Potatau I.

Potatau I. (Tewherowhero) - the maori king

(about 1800 - 1860)


He was born around the year 1800 as the eldest son of the commander of the warriors of the tribe Waikako from the eponymous river Terauanganga and Teparengaope - the chief of the tribe Ngati Koura. Later, at the head of their tribe experienced the gradual placement of Maori by the british colonizers, culminating in the conclusion of of the treaty of Waitangi. This document, whose signature 6. February 1840, Tewherowhero also attended, recognised the maori tribal chiefs of the sovereignty of the queen Victoria Even..

Against nerovnoprávnému the position of Maori and the seizure of their land by the colonists, however, soon broke out armed rebellion, led by the chief Hone Hekem. That in 1843 he defeated the British at the battle of Okaihau. Later, however, his army suffered a crushing defeat at the Ruapekapeky. Unsuccessfully landed and all of the following the uprising against british rule. Maori chiefs from the north island then came together and decided to create our own kingdom as a counterweight to the british crown. Called the polynesian parliament - raurangu, which brought together representatives of all the tribes, to elect a maori king. In may 1857 it became just Tewherewhere, which took the name of Potatau I. For its headquarters chose to birth Rangiriri, where he built a royal residence.

King Potatau I. he was aware that the british settlers and the british crown with the maori land, and domination over New Zealand voluntarily never give up, so he began to prepare for armed conflict. Secretly bought thousands of rifles with ammunition and began to train an army. In the spring of 1860 took the settlers by force the land of one of the tribes, which was part of the so-called maori kingdom. At the same time british forces have launched a procedure against the current of the river Waikako to their seizure of the capital. When maorským warriors failed the British to stop and threatened that the king would fall into their hands, committed 25.06.1860 suicide. His body was then burned on the sacred mountain of Taupiri, near his residence in Rangiriri. The title of the maori king took his son Tawhiao as the Potatau II.

The so-called. 2. maori war ended only in the year 1872 the definitive subordination of the maori people. His kingdom, however, the slaughter went on and maori kings without territory, who are still in Rangiriri is based, play an important role in maintaining the maorských traditions and national awareness..