The Tongan people represent the early history of Tonga and the subsequent Tuʻi Tonga Empire, an Antiquity Age civilization in Civilization VII. They are available with the Tonga Pack within the Tides of Power Collection, which was released on November 4, 2025.
The Tongans' civilization ability is Lords of the South. Their associated 
Wonder is the Ha'amonga 'a Maui, and their unique assets are as follows:
Intro[]
Across the trackless seas the double-hulled Tongan ships sail, guided by nothing but the stars. The singer’s chant drives them forward, to seek new sea-stone harbors, new atolls and new fishing grounds. Listen to the slit-drum, and the rush of waves on the hull - a new shore awaits.
Tips and hints[]
The Tehina Unique Scout can enter Deep Ocean even in Antiquity. Use them to explore distant coastlines and find new Independent Powers to befriend.
Strategy[]
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Share your wisdom!
How do you use Tonga? |
Civilopedia entry[]
The history of Tonga is long and remarkable, and also largely hidden in the mists of time. Much of Tonga’s story is accessible only through archaeology and oral tales; written sources start very late, with the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century.
Tonga’s first inhabitants landed on its shores around 3200 years ago, c. 1000 BCE. These were the Lapita people, originally from Southeast Asia, talented navigators who rapidly spread across the Pacific. Their presence is marked largely by the remains of their distinctive pottery, mostly cooking and storage containers, featuring ornate repeating geometric designs. However, within two centuries they had ceased to decorate their pottery – the reason for this sudden shift is unknown.
The subsequent Plainware Period (700 BCE-400 CE) saw the transition to a permanent Polynesian society in Tonga. While the first generations of Lapita settlers lived along the coast and relied almost entirely on the ocean for food and livelihoods, the Plainware people moved inland, establishing farms and plantations and raising livestock. But around 400 CE, another unexplained shift occurred – Tongans stopped producing pottery altogether, again for unknown reasons. The absence of pottery and other archaeological evidence lasted for several centuries, and very little is known about what occurred during this Dark Age. However, society persisted, continuing to develop and grow, and around 950 CE, the Tu'i Tonga clan started to consolidate power on the island of Tongatapu.
According to legend, the Tu'i Tonga (“kings of Tonga”) were descended from the half-divine 'Aho'eitu, son of the god 'Eitumātupu'a and the mortal woman 'Ilaheva. This sacred provenance placed them above their predecessors, and over the following centuries, the Tu'i Tonga expanded their power into a maritime empire. Male relatives of the royal family were sent to neighboring islands to bring them under their control, and therefore the control of the Tu'i Tonga, through conquest or marriage.
The challenge of maintaining cohesive rule over an empire of oceanic islands required innovative ways of thinking about empire. Direct rule was not possible, but the ships of the Tu'i Tonga were capable of making regular journeys between islands, keeping them in dialogue with one another. The reach of the Tu'i Tonga created avenues for widespread trade, both within its domain and to other Pacific island kingdoms beyond. The divine origins of the Tu'i Tonga and associated beliefs and practices were also central to maintaining power. The king held a deep connection with the earth, and its fertility was assumed to come from him. In order to ensure his favor, all islands submitted a tribute of the first harvest ('inasi), in exchange for which the Tu'i Tonga would grace them with good weather and fertile soil so that the next harvest would also be successful.
The sacred nature of the king extended to his physical body. Anything that touched him, including food, became sacrosanct (tapu), and direct contact with his body by others was limited. His hair could not be cut, and any tattooing had to take place in Samoa, as the Samoans were exempt from the tapu by which Tongans abided (although, according to one account, they could still die from proximity to the king). The Tu'i Tonga was served by matāpules, spokesmen who mediated his interactions with the world and who were often foreigners in the early centuries, for the same reason as above – as non-Tongans, they were immune to some of the tapu surrounding the king’s divinity. The matāpule was not a political advisor, but directed the court on a daily and ceremonial basis, such as arranging and leading kava ceremonies. He was also a companion to the king, who was otherwise isolated from the rest of the world, and engaged with him in ways others were not permitted, such as eating together.
