Battle of Hingakaka
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Hingakaka was reputedly "the largest battle ever fought on New Zealand soil".
A force of 7,000 to 10,000 warriors, led by a Ngāti Toa
chief Pikauterangi, from the Marokopa district of the lower North Island invaded the Waipa District, to restore honour. He was aggrieved over the poor distribution of the fish harvest, according to Te Hurinui-Jones. The Taranaki and coastal Tainui force landed to wipe out the Ngāti Maniapoto
and the Waikato
tribes who had allied with Hauraki hapu. The invaders were first spotted by Wahanui, a Maniapoto Chief, just south of Otorohanga. He sent runners to warn the tangatawhenua (home people) in the central Waikato. Choosing to ambush the attacking force, the 1600 (Te Hurinui says 3,000) Waikato defenders chose a ridge line just south of Lake Ngaroto
called Te Mangeo to launch their attack.
Te Rauangaaga (Te Wherowhero's father) placed his army on the high ground at the end of a narrow ridge in three groups. The invading force assembled at the foot of the spur (possibly near where the railway line is now located-see discussion). Huahua's force made a frontal attack by charging down the hill. The defenders reeled back, allowing the attackers to envelope them. The second group of the defending forces then rushed down the hill to hit the confused army of Pikauterangi in the flank. The turning point came when Pikaurangi was felled by a blow from Te Rauangaaga. In a panic the invaders tried to retreat along a narrow gap between the ridge and the lake but were ambushed by Tiriwa's men who had been waiting in the bush along the ridge.The Ngati Toa were forced into the swamp lands along the lake margin; some tried to swim the lake but were killed by patrols waiting on the far side.
Many thousands died in the attack. Ballara, quoting Pei Te Hurinui-Jones of Tainui, says 16,000 warriors are said to have taken part. Combatants included Waikato-Maniapoto and on the other hand Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa. Others came from Taranaki, from Kaipara in Northland, and as far east as Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay. So many chiefs died in the battle that it is known as the Fall of Parrots, an echo of the traditional mass parrot hunt.
The sacred carving Te Uenuku
was lost in the carnage.
Sources differ on the date of the battle, ranging from 1790, to "about 1803" and "about 1807".
A force of 7,000 to 10,000 warriors, led by a Ngāti Toa
Ngati Toa
Ngāti Toa , an iwi , traces its descent from the eponymous ancestor Toarangatira. The Ngāti Toa region extends from Miria-te-kakara at Rangitikei to Wellington, and across Cook Strait to Wairau and Nelson....
chief Pikauterangi, from the Marokopa district of the lower North Island invaded the Waipa District, to restore honour. He was aggrieved over the poor distribution of the fish harvest, according to Te Hurinui-Jones. The Taranaki and coastal Tainui force landed to wipe out the Ngāti Maniapoto
Ngati Maniapoto
Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka Tainui...
and the Waikato
Waikato (iwi)
Waikato is a Māori iwi from the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Actually a confederation of smaller tribes, it is also part of the larger confederation of Tainui, consisting of tribes descended from Polynesian migrants who arrived in New Zealand on the Tainui canoe...
tribes who had allied with Hauraki hapu. The invaders were first spotted by Wahanui, a Maniapoto Chief, just south of Otorohanga. He sent runners to warn the tangatawhenua (home people) in the central Waikato. Choosing to ambush the attacking force, the 1600 (Te Hurinui says 3,000) Waikato defenders chose a ridge line just south of Lake Ngaroto
Lake Ngaroto
Lake Ngaroto is a peat lake in Waipa District of New Zealand.Located 19 km south of Hamilton and 8 km north-west of Te Awamutu, it has a surface area of 108 ha, making it the largest of the Waipa peat lakes...
called Te Mangeo to launch their attack.
Te Rauangaaga (Te Wherowhero's father) placed his army on the high ground at the end of a narrow ridge in three groups. The invading force assembled at the foot of the spur (possibly near where the railway line is now located-see discussion). Huahua's force made a frontal attack by charging down the hill. The defenders reeled back, allowing the attackers to envelope them. The second group of the defending forces then rushed down the hill to hit the confused army of Pikauterangi in the flank. The turning point came when Pikaurangi was felled by a blow from Te Rauangaaga. In a panic the invaders tried to retreat along a narrow gap between the ridge and the lake but were ambushed by Tiriwa's men who had been waiting in the bush along the ridge.The Ngati Toa were forced into the swamp lands along the lake margin; some tried to swim the lake but were killed by patrols waiting on the far side.
Many thousands died in the attack. Ballara, quoting Pei Te Hurinui-Jones of Tainui, says 16,000 warriors are said to have taken part. Combatants included Waikato-Maniapoto and on the other hand Ngati Toa and Ngati Raukawa. Others came from Taranaki, from Kaipara in Northland, and as far east as Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay. So many chiefs died in the battle that it is known as the Fall of Parrots, an echo of the traditional mass parrot hunt.
The sacred carving Te Uenuku
Te Uenuku
Te Uenuku, or simply Uenuku is an important early Māori carving housed at Te Awamutu Museum in the North Island of New Zealand.The taonga is of extreme significance both to the local Tainui Māori people and also for its archaeological value. The carving is unique in form, and bears a noted...
was lost in the carnage.
Sources differ on the date of the battle, ranging from 1790, to "about 1803" and "about 1807".