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{{Short description|King of Nauru from 1875-1921}}{{One source|date=February 2025}}{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Aweida
| title        = King of Nauru
| image        = Oweida King of Nauru and the Royal Pandanas fruit holder.jpg
| image_size   = 220px
| succession   = [[Nauru#History|King of Nauru]]
| reign        = {{circa}} 1875 – 1921
| predecessor  = Monarchy established
| successor    = Moses Ballarat
| birth_name   = Aweijeda Jim
| birth_date   = {{circa}} 1850
| birth_place  = Boe, [[Nauru]]
| death_date   = {{circa}} {{death year|1921}} (aged 70–71)
| death_place  = [[Nauru]]
| spouse       = {{plain list|
* Eibinua
* [[Eigamoiya|Eidukiri]]
}}
| father       = Chief Jim
| mother       = Eidingab
| religion     = [[Methodism]]
| succession1  = [[Head Chief of Nauru]]
| reign1       = {{circa}} 1911 - 1921
| predecessor1 = Chief Jim
| successor1   = [[Daimon (Head Chief)]]
| native_lang1 = 
| native_lang1_name1 = 
| dynasty      = House of Emea
}}

'''King Aweida of Nauru''' ([[Nauruan language|Nauruan]]: ''Aweijeda'' ''Jim'' ''Naoero'') ({{circa}} 1850 – 1921) or formally '''King Aweida''' was the [[King]] and later [[Head Chief of Nauru|Head Chief]] of [[Nauru]] from 1875 until his death in 1921. He was succeeded by his son [[Moses Ballarat]].

==Biography==
[[File:Nauru Annexation Germany 1888 cropped.png|left|thumb|King Aweida standing in the middle before a flag of German [[Imperial Colonial Office]].]]
Aweida was born '''Aweijeda''' in 1850(?) at [[Boe District|Boe]], Nauru. Before Nauru came under European rule, it was governed by a [[Head Chief of Nauru|head chief]] who made laws that were enforced by local chiefs. After his father's death in 1911, he gained the title of head chief and would hold the title until his death. 

Aweijeda was born to Chief Jim.<ref name="international">{{cite book |last=Storr|first=Cait|date=2020|title=International Status in the Shadow of Empire|trans-title= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D2b6DwAAQBAJ|language=English |location=|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |page=106|isbn=9781108579988}}</ref> His first marriage was to a chieftain's daughter, Eibinua of the Eamwit tribe from Bush village. They had several children. 

Aweida was known to wear Western attire on special occasions, which was, back then, a very rare practice amongst Nauruans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1920-10-07 |title=Nauru Loses "King" |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/242248464?searchTerm=King%20Aweida |access-date=2025-02-19 |work=Herald}}</ref> 

When [[German Empire|Germany]] annexed Nauru into the [[German Marshall Islands|Marshall Islands Protectorate]], and later [[German New Guinea]], Aweida retained his [[sovereignty]] as king of Nauru and remained the head chief of the [[Nauruan people]]. He reigned as King and Head Chief from 1875 until his death in 1921. Very little his known about him due to the lack of documentation about him and his family. 

After Eibinua died, Aweida remarried, this time to [[Eigamoiya|Eidukiri]], also of the Eamwit tribe, but they had no children.<ref>Professor Paul Hambruch Documents</ref> Aweida was the de-facto king during the [[Nauruan Civil War]] from 1878–1888. After [[Australian occupation of Nauru|Australia invaded the island in World War I]], he retained his position, still having the loyalty of most local chiefs.

On October 7th, 1921, Aweida drowned near the [[Gabab Channel]]. He was brought to shore by the natives of Nauru and was put near a fire, but he collapsed and was declared dead. One of Aweida's sons, [[Moses Ballarat]] (King Moses), was proclaimed as King of Nauru after Aweida's death.<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
*[[Eigamoiya]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{NauruPres}}
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[[Category:1850s births]]
[[Category:1921 deaths]]
[[Category:Nauruan royalty]]
[[Category:Head Chiefs of Nauru]]
[[Category:People from Boe District]]
[[Category:19th-century monarchs in Oceania]]
[[Category:19th-century Nauruan people]]

 
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