Kamehameha the Great, (c. 1758 – 1819), conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaiʻi's independence under his rule. Kamehameha is remembered for the Mamalahoe Kanawai, Law of the Splintered Paddle, which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle.