Andrianampoinimerina

Andrianampoinimerina is a sovereign of the Royaume Merina of the center of Madagascar then of all the island, which reigned of 1787 with 1810. His/her son Radama Ier succeeds to him.

Andrianampoinimerina - “the Prince in the middle of Merina” -, (often shortened in " Nampoïna" by the colonial authors, a name somewhat degrading which does not mean anything any more!), its reign like sovereign of the small kingdom of Ambohimanga starts, located at the north of Tananarive. But from there, he then undertook to reunify preques all the countries to become about it, starting from 1806 or 1807 the single sovereign. However, Andrianampoinimerina was not only one conqueror but also a legislator and a “speaker” of great talent, which, within the traditional framework, implied the literary control and a deep wisdom. The work and speeches of the great man, brought back by the oral traditions and written then compiled by a missionary in monumental the Tantaran' ny Andriana (" History of Rois") thus constitute the primary source of the traditions, as well political as literary and philosophical of Merina since the 19th century.

At the beginning of the 19th century, king Andrianampoinimerina pushes back the Bezanozano towards the east, conquers in the west the kingdoms of the Eastern Imamo and, after several battles against the Sihanaka and the Bezanozano, carries his borders in extreme cases Eastern of the plate. He conquers then the kingdom of Andrantsay, then the four kingdoms Betsileo, which do not manage to make their unit. He obtains the tender of Mikala, sovereign of the Ménabe, then enters in relation to Ravahiny, queen of the Boina, and with the chiefs of the kingdoms Antemoro.

Andrianampoinimerina organizes its States while being based on the habit. According to whether the conquest at peaceful summer or forces, the integrated territories preserves their old authorities or undergoes a pure and simple colonization on behalf of the migrants Hova and Andriana, of which happiest receive fields occupied by 7000 household heads able to carry the weapons and to pay taxes. The king ( mpanjaka ) with an in theory absolute capacity but there exists a convention between him and populates it ( will fenitra ), “sealed for eternity”. A popular assembly, the kabary , representing the social independent groups and administrative divisions of the kingdom, settles the most important questions. The kingdom is divided into six toko (districts), directed each one by two men, a andriana and a hova resulting or not from the population local. These toko is subdivided in foko , which corresponds to villages. On a scale foko , village assemblies ( fokon' olona ) regulate the administrative, legal problems and of police force and organize collective work.

To hold in hand its kingdom, Andrianampoinimerina sets up a parallel network of advisers and representatives of the king: wives royal (the 47 but called " douze" for reasons symbolic systems, parallel to the 12 crowned hills), symbol of its alliance with old the reigning dynasty rejoined or subjected; 70 vadin-tany (husband of the ground), having at the level of the foko the executive powers and legal.

Random links: