Tāwhiao's father Pōtatau was the first Māori King, and on his death in 1860 Tāwhiao inherited the kingship and the spiritual leadership of his people. He was king for the next 34 years, including the most turbulent period in New Zealand's race relations history.
Tukaroto Potatau Matutaera Tawhiao
Personal details
Full Name:
Tūkāroto Pōtatau Matutaera Tāwhiao
Lifetime:
? – 26 Aug 1894
Events In History
26 August 1894
Tāwhiao had led his people through the traumatic period during and after the wars of the 1860s. He was succeeded by his son Mahuta.
21 November 1863
More British soldiers and sailors were killed at ‘Bloody Rangiriri’ than in any other battle of the New Zealand Wars, but their eventual hard-fought victory opened the Waikato basin to the advancing imperial forces.
Articles
Māori King movement - 1860-94
The reign of King Tāwhiao was dominated by the Waikato War and the fallout from it. Read the full article
Page 1 - Troubled times
The reign of King Tāwhiao was dominated by the Waikato War and the fallout from
Page 2 - Build-up to war
Like his father, King Tāwhiao had no intention of becoming involved in the war in Taranaki. The government, however, remained unconvinced about this. In July 1860 Governor Gore
Page 4 - Raupatu
Under the terms of the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863 the government confiscated huge areas of Māori land in late
Page 5 - Maintaining Te Kīngitanga
By the early 1870s, the Kīngitanga was struggling. Living conditions within the Rohe Potae (the Māori King's territory) were poor. Allies such as Ngāti Hauā had resumed selling
Page 6 - Tensions ease
It was clear by the 1870s that the Kīngitanga was no longer capable of fighting a war. Attempts were made to improve relations between the king and the colonial
Page 7 - The death of Tāwhiao
Tāwhiao died on 26 August 1894. He was buried at Taupiri after a tangihanga attended by
