Te Rata Mahuta (1884 – 1 October 1933) was the fourth
Māori King
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, reigning from 1912 to 1933.
Biography
Te Rata was the eldest son of the third king,
Mahuta
Mahuta is one of 11 islands in the Rakahanga atoll of the Cook Islands. It is on the east of the atoll, between the islets of Huananui and Okakara
Okakara is one of 11 islands in the Rakahanga atoll of the Cook Islands
)
, image_map ...
, and
Te Marae, daughter of the fighting chief
Amukete Te Kerei who was killed in battle at
Rangiriri
Rangiriri is a rural community in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Waikato River near Lake Waikare in the Waikato District. State Highway 1 now bypasses Rangiriri.
Rangiriri was the s ...
in November 1863. Te Rata was born sometime between 1877 and 1880.
[ He had four younger brothers: Taipu (who died in March 1926),]Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
and Te Rauangaanga. He married Te Uranga, daughter of Iriwhata Wharemaki and Hira Wati of Ngāti Korokī.Pōtatau Te Wherowhero
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori warrior, leader of the Waikato iwi (confederation of tribes), the first Māori King and founder of the Te Wherowhero royal dynasty. He was first known just as ''Te Wherowhero'' and took the ...
, beginning a kingship dogged by ill health and controversy.[
Te Rata Mahuta had at least five children;
* Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero (m) (with Te Uranga),
* Taipu Mahuta (m) (with Te Uranga),
* Makareta Hoete Harris (Maihi-Parata) (f) (with Te Uranga),
* Hori (George) Te Rata (m) (with Maata Paora)
* Keti Maata Paora (f) (with Maata Paora)
Korokī became Te Rata's successor upon his death. Of his other sons, Taipu had died in 1924, and Hori was not recognised at the insistence of Te Puea Herangi, Te Rata's influential cousin.
As a child, Te Rata had been a chronic invalid and had suffered several illnesses including rheumatoid ]arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
and heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...
. The former greatly affected his ability to carry out his role as King. This was particularly apparent during an expedition to England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1914. This expedition had been undertaken with the aim of presenting British officials with a petition concerning breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...
; namely, that Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
land had been unjustly confiscated following the New Zealand wars
The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the M ...
.
However, during his voyage to England, Te Rata ended up suffering repeated attacks of rheumatics. For example, during a stop-over in Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, he was unable to accept an invitation from the nation's aging Queen Liliʻuokalani
Liliʻuokalani (; Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha; September 2, 1838 – November 11, 1917) was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ruling from January 29, 1891, until the overthrow of the Haw ...
, the last ruler of her people prior to annexation. Furthermore, these attacks continued following his arrival in England on 21 May 1914. Indeed, Te Rata was so unwell that he ended up turning down a meeting with important British officials, although he eventually was able to meet with King George and Queen Mary.
He died at Waahi on 1 October 1933.[ The ]Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
leader Harry Holland
Henry Edmund Holland (10 June 1868 – 8 October 1933) was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the second leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.
Early life
Holland was born at G ...
died unexpectedly of a heart attack at his funeral.
References
*
External links
The King, seated, at right side
{{DEFAULTSORT:Te Rata
Māori monarchs
1884 births
1933 deaths
Ngāti Mahuta people
People from Huntly, New Zealand