Tens of thousands of Maori died in the intertribal Musket Wars of the 1810s, 1820s and 1830s. Thousands more were enslaved or became refugees. Led by the northern rivalries between Ngapuhi and Ngati Whatua, all of the tribes were soon trading to obtain 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
Maori did explore other options in resolving disputes. Diplomacy, arranged marriages, gifts and escape were all employed at various times in avoiding actual fighting. When these methods failed the common response was to seek an advantage by gaining more weapons.
Aftermath - Musket Wars
End of the wars
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 by Capper Press in 1973.
Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
War has had a great impact on New Zealand society. Over the last 60 years writing about war has become a mainstay of local non-fiction publishing. 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?
A Ngapuhi raiding party prepares
'War speech', painted by Augustus Earle in 1838.
A Ngapuhi chief stands in a beached canoe, addressing a crowd of warriors, mostly seated, with a few standing. Two other long canoes are on the beach, one with a sail is in the water, and others are pulled up close to a pa or kainga in the left background. A dog sniffs the ground in the foreground. Most men are armed with guns, although one on the far right holds a taiaha. A gourd and flax kit are centrally placed amongst one group of men.
The return of Hongi Hika, painting
The return of Hongi, 1860s.
This image by an unknown artist shows a large waka taua (war canoe) decorated with severed heads. The canoe was owned by the Nga Puhi chief Hongi Hika who was returning in January 1819 after raiding Bay of Plenty and East Cape tribes. A second large canoe can be seen in the background.
