Hi friends...
To day I want to post about an extra ordinary historical lady. The lady... who terrified the European colonialists, who nullified the christianity and who never cared of the world except about herself. She was the lady... whose life has been picturised as a heroine with cruel nature, adventurous but mercyless, the female caligula and modern messalina and so on...
She is none other than Ranavalona 1, the mad queen of Madagaskar and belonged to merina kingdom. In the European colonial history of African continent, she could be declared as 'nightmare'. Perhaps no other king or queen might have restricted the colonialists to their roots... like that of Ranavalona 1. The story of this queen and her rising is really breath taking.
The exact roots of Ranavalona's is not known to the historians, but some opine that she belongs to 'menabe' tribe of Madagaskar and her initial name was Ramavo. Her father helped the future king Adrianamapoinimerina to come out of a plot by his enemies to kill him. In gratitude of this help, the king adopted Ranavalona to the royal family and married her to his son prince Radama. Though she was the first of Radama's 12 wives... she was never given due respect as she belonged to a tribal family and was an illiterate. After Radama became king she was probably waiting for the opportunity. She might have poisoned the king when he went on expedition to punish a revolted kingdom. The poison spoiled his health and irritated his throat so much so that he was unable to bear pain and cut his neck himself.
Meanwhile Ranavalona acted very fast. The legal heir for the thrown should be Rakotobe, the son of eldest sister of Radama. There was a prevailing custom in merina kingdom that if the eldest wife of the king ..i.e.Ranavalona... bears a child even after the death of the king, could be considered as a legal heir to the thrown. This might prompt Rakotobe to eliminate her. Hence Ranavalona thought that her life was in peril and she must act in time to strengthen her position. She called some armed followers from her native village and kept them to safeguard the palace. Only traditional priests and influential courtmen who supported her were allowed. To others, a strict warning was announced and given a chice either to support her or face the consequences. As higher ranks are grown up in Ranavalona's side... the palace and administration came under her control very fast. She killed Rakotobe and imprisoned his mother to starve her unto death. Almost all loyal supporters