Prior to his coronation, the king of Imerina, Radama, promised to his father that he would expand the kingdom towards the coast. In 1817, he accomplished this goal, conquering the largest port on Madagascar&apos;s eastern coast, Toamasina.But this was only the beginning. With a new coastal possession, Imerina was launched into a global world of international politics. Starting in 1817, Radama initiated a crusade to "modernize" his kingdom, launching radical new reforms to its systems of education, economy, industry, and architecture. In a sense, the reforms of the Merina kingdom mark the first period of history in which an African country tries to "catch up" with Europe, a phenomenon still relevant throughout Africa to this day. Imerina&apos;s fate in this quest is an informative story to follow for anyone interested in the questions of why certain countries are rich, others are poor, and how this relationship may be changed.Support the show

History of Africa

Season 4 Episode 16: The Modernization of Madgascar part 1 - The Conquest of Toamasina

If his father is the most remembered king in Madagascar, Radama is probably the best-known Malagasy king in the rest of the world. Radama is famous not only for leading the first major push to unify his home island but also for his later efforts to modernize and industrialize the Merina Empire. But how did this fascinating man come to power in the first place? Today, we track Radama&apos;s ascent from heir to the throne to the most powerful king in the history of Madagascar.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 15: Radama the Great

In our last episode, Andrianampoinimerina reunited the warring kingdoms of Imerina after seven decades of intermittent civil war. While this alone is a significant achievement, Andrianampoinimerina also had to shoulder the considerable burden of trying to repair his economically and socially devastated kingdom. Through smart and efficient use of the Fanamapoana corvee labor system, Andrianampoinimerina directed the repair, construction, and maintenance of hundreds of canals and dams, which greatly revitalized the region&apos;s agricultural output. Combined with the end of the Sakalava raids, this resulted in a major population boom. Soil depletion and overpopulation, however, forced Merina people to expand their territory for further settlement, at the expense of neighboring people.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 14: Andrianampoinimerina part 2 - The Birth of The Merina Empire

Andrianampoinimerina is the most famous monarch in Malagasy history, and for good reason.At a young age, Andrianampoinimerina, still then known by his birth name Rambosalamarazaka, quickly emerged as the favorite to inherit the kingdom of Ambohimanga. However, the kingdom was instead inherited by his uncle Andrianjafy. Throughout his rule, the king would enact several unpopular policies. His failed wars against the king of Antananarivo led to economic strife, as did growing tribute demands from Ambohimanga&apos;s Sakalava overlords. In order to cope with these growing demands, Andrianjafy made the unpopular decision to begin manufacturing criminal accusations against his own subjects to justify selling them into slavery. This unpopular decision justified a group of nobles in overthrowing Andrianjafy and placing Andrianampoinimerina into power.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 13: Andrianampoinimerina - The True Prince

After Andriamasinavalona&apos;s passing, his sons&apos; feud will blossom into a 70-year long civil war. Communities will tear each other apart, slave raiding will reach new heights, and famine will re-emerge as a new threat.  Meanwhile, Merina rulers will engage in some experimental policies, like the minting of the region&apos;s first local coins, but mostly just kill each other.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 12: The Crisis of the 18th Century part 2: The Merina Civil War

The 18th century will be a painful time for the people of Imerina. The once proud kingdom will devolve into a deadly multilateral civil war, splitting into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each suffering from intermittent famine and domination by foreign enemies. How could the kingdom of Andriamasinavalona, rapidly rising to become a major player in Madagascar, fall so far. The inciting incident lays at the feet of the otherwise great king Andriamasinavalona.The mpanjaka Imerina had spread his kingdom several times beyond what his predecessors would have even considered possible. Could such a large kingdom survive in highland Madagascar? Andriamasinavalona believed that the answer was "no." Instead, he favored transforming the Merina kingdom into a confederation of four smaller states called Imerina Efa Toko, or "Imerina like the Legs of a Cooking Pot." The king&apos;s advisor Andriamampandry repeated warned him against the plan, cautioning that the newly empowered princes would immediately seek to make war with each other. But Andriamasinavalona persisted. Support the show

