Riwha Titokowaru

Riwha Tītokowaru (c. 1823–1888) became a Māori leader in the Taranaki region and one of the most successful opponents of British colonization anywhere.

Riwha was a subtribal leader (having succeeded his father "Tītokowaru") of the Ngāti Ruanui iwi in South Taranaki. A lot of what was accomplished by his father had been wrongly attributed to the son; being events of intertribal warring during his time of preadolescence. There is some mystery about his early life, but he is known to have become a Methodist in 1842 having been baptised and given the name of Hohepa Otene (named after the missionary). He joined the "King Movement" and fought in the First Taranaki War in 1860 and 1861.

In 1865 and 1866, British troops conducted a punitive campaign throughout Taranaki, destroying numerous villages.

Despite this, 1867 was declared by Tītokowaru to be a year of peace, "the year of the daughters...the year of the lamb", and he led over 100 of his followers on a peace march during the winter of 1867 from Waihī, near Hāwera, down to Pātea and Whanganui and ending at Pipiriki on the upper Whanganui River.

However, continuing disputes with settlers proved intolerable and in 1868 Tītokowaru went to war.

In June 1868 Tītokowaru's forces destroyed a colonist blockhouse at Turuturumokai, inland of Hawera. The colonial response was to send a large contingent to destroy Tītokowaru's stronghold. On 7 September 1868 the colonial forces were defeated with heavy casualties. The stronghold was then abandoned. Amongst the dead was the famous Prussian adventurer Gustavus von Tempsky. Turuturumokai was, previous to becoming a Pākehā garrison, a small Māori encampment, which had been found to be abandoned. Later after careful surveying, it was also discovered that, contrary to appearances, Turuturumokai was not as inconquerable as thought by British troops. The Māori decision to leave Turuturumokai was a strategic move.

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