After the Tongan civil war, 1839-1845, Taufa’ahau became King George Tupou I of Tonga. He aspired to lead Tonga in to a modern state. He abolished slavery, founded the heritage of modern Tonga on Christian ethics, ‘Otua mo Tonga Ko hoku tofia, God and Tonga is my inheritance. King George Tupou I founded Tupou College and Tonga College, two distinct and competitive schools. Tupou College remains heavily Wesleyan in faith and Tonga College is government orientated, and they have produced scholars and reverends to lead Tonga.

The founding King of Modern Tonga maintained his links with God as a lay preacher and installed a system of governance that concluded in the 1875 written constitution, a document that promoted Tonga to international treaties with foreign powers, Germany, Great Britain, United States of America and France.

Chiefs were installed and proclaimed nobles, provided with hereditary estates and became part of the new modern Tonga. The nobles were established in the constitution to secure the land, protect Tongan identity and promote our heritage.

The King of Tonga opens and closes the annual Legislative Assembly, Commander and Chief of the Tonga Defence Services and is the Chairman of the Privy Council.

From PMO website Bureau,  11 July 2008