Pikauterangi

Pikauterangi (fl. 1780) was a New Zealand Māori tribal leader. He was the paramount chief of Ngāti Toa in the late 18th or early 19th century.[1][2] He led Ngāti Toa into battle and defeat, beginning their exodus south.

Life

In the late 18th or early 19th century, Pikauterangi led the unsuccessful Ngāti Toa invasion of the Waikato and Waipā, in the Battle of Hingakākā, reputedly the largest battle ever in Aotearoa (New Zealand).[3] Pikauterangi raised an army of 10,000 warriors against Te Rauangaanga, (the father of the first Māori king Pōtatau Te Wherowhero), who rallied 3,000 fighters from Waikato Tainui and Ngāti Maniapoto to defend their home territories against the invasion.

Pikauterangi was the oldest son of chief Te Maunu. He married two sisters, Te Kahurangi and Nihoniho, and their children became important chiefs in Ngāti Toa also.[2] Together with his older brother, Wharerau, they formed a hapū within Ngāti Toa called Ngāti Kurī.[2]

References

1. "Pikauterangi". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
2. "Pikauterangi, active 1780". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
3. McGibbon, Ian, ed. (2000). The Oxford companion to New Zealand military history. Auckland ; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195583760.