Like his father, King Tawhiao opposed the war in Taranaki. The government, however, remained unconvinced. In July 1860 Governor Gore Browne sought to isolate the Kingitanga and its supporters when he invited about 200 chiefs to a conference at Kohimarama near Auckland.
By the early 1870s, the Kingitanga was struggling. Living conditions within the Rohe Potae (the Maori King's territory) were poor. Allies such as Ngati Haua had begun selling land again, as had some other tribes outside the Rohe Potae.
It was clear by the 1870s that the Kingitanga posed no threat beyond its borders and was in no fit shape to fight a war. Attempts were made to ease relations between the king and the colonial government.
