Story: Kīngitanga – the Māori King movement

Mahuta, the son of Tāwhiao and his senior wife, Hera, grew up during the New Zealand wars of the 1860s and received little European education. He spoke almost no English and relied on others for written communication. He became the third Māori King in 1894. Mahuta ruled during a period of dire poverty and political powerlessness for Māori generally, and this weakened his movement's influence among both Māori and Pākehā.