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Queen Ranavalona I (1778–1861) -

Ranavalona I, born Princess Rabodoandrianampoinimerina in 1778 but better known as Ramavo, became sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar in 1828 after the death of her husband, Radama I.

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Radama I -

Radama I was the first Malagasy sovereign to be recognized as King of Madagascar. He died prematurely on July 27, 1828, very likely of advanced alcoholism.

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Ranavalona I -

Radama I famously married 13 times. It was his highest-ranking wife, Ramavo, who succeeded him as monarch.

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Kingdom of Imerina -

During his rule, King Radama I had pursued a policy of Europeanization. This included inviting the first Europeans into his realm, the Kingdom of Imerina.

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London Missionary Society -

Among those invited were members of the London Missionary Society. They introduced Christianity to the island and taught literacy using the translated Bible.

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End of slavery -

Radama's reign also saw a wide range of political and social reforms enacted, notably an end to the international slave trade.

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Successful military gains -

Success on the battlefield consolidated Radama's reign. Aggressive military campaigns stamped out any rebellion and united two-thirds of the island under his rule.

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The King is dead, long live the Queen -

Radama's real enemy, however, was alcohol. Physically weakened by many years of soldiering, his condition worsened as he increasingly took to the bottle. His death at age 35 was officially declared to be the consequence of heavy intoxication. Radama I was buried in a stone tomb (right), but had died without naming a clear successor. High-ranking military officers collaborated with other powerful officials to make sure Ramavo was crowned the new monarch of Madagascar.

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The "mad monarch of Madagascar" -

Queen Ranavalona I wasted no time at all in declaring a new era of isolationism. Soon afterwards, she began systematically reversing most of her deceased husband's policies.

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First female sovereign -

Ranavalona was the first female sovereign of the Kingdom of Imerina since its founding in 1540. But she was no soft touch. Within weeks of taking the throne, she had ended a friendship treaty with Britain and restricted the activities of the missionaries of the London Missionary Society.

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The purges begin -

Ranavalona then set about ruthlessly eliminating any potential rivals: wives, sons, and mothers. Rakotobe, the eldest son of Radama's eldest sister and according to local custom the rightful heir to the crown, was speared to death. Most of Rakotobe's relatives met similarly gruesome deaths.

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Rolling back progress -

As she continued to roll back progress, Ranavalona ceased trade with other nations, including France. Madagascar became an economically isolated island again. She also reintroduced slavery and was regularly seen traveling on her filanzana, or palanquin, hoisted aloft by a retinue of enslaved people.

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Slave labor -

Slaves were widely used to carry other nobles and royal dependents, as well as for building houses or to serve any other purpose the Queen needed workers for. They were also used as foot soldiers.

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The tangena ordeal -

Ranavalona allied herself with traditional Merina society, with religious figures and lawgivers in the traditional Merina belief system. One custom she encouraged with particular zeal was the tangena ordeal. An age-old test of loyalty, tangena determined the guilt or innocence of an accused party by utilizing the highly toxic seeds of the sea mango tree. Here's how it worked.

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Guilty or innocent? -

Anybody suspected of resistance or practicing Christianity would be force-fed the poison along with three pieces of chicken skin. In order to demonstrate their innocence, the accused would have to vomit all three up. Failure to regurgitate all three pieces of skin indicated guilt. However, the poison often finished the victim off, whatever the verdict. This artist's depiction shows the tangena ordeal being undertaken in a Madagascan forest glade, the victim lying at the foot of an immense tree.

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Manjakamiadana -

In keeping with her status as monarch, Ranavalona ordered the construction of the largest structure in the Rova compound of Antananarivo, a wooden palace (upper left) called Manjakamiadana.

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Both ends against the middle -

Ranavalona's reign was marked by a constant struggle between France and Britain to increase their influence in Madagascar. The French had even gone so far as to launch an unprovoked attack on the island in 1829, only to be repelled by the Queen's army. Playing both ends against the middle, Ranavalona sent ambassadors to Great Britain in order to exert influence over the French. However, the situation changed when the monarch allowed a European into her inner circle.

