Tens of
thousands of Maori died in the intertribal Musket Wars of the 1810s,
1820s and 1830s. Muskets changed the face of intertribal warfare, decimating
the population of some tribes and drastically shifting the boundaries
of areas that others controlled.
Between 1818 and
the early 1830s an estimated 20,000 Maori were killed in what have been
described as the Musket Wars. Thousands more were enslaved or became refugees.
Generations of New Zealanders are familiar with our exploits in two
world wars and the impact of these conflicts on the nation. But how
familiar are new Zealanders with our own internal wars of the 19th
century?
Te Rauparaha was a Ngati 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