ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the economic system of two early states in eighteenth century Polynesia: Tahiti and Tonga. It provides a description of eighteenth century Tahitian society. The chapter presents information on Tongan society relating to the same period. In order to understand the position of the various groups of people in the complex social system of the Tahitians, some preliminary remarks must be made on their relative ranking. With regard to food and goods there was a considerable degree of equality in Tahitian society. Tongan society can also be analyzed as being based on the concept of the ramage, in which birth order is decisive for the social status of a person. The Tonga Islands in the west of Polynesia form an archipelago, consisting of several islands and groups of islands. Broadly speaking, social stratification in the Tonga Islands comprised the following categories: eiki, matapule, and tua.
