also the traditionalhonorific title to refer to the ruling king or queen inJavanese culture (though it has since been used in modern contexts to refer to bothqueen regnant andqueen consort of any nation, e.g. "RatuElizabeth II" and "RatuCamilla"). Thus inJava, a royalpalace is called "keraton", constructed from thecircumfixke- -an andRatu, to describe the residence of the ratu.
Ratu: A chiefly title for men used alone as a form of address, or in front of the chief's name, only in certain places The source of the Fijian title is Verata, and it has spread throughout Fiji during the past century, now applied to many local, minor chiefs as well as the major ones. The concept of his type of title is from Tonga. Strictly speaking, the title belongs only in Verata. In their time, Cakobau or Tanoa, his father, never themselves used the title of Ratu. It does not appear with Cakobau's name or any other chief's name in the Deed of Cession of 1874. (Exceptionally, in the 1850s, Ratu Mara Kapaiwai was one of the few who did use the word Ratu, though that may have been a name rather than a title.) It has been affixed to the names of Tana and Cakobau by later Fijians, retroactively. The Cakobau Memorial Church on Bau Island is now referred to as the Ratu Cakobau Church. Ratu may also be used as a personal first name or second name. The title may be acquired as part of a chiefly name, by a namesake. In such cases, it does not imply chiefly status. Adi is the female equivalent, sometimes heard as Yadi in Lau.
Ra is a prefix in many titles (ramasi, ramalo, rasau, ravunisa, ratu), andtu means simply "chief". The formal use of "ratu" as a title in a name (as in "Sir" in British tradition) was not introduced until after thecession of 1874. Until then, a chief would be known only by his birth name and his area-specific traditional title.
Regional variations includero in Rewa and parts ofNaitasiri andTailevu,roko in parts ofNaitasiri,Rewa andLau (particularly theMoala group),ra in parts ofVanua Levu, particularly theprovince ofBua.
In all those places, it is used as a title preceding the person's name, much like "prince", "duke", "earl", "baron" or "lord".
The semantics, however, are a little different in Fijian although the name and title are usually reversed, for example:
In English, one would sayHis Royal Highness (Styling)Prince (address/title) Andrew (name),Duke of York (noble title).
In Fijian, one would say,Gone Turaga Na (Styling)Roko Tui Bau (noble title), Ratu (address/title) Joni Madraiwiwi (name).
The Fijian nobility consists of about seventy chiefs, each of whom descends from a family that has traditionally ruled a certain area. The chiefs are of differing rank, with some chiefs traditionally subordinate to other chiefs. The Vusaratu clan is regarded as the highest chiefly clan, with regards to the people of Bau until the rise of the Tui Kaba clan leader, who exiled all Vusaratu members. They are the heirs of RatuSeru Epenisa Cakobau, theVunivalu of Bau orTui Levuka (Paramount Chief of Bau, on the eastern side ofViti Levu, Fiji's most populous island), He proclaimed himself "Tui Viti/King of Fiji" in 1871. (He was only recognised by the British and a few provinces of Viti Levu)He along with 12 high Chiefs subsequently ceded the islands to theUnited Kingdom in 1874.
Other prominent chiefly clans include theVuanirewa (the traditional rulers of theLau Islands) and theAi So'ula (the traditional rulers ofVanua Levu).
During the colonial rule (1874–1970), the British kept Fiji's traditional chiefly structure and worked through it. They established what was to become theGreat Council of Chiefs, originally an advisory body, but it grew into a powerfulconstitutional institution. Constitutionally, it functions as an electoral college to choose Fiji'spresident (a largely honorary position modelled on the British monarchy), thevice-president, and 14 of the 32senators, members ofParliament's "upper house", which has a veto over most legislation. The 18 other senators are appointed by thePrime Minister (9), theLeader of the Opposition (8), and theCouncil of Rotuma (1); these appointees may, or may not, be of chiefly rank also. (The Senate was modelled onBritain'sHouse of Lords, which consists of both hereditary and lifepeers.)
The presidency, vice-presidency, and fourteen senators are the only constitutional offices whose appointment is controlled by persons of chiefly rank. Chiefs in post-independence Fiji have always competed forparliamentary seats on an equal footing with commoners. In the years following independence, this favored the chiefly class, as the common people looked to them as their leaders and generally voted for them. For several elections, manyethnic Fijian members of the House, which is elected by universal suffrage, were of chiefly rank, but in recent elections, the discrepancy between chiefs and commoners is slowly narrowing, as commoners are becoming better educated and have begun to work their way into the power structure. The chiefs, however, retain enormous respect among the Fijian people. In times of crisis, such as thecoups of 1987 and thethird coup of 2000, theGreat Council of Chiefs often stepped in to provide leadership when the modern political institutions have broken down.
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