Season 4 Episode 11: The Crisis of the 18th Century Part 1 - Andriamasinvalona's Blunder

The class conflict of Imerina comes to a head, as the free peasants of central Madagascar overthrow the hated king Razakatsitakatrandria. In his place they elevate Andriamasinavalona, a king far more willing to listen and act on their concerns, ushering in a golden age of Merina history.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 10: Andriamasinavaloa and the Hova Revolution

As Andrianjaka passes his stable but poor kingdom to his grandchildren, they undertake an enormous project to improve the agricultural output of Imerina. Their largest project, consisting of the miles of canals and terraces of Betsimitatra, would go on to transform the destiny of Imerina&apos;s history. This project, completed using the fanampoana system of conscript labor,  would forever transform the demographics of Imerina by kicking off a decades-long trend of rapid Merina population growth.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 9: Betsimitatra and the Wonders of Merina Agricultural Engineering

Despite being the younger of Ralambo&apos;s sons, Andrianjaka inherited the kingdom of Imerina due to his brother&apos;s board gaming addiction. He would make the most of this time, with some of the most important developments during his rule including: the foundation of Madagascar&apos;s most important city in Antananarivo, the canonization of religious practices surrounding the sampy, and the final expulsion of the remaining Vazimba from the kingdom.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 8: Andrianjaka - The Indivisible Sun

In the early 17th century, a raiding party of Sakalava soldiers entered Imerina. King Ralambo, faced with an existential threat, was forced to rely only on a combination of his own wit and divine assistance from the idol Kelimalaza. According to the Tantara, Kelimalaza assisted Ralambo in all of his shocking victories over his larger and better-equipped enemy armies. Support the show

Season 4 Episode 7: Ralambo’s Wars

While Imerina is our primary focus this season, they were far from the pre-eminent power in 18th Century Madagascar. In today&apos;s show, let&apos;s learn about the first empire to truly dominate Madagascar, the equally fascinating and enigmatic kingdom known as Sakalava. Since our show is primarily told from the Merina perspective, they will be the primary "antagonists" of this season.  However, don&apos;t get it twisted: the Sakalava kingdom and its people were so much more than mere enemies of the Merina.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 6: Sakalava - Madagascar’s First Empire

Of all seven of the king&apos;s children, Ralambo was the only son to survive into adulthood. Emerging into a world through a miraculous birth, Ralambo&apos;s rule would be miraculous in its own right. From transforming his country&apos;s views on marriage, completely rewriting its system of religious worship, and setting up the foundations of its future class system, Ralambo&apos;s rule could be argued to be the true beginning of the Merina Kingdom.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 5: Ralambo, the Miracle Child

With Rangita deceased, it is now time for her sons to live up to her promise to cooperate and share power. Which lasts about as long as you&apos;d expect.With his brother dead, Andriamanelo now has to decide the direction of his rule. He will certainly make a lasting impact.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 4 - Andriamanelo, King of Alasora

In today&apos;s episode, we examine the Vazimba, the mysterious original inhabitants of inland Madagascar. Are they fact, fiction, or somewhere in between?Support the show

Season 4 Episode 3: The Vazimba, Hova, and the Merina

This episode charts the numerous hypotheses and perceptions of Madagascar&apos;s confusing early history of migrations, its place in the economic system of the ancient Indian Ocean, and the demographics that eventually became the ancestors of the Malagasy.Support the show

Season 4 Episode 2: Settlers from All Shores

Take a deep dive deep into African history with this in-depth podcast. From Casablanca to Cape Town, tune in to this podcast to learn about the magnificent and oft-forgotten history of Africa. To access more free resources about African history, provide feedback, or support the show, check out our associated website at https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com

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History of Africa

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