Tens of thousands of Maori died in the intertribal Musket Wars of the 1810s, 1820s and 1830s. Thousands more were enslaved or became refugees. Northern rivals Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua led the way, but all the tribes were soon trading for muskets.
Overview - Musket Wars
Taranaki and Waikato wars - New Zealand Wars
In 1858 the Waikato leader Potatau Te Wherowhero was selected as the first Maori King. A primary aim of the Maori King movement (or Kingitanga) was to unite tribes against selling land.
Beginnings - Musket Wars
Hongi Hika: Warrior chief
Men of vice or virtue? - missionaries
Thomas Kendall
The arms race - musket wars
Māori also explored non-violent ways of resolving disputes. Diplomacy, arranged marriages, gifts and escape were all used to avoid fighting. When these methods failed, the common response was to seek an advantage by gaining more weapons.
Aftermath - Musket Wars
End of the wars
Tuturau Maori reserve and war memorial
Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
Cover of The war in New Zealand, by William Fox, originally published in 1866. This reprint was published in 1973 by Capper Press.
Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
War has had a great impact on New Zealand society. Over the last 60 years books about war have become a mainstay of local non-fiction publishing. Generations of New Zealanders have learned about our exploits in two world wars and the impact of these conflicts on the nation. But how familiar are we with our internal wars of the 19th century?
Credit:
Cover of Sir W. Fox, The war in New Zealand, Capper Press, Christchurch, 1973 (reprint of 1866 original)
A Ngapuhi raiding party prepares
War speech, painted by Augustus Earle in 1838.
A Ngāpuhi chief stands in a beached canoe addressing a crowd of warriors, most of whom are seated. Two other long canoes are on the beach, one with a sail is in the water, and others are pulled up close to a pā or kāinga in the left background. A dog sniffs the ground in the foreground. Most of the men are armed with guns; one at far right holds a taiaha. A gourd and flax kit are centrally placed amongst one group.
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