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Jean Laborde -

In 1831, a young French adventurer named Jean Laborde survived a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar. Queen Ranavalona summoned him after realizing Laborde's breadth of practical knowledge. He was skilled in a number of disciplines, including the production of cannons, muskets, and gunpowder. He proved a useful practical and political ally. But history suggests Laborde and Ranavalona may have had a romantic relationship as well.

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Who was the father? -

It's claimed that Laborde fathered a child with the Queen, Rakota, the future King Radama II. But this might also have been Andriamihaja, the first prime minister of Madagascar. Ranavalona was later tricked into having Andriamihaja executed after his rivals falsely accused him of treason.

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Crown Prince Rakota -

The youngster (pictured later as king) grew up under strong French influence. He was also increasingly at odds with his mother's murderous put-down of insubordination.

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More violent, more sadistic -

Meanwhile, Ranavalona was becoming increasingly sadistic. In 1849 after a failed combined French and English attack on Madagascar, the deranged monarch had the bleached skulls of 20 European sailors placed on the beach as a future deterrent. After that, her actions were frequently more capricious and violent.

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Some 10,000 dead -

On another occasion, she ordered a wildlife hunt but found going increasingly uncomfortable. So she commanded a roadway be built as the shooting party progressed. As road builders fell in and died in searing heat and unbearable conditions, they were replaced by fresh recruits. According to historic accounts, an estimated 10,000 men, women, and children are said to have perished during the 16 weeks of the Queen's 'hunt.'

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Joseph-François Lambert -

In 1854, French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat Joseph-François Lambert arrived in Madagascar. Lambert ingratiated himself with the monarch and by doing so met Jean Laborde. He also became acquainted with Crown Prince Rakota.

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Coup d'état -

Dismayed by the murder and torture that by now characterized her toxic reign, the three conspired to drive Ranavalona from power. However, the coup d'état failed, with Rakota accused by some of alerting his mother to the plot to dethrone her. Lambert and Laborde, their lives spared, later escaped to Mauritius. The whole unsavory episode was documented by the renowned Austrian explorer and travel writer Ida Laura Pfeiffer, who was coincidentally on the island when the event unfolded.

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Assassination of King Radama II -

On August 16, 1861, the "mad monarch of Madagascar" died peacefully in her sleep. She was succeeded by her son, who became Radama II. But intrigue and deceit remained ever-present. On May 12, 1863, the King was assassinated. With his murder, the power of the Merina monarchs was broken.

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What happened next? -

And what of the other players in this island drama? Jean Laborde returned to Madagascar after the death of Ranavalona I and became the first French consul to Madagascar, when the government of Napoleon III used him to establish French influence on the island.

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Labord's chameleon -

A species of chameleon, Labord's chameleon, endemic to the lowlands of western Madagascar, is named after him.

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Franco-Hova Wars -

Joseph-François Lambert also returned to Madagascar, ostensibly to enact the Lambert Charter, a document drawn up by himself and Laborde and signed by Radama II, which gave Lambert the exclusive right to exploit all minerals, forests, and unoccupied land in Madagascar. The French later used the charter to justify the Franco-Hova Wars that overthrew the ruling monarchy of the Merina Kingdom, and resulted in Madagascar becoming a French colony. 

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Preserved in stone -

The original wooden Manjakamiadana, constructed for Ranavalona I between 1839 and 1840, was encased in stone in 1867. The neighboring Tranovola, a smaller wooden palace constructed in 1819 for King Radama I (seen on the left), was destroyed by fire in 1995.

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Rova of Antananarivo -

Today, the royal palace complex, or Rova of Antananarivo, is a popular visitor attraction and the only reminder left standing of the "mad monarch of Madagascar." 

Sources: (Mada Magazine) (Encyclopedia.com) (Britannica) 

See also: Why Madagascar is Africa's best-kept secret

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