The Tu'i Tonga reached their height in the 13th century with the advent of the Monument Building period. During this era, their power and population ascended to the point of building monumental structures, many of which are still visible in the landscape today. Mounds were built in earnest for varying purposes – some were mounds where chiefs would sit ('esi), some were burial mounds (langi), and some were used for the royal sport of pigeon-snaring (sia heu lupe). Vaikaukau, conical manmade wells, were constructed nearby as sacred bathing spaces reserved for the king. The famous trilithon Ha'amonga 'a Maui was also erected during this period by Tu'i-tā-tui, the 11th Tu'i Tonga, as was the nearby royal throne, Maka Fa'akinanga. These monuments required significant infrastructure, both in the manpower and organization required to construct them and the social order in which they played an important role, particularly for kings and chiefs.
By the 15th century, internal and external strife began eating away at the power of the Tu'i Tonga. Following the assassination of the 23rd Tu'i Tonga, Takalaua, his successor Kau'ulufonua created a diarchy, with the Tu'i Tonga led by himself and a new dynasty, the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua, led by his brother Mo'ungāmotu'a. Under this model, the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua took over political control of the empire while the Tu'i Tonga remained the spiritual power. Samoa became increasingly influential in the governance of Tonga, intermarrying with the Tu'i Tonga and establishing a new role, the falefā, to advise and influence rulers on political matters. Another administrative division two centuries later saw the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua submit to the junior Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasty. Europeans first arrived in Tonga in 1616, and the Tu'i Tonga line ended in 1865.
Cities[]
Citizens[]
| Males | Females |
|---|---|
| Takalaua | Nua |
| Kauʻulufonua | Kaloafutonga |
| Havea | Lātūtama |
| Loʻau | Fatafehi |
| Kaloa | Talafaiva |
| Kofutu | Mataukipa |
| Maʻuhau | Sāngone |
| Tuʻi-tā-tui | Vaelaveamata |
| Momo | Tuutanga |
| ʻApuanea | Fefafa |
Trivia[]
- The Tongan civilization's symbol is a Tongan megapode, a bird endemic to Tonga.
- The Tongan civilization's ability references the Tuʻi Tonga Empire's power in the South Pacific and is a direct translation of the title "Tuʻi Tonga" (with "Tuʻi" being a traditional title for Polynesian chiefs and "Tonga" deriving from the Polynesian word fakatonga, which means "southwards").
Soundtrack[]
| Original Track | № | Based on | Credits | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Tonga (Antiquity Age)" | Fangufangu Nose Flute Nafa Drum Lā Mai Lā Mai Pelee Moengāngongo Táu Fe'ao |
Traditional, arranged by Pukepuke 'o Tonga Productions & Geoff Knorr Performed by Pukepuke 'o Tonga Productions Group Members: Kumi Folau, Haisi Folau, Sini Kaufononga, Samiu Kaufononga, Anjelia Folau, Sione Folau, Fainga'a (Filipe Puliuvea), Funaki Puliuvea, Fangupo Puliuvea, Filipe Jr Puliuvea, Michael Puliuvea, Kulisitofa Puliuvea, Tevita Muna, Taukave Folau, Lea Folau, Semisi Folau, Meleseini Folau, Leotisia Folau, Tevita Taufakalava, Fetongi Tatuila, James Taufakalava, Alalini Taufakalava, Sandra Taufakalava, Ane Taufakalava, Filipe Ngaluafe, Leo Aholelei, Filo Aholelei, Tu'ipulotu Aholelei Produced by Geoff Knorr |
7:28 |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Tongan city in-game (Civ7).jpg (1.51 MB)")
.jpg "Tongan Background (Civ7).jpg (443 KB)")
Videos[]
See also[]
- Tongan in other games
External links[]
| Civilization VII Civilizations [edit] | |
|---|---|
| Antiquity | |
| Exploration | |
| Modern | |
| 1 Requires DLC | |