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 Ratu
Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the
Vunivalu of Bau or
Tui Levuka (Paramount Chief of Bau, on the eastern side of
Viti 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 the
United Kingdom in 1874. Other prominent chiefly clans include the
Vuanirewa (the traditional rulers of the
Lau Islands) and the
Ai So'ula (the traditional rulers of
Vanua 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 the
Great Council of Chiefs, originally an advisory body, but it grew into a powerful
constitutional institution. Constitutionally, it functions as an electoral college to choose Fiji's
president (a largely honorary position modelled on the British monarchy), the
vice-president, and 14 of the 32
senators, members of
Parliament's "upper house", which has a veto over most legislation. The 18 other senators are appointed by the
Prime Minister (9), the
Leader of the Opposition (8), and the
Council of Rotuma (1); these appointees may, or may not, be of chiefly rank also. (The Senate was modelled on
Britain's House of Lords, which consists of both hereditary and life
peers.) 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 for
parliamentary 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, many
ethnic 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 the
coups of 1987 and the
third coup of 2000, the
Great Council of Chiefs often stepped in to provide leadership when the modern political institutions have broken down. ==Notable chiefs==