1500-1787 1883-1918







Merina Kingdom, 1787-1896



In the final years of the 18th century, King ANDRIANAMPOINIMERINA (1787-1810) established a Merina kingdom in the central highlands, with the capital at ANTANANARIVO. His successor, RADAMA I. (1810-1828), allowed English missionaries in and, with British advice, modernized his administration and army. The Merina kingdom expanded by conquering the BETSIMISARAKA Kingdom. Missionaries opened schools and began to write in MALAGASY; a Malagasy literature emerged. It was missionaries who introduced VANILLA to the island in ca. 1840.
Under Radama's widow and successor RANAVALONA (1828-1861), christianity was outlawed and suppressed; the country fell into civil war. Ranavalona's successors reestablished ties with the English missionaries, English and permitted Catholic French missionaries in, too. Under Quuens RANAVALONA II (1868-1883) and RANAVALONA III (1883-1896), the Merina Kingdom extended over most of Madagascar, except the very south and some areas in the west.


Stamps issued for Diego Suarez by the French Postal Administration




The French began a campaign of conquest in 1883; in 1885 they took DIEGO SUAREZ (Antsirane) and declared a PROTECTORATE over the entire island, which was recognized by Britain in 1890. In 1896, the Merina were decisively defeated and the Kingdom abolished. Resistance against French rule, however, continued until 1904.

Merina Kings and Queens, 1787-1896
1787-1810
1810-1828
1828-1861
1861-1863
1863-1868
1868-1883
1883-1896 		Andrianampoinimerina (K)
Radama I. (K)
Ranavalona I. (Q)
Radama II. (K)
Rasoherina (Q)
Ranavalona II. (Q)
Ranavalona III. (Q)







EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from Infoplease : Madagascar
Madagascar, from Library of Congress, Country Studies
Articles from Catholic Encyclopedia : Madagascar
A History of Madagascar, Review of a book by Stephen Ellis from Univ. Leiden
Armed Conflict Events Data : Merina 1800-1999, from OnWar.com
Links on Madagascar's History, from Looksmart
Vanilla History, from Shank's Extracts
DOCUMENTS Flag of Queen Ranavalona III., from FOTW
REFERENCE Article : Madagascar, in : The American Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events 1863 pp.599-603 [G]
Article : Africa, in : The American Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events 1862 pp.1-4, 1863 pp.1-2, 1864 pp.1-2 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 1st 2007

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