Te Rauparaha: Difference between revisions

{{EngvarBUse New Zealand English|date=JuneOctober 20142024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}{{Infobox military person

| birth_place = Probably [[Kawhia Harbour|Kāwhia]], [[Waikato]], New Zealand

| death_place = [[Ōtaki, New Zealand|Ōtaki]], [[WellingtonColony Region|Teof UpokoNew o te IkaZealand]], New Zealand

| placeofburial_label =

| image = Te Raparaha, chief of the Kawias, watercolour by R. Hall, c. 1840s cropped.jpgpng

| nickname =

| branch =

| awards =

'''Te Rauparaha''' (c.1768 – 27 November 1849)<ref name="NZDictionary">{{cite web|last=Oliver|first=Steven|title=Te Rauparaha – Biography|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t74/1|publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand|access-date=21 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Te Rauparaha – New Zealand in History|url=http://history-nz.org/rauparaha.html|access-date=2021-10-24|website=history-nz.org}}</ref> was a [[Māori people|Māori]] [[rangatira]], (chief)[[warlord]], and war[[Tribal leaderchief|chief]] of the [[Ngāti Toa]] tribe[[iwi]]. whoOne tookof athe leadingmost partpowerful inmilitary leaders of the [[Musket Wars]], Te Rauparaha fought a war of conquest that greatly expanded Ngāti Toa southwards, receiving the nicknameepithet "the Napoleon of the South". He wasremains influential in the original saleone of land to the [[Newmost Zealand Company]]prominent and wascelebrated aNew participant in the [[Wairau Affray]]Zealand inhistorical Marlboroughfigures.

Te Rauparaha's mother was Parekōwhatu (Parekōhatu) of the [[Ngāti Raukawa]] [[iwi]] and his father was Werawera of [[Ngāti Toa]].<ref name="NZDictionary" /> He is thought to have been born in the late 1760s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Te Rauparaha |url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/te-rauparaha/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=my.christchurchcitylibraries.com |language=en-NZ}}</ref> He was born in [[Kawhia Harbour|Kāwhia]] in the Waikato.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taonga |url=https://www.toarangatira.iwi.nz/taonga |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Ngāti Toa Rangatira |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1822 Ngāti Toa and related tribes were being forced out of their land around [[Kāwhia Harbour|Kāwhia]] after years of fighting with various Waikato tribes often led by [[Pōtatau Te Wherowhero|Te Wherowhero]]. Led by Te Rauparaha they began a fighting retreat or migration southwards (this migration was called Te-Heke-Tahu-Tahu-ahi), conquering [[hapuhapū]] and [[iwi]] as they went south. This campaign ended with Ngāti Toa controlling the southern part of the [[North Island]] and particularly the strategically placed [[Kapiti Island]], which became the tribal stronghold for a period.<ref name="Dec1851">{{cite web |title= The Church Missionary Gleaner, December 1851|work= The Contrast|access-date=18 October 2015 |url= http://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Images/CMS_OX_Gleaner_1850-1851_21/4| publisher = [[Adam Matthew Digital]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The conquests eventually extended Ngāti Toa authority from Miria-te-kakara at [[Rangitikei District|Rangitikei]] to [[Wellington]], and across [[Cook Strait]] to [[Wairau River|Wairau]] and [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]].<ref name="nzetc" />

Following the Battle of Waiorua, Te Rauparaha began a series of almost annual campaigns into the South Island with the object in part of seizing the sources of the valuable mineral [[Pounamu|greenstone]]. Between 1827 and 1831 he was able to extend the control of NgatiNgāti Toa and their allies over the northern part of the Southern Island.<ref>Chris Maclean, p.115 "Kapiti", {{ISBN|0-473-06166-X}}</ref> His base for these sea-based raids remained Kapiti.

During this period [[Pākehā]] [[whaling]] stations became established in the region with Te Rauparaha's encouragement and the participation of many Māori. Some Māori women married Pākehā whalers and a lucrative two-way trade of supplies for muskets was established, thereby increasing Te Rauparaha's [[Mana (Oceanian mythology)|mana]] and military strength. By the early 1830s Te Rauparaha had defeated a branch of the Rangitane iwi in the Wairau Valley and gained control over that area. Te Rauparaha married his daughter Te Rongo to an influential whaling captain Captain John William Dundas Blenkinsop to whom he sold land in the Wairau Valley for a whaling station. It is uncertain if Te Rauparaha understood the full implications of the deed of sale that he signed and gave to the captain.

