Editing Tītokowaru (section)

== Early life ==
Riwha was a subtribal leader, having succeeded his father Tītokowaru the Elder (died 22 February 1848) of the [[Ngāti Ruanui]] and [[Ngāruahine]] [[iwi]] in South [[Taranaki Region|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<ref>{{Cite book |last=Broughton |first=Ruka Alan |title=Ngaa Mahi Whakaari a Tiitokowaru |publisher=Victoria University Press |year=1993 |edition=1st |location=Wellington}}</ref> (named after the missionary). He joined the "[[King Movement]]" and fought in the [[First Taranaki War]] in 1860 and 1861.<ref>James Belich. 'Tītokowaru, Riwha - Titokowaru, Riwha', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated April, 2011. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, <nowiki>https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t101/titokowaru-riwha</nowiki> (accessed 2 August 2024)</ref> 

In 1865 and 1866, British troops conducted a [[Second Taranaki War|punitive campaign]] throughout Taranaki, though they were unable to force a decisive result. 

In 1867, the year 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 Waihi, near [[Hawera]], down to [[Patea]] and [[Whanganui]] and ending at [[Pipiriki]] on the upper [[Whanganui River]].<ref>[http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/titokowarus-war/year-of-the-lamb "The year of the lamb"]</ref>

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