Editing Tītokowaru

{{Short description|19th-century Māori leader; opponent of British colonisation of New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox monarch
| name         = Riwha Tītokowaru
| image        = Tito Kowaura (Titokowaru) - Illustrated Australian News (1869).jpg
| image_size   = 260px
| alt          = Tītokowaru as illustrated in 1869
| birth_date   = c.1823
| birth_place  = [[Okaiawa|Ōkaiawa]], [[Ngāti Ruanui|Te Takiwā-a-Ngāti Ruanui]], Aotearoa
| death_date   = 18 August 1888 (aged 65)
| death_place  = Ōkaiawa, [[Counties of New Zealand|Hāwera County]], [[Colony of New Zealand]]
| burial_place = Unknown (secret burial)
}}

'''Riwha Tītokowaru''' (born '''Riwha''', {{circa}} 1823– 18 August 1888) was a [[Taranaki]] [[Māori people|Māori]] rangatira, military commander, general and religious leader. He is considered to be one of the most capable and influential military strategists in New Zealand history. He waged a war against invading settlers and Crown forces which became known as [[Tītokowaru's War]]. His reputation has stayed largely the same for 150 years; James Belich has described him as "perhaps the greatest war leader either of New Zealand’s peoples has ever produced".<ref>Belich, J. (1989) ''I Shall Not Die: Titokowaru’s War, 1868–1869'', (2015 ed.) Bridget Williams Books, pp. 2-3.</ref> 

After the period of warfare he again became an advocate for peace and made diplomatic efforts between Māori, colonial settlers and the government. He was arrested and jailed after a peaceful occupation of land near Manaia in 1886 and he died two years later in 1888.

== 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.

== Tītokowaru's War (1868–69) ==
{{Main|Tītokowaru's War}}
In June 1868 Tītokowaru's forces destroyed a colonist blockhouse at Turuturumokai, inland of [[Hāwera]]. 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 [[Prussia]]n 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.

Tītokowaru then advanced southward and defeated a second colonial force at Moturoa. He then stopped at [[Tauranga Ika]] and proceeded to build another fortress pā. This diamond-shaped fortress is considered the strongest ever constructed in New Zealand according to [[James Belich (historian)|James Belich]]. It had numerous underground bunkers and tunnels, which could withstand heavy bombardment. There were three types of firing positions: trenches, loopholed palisades and European-style bastions from which fire could be directed along the frontages of the diamond. On the north-west corner was a tall lookout tower. At 5&nbsp;am, on 2 February 1869, the advance party moved to within a few hundred meters of the stronghold and artillery opened fire. Māori returned rifle fire from within. Under cover of darkness, the colonial force closed the fort to within shouting distance. Both sides shouted and sang to encourage themselves until at 3&nbsp;am the fighting reached a peak, gradually dying away until daybreak. At dawn, the army noticed the pā had gone very quiet. Three men approached the pa with great caution and found it deserted.

== Later life ==
{{CSS image crop
|Image = The Trial of Te Whiti by Walter Jefferson Leslie (1886).jpg
|bSize = 600 |cWidth = 250 |cHeight = 150 |oTop = 115 |oLeft = 170
|Description = Titokowaru (left) and [[Te Whiti o Rongomai|Te Whiti]] during a trial of the latter in Wellington, 1886
}}
His later understanding of the needed union of two peoples (Māori and settler) was incomparable. He advocated peace and diplomacy between the British and Māoridom. He practised his own message, demonstrating great tolerance that was noted by many settlers and authority figures of his time.

In 1886, he was part of a peaceful occupation of land near Manaia. Tītokowaru and nine others were taken to Wellington and, after being held in jail for two and a half months, were tried and sentenced to jail. He died on 18 August 1888 at his home in Ōkaiawai.<ref>Belich, pp.301-302</ref><ref>{{cite book| title=Ngati Ruanui: a history| first=Tony| last=Sole| year=2005| publisher=Huia Publishers}}</ref><ref name=harwood>{{CiteQ|Q106839812}}</ref>

Hailed as a war leader, prophet and peacemaker, Tītokowaru's story lapsed into obscurity before being popularised by New Zealand historian [[James Belich (historian)|James Belich]] in his works on the New Zealand Wars.  He is also the subject of a [[Maurice Shadbolt]] novel ''[[Monday's Warriors]]''.  The character, Te Kaipo, in the 2005 film ''[[River Queen]]'', played by [[Temuera Morrison]], is closely based on Tītokowaru.

==See also==
*[[Tītokowaru's War]]
*[[New Zealand Wars]]
*[[Marian Maguire]], artist whose series ''Titokowaru's Dilemma'' depicts a dialogue between Tītokowaru and Socrates

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{cite book| author=NJ Taniwha| title=Te Ngutu O te Manu, Whanganui – Taranaki 2001, 2002| series=One Marae Thesis| year=2001| publisher=National Congress Library Washington|trans-title=History of Ruanui – The War Years}}

The Fox Boy. Peter Walker. Bloomsbury. 2001 {{ISBN|0747553475}}

I Shall not Die. James Belich. Wellington 1989.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Titokowaru}}
[[Category:Military leaders of the New Zealand Wars]]
[[Category:1823 births]]
[[Category:1888 deaths]]
[[Category:New Zealand Māori religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Taranaki]]
[[Category:Māori prophets]]
[[Category:Ngāti Ruanui people]]
[[Category:Ngāruahine people]]