Te Rauparaha then hired the brig ''Elizabeth'', captained by John Stewart, to transport himself and approximately 100 warriors to [[Akaroa Harbour]] with the aim of attacking the local tribe, [[NgaiNgāi Tahu]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=White |first1=John |title=The Ancient History of the Maori, His Mythology and Traditions: Tai-Nui [Vol VI] |date=1890 |publisher=Government Printer, New Zealand Electronic Text Collection |location=Wellington |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Whi06Anci-t1-body-d1-d10.html |access-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403030943/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Whi06Anci-t1-body-d1-d10.html |archive-date=3 April 2019}}</ref> Hidden below deck Te Rauparaha and his men captured the NgaiNgāi Tahu chieftain Tamaiharanui, his wife and daughter when they boarded the brig at Stewart's invitation. Several hundred of the NgaiNgāi Tahu were killed both on the Elizabeth and during a surprise landing the next morning. During the voyage back to Kapiti the chief strangled his own daughter Nga Roimata, to save her from expected abuse.<ref>Chris Maclean, p.22 "Waikanae", {{ISBN|978-0-473-16597-0}}</ref> Te Rauparaha was incensed and following their arrival at Kapiti the parents and other prisoners were killed, Tamaiharanui after prolonged torture.<ref>Chris Maclean, pp. 129–130 "Kapiti", {{ISBN|0-473-06166-X}}. The deaths of Tamaiharanui, his kindred and Nga Roimata are narrated in [[Alistair Campbell (poet)|Alistair Campbell]]'s poem ''Reflections on Some Great Chiefs''</ref>

Then inIn May 1846 fighting broke out in the [[Hutt Valley Campaign|Hutt Valley]] between the settlers and Te Rauparaha's nephew, [[Te Rangihaeata]], another prominent Ngāti Toa war leader during the Musket Wars.<ref>Musket Wars. R.Crosby, p.40 Reed. 1999</ref> Despite his declared neutrality, Te Rauparaha was arrested after the British captured secret letters from Te Rauparaha which showed he was playing a double game. He was charged with supplying weapons to Māori who were in open insurrection. He was captured near a tribal village [[Taupo Pā]] in what would later be called [[Plimmerton]], by troops acting for the Governor, [[George Edward Grey|George Grey]], and held without trial under martial law before being exiled to [[Auckland]] where he was held in the ship ''Calliope''.<ref name="NZDictionary" />

His son, [[Tāmihana Te Rauparaha|Tāmihana]], was studying Christianity in Auckland and Te Rauparaha gave him a solemn message that their iwi should not take ''utu'' against the government. Tāmihana returned to his ''rohe'' to stop a planned uprising. Tāmihana sold the Wairau land to the government for 3,000 pounds.<ref name="NZDictionary" /> Grey spoke to Te Rauparaha and persuaded him to give up all outstanding claims to land in the Wairau valley. Then, realising that Te Rauparaha was old and sick, Grey allowed him to return to his people at Ōtaki in 1848.

Te Rauparaha's son Tāmihana was strongly influenced by missionary teaching,<ref name="ES1">{{cite web |last=Stock |first= Eugene |lastdate= Stock1913 |title = The Story of the New Zealand Mission| date =1913|url= http://anglicanhistory.org/nz/stock1913/ |access-date=4 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="April1851">{{cite web |title= The Church Missionary Gleaner, April 1851 |workurl=http://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Images/CMS_OX_Gleaner_1850-1851_13/2 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 October 2015 |work=New-Zealand Chiefs in Committee Drawing Up a Reply to the Society's Jubilee Letter|access-date=18 October 2015 |url= http://www.churchmissionarysociety.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Images/CMS_OX_Gleaner_1850-1851_13/2| publisher = [[Adam Matthew Digital]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> especially Octavius Hadfield. He left for England in December 1850 and was presented to Queen Victoria in 1852. After his return he was one of the Māori to create the idea of a [[Māori King Movement|Māori king]]. However he broke away from the king movement and later became a harsh critic when the movement became involved with the Taranaki-based anti-government fighter [[Wiremu Kingi]].<ref name="NZDictionary" />

AAnother biography of Te Rauparaha was one published in the early 20th century. It was written by [[William Travers (New Zealand politician)|William Travers]] and was called the ''Stirring Times of Te Rauparaha''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Travers |first1=W.T. Locke |title=The stirring times of Te Rauparaha (Chief of the Ngatitoa) |date=1906 |publisher=Whitcombe and Tombs |location=[[Christchurch]] |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22229349 |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref>

[[Category:17601760s births]]

[[Category:New Zealand18th-century Māori mentribal leaders]]

[[Category:19th-century Māori tribal leaders]]