Te Rauparaha was a Ngāti Toa chief and warrior. Sometimes called the 'Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere', he ruled the lower end of the North Island from his base at Kapiti Island for the best part of 20 years
Musket Wars
Articles
New Zealand's 19th-century wars
War changed the face of New Zealand in the 19th century. Many thousands of Māori died in the intertribal Musket Wars between the 1810s and the 1830s. There were more deaths during the New Zealand Wars of the 1840s to 1870s between some Māori and the Crown, which for many tribes had dire consequences. Read the full article
Page 1 - New Zealand's 19th-century wars
War changed the face of New Zealand in the 19th century. Many thousands of Māori died in the intertribal Musket Wars between the 1810s and the 1830s. There were more deaths during
Page 2 - Pre-1860 conflicts
During the Musket Wars of the 1810s-1830s thousands of Māori fled from their traditional lands, opening large areas to potential Pākehā (European) settlement. In 1840, Europeans
Page 3 - Taranaki and Waikato wars
An overview of the conflict between Māori and European settlers in Taranaki and Waikato during the New Zealand
Page 9 - Further information
Recommended links and books relating to New Zealand's 19th-century
Missionaries
The Christian missionaries of the pre-1840s have been described as the 'agents of virtue in a world of vice', although they were not immune to moral blemish themselves. Read the full article
Page 3 - Men of vice or virtue?
Thomas Kendall established the first mission school, but he was later suspended after admitting an adulterous affair with a Maori
Musket Wars
Thousands of Māori died in the intertribal Musket Wars of the 1810s, 1820s and 1830s. Muskets changed the face of intertribal warfare, decimating some tribes and drastically altering the territorial boundaries of others. Read the full article
Page 1 - The Musket Wars
Thousands of Māori died in the intertribal Musket Wars of the 1810s, 1820s and 1830s. Muskets changed the face of intertribal warfare, decimating some tribes and drastically
Page 2 - Overview
Between 1818 and the early 1830s an estimated 20,000 Māori were killed in what have been described as the Musket Wars. Thousands more were enslaved or became
Page 3 - Beginnings
The Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika is usually seen as responsible for beginning the Musket
Page 4 - The arms race
Diplomacy, arranged marriages, gifts, asset-stripping (taua muru) and escape were all used to avoid fighting. When these methods failed, the common response was to seek an
Page 5 - Aftermath
How the wars ended and the impact they had on
Biographies
In the 1850s, a movement was set up to appoint a Māori king who would unite the tribes, protect land from further sales and make laws for Māori to follow. Te Wherowhero became the first Māori king in 1858.
Te Kawau was a Ngāti Whātua leader who signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Manukau Harbour in March 1840. He later worked with European magistrates to settle disputes among Māori.
The Ngāpuhi rangatira Hongi Hika became a pivotal figure in New Zealand history. He was a skilled and driven leader in war and trade, and his actions had far-reaching consequences.
Ngā Ruahine prophet, military leader, master tactician, peacemaker and Parihaka supporter, Tītokowaru was one of New Zealand's most important nineteenth-century figures.
Main image: Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
Generations of New Zealanders have known about our exploits in two world wars and the impact of these conflicts on the nation. They have been less familiar with New Zealand’s internal wars of the 19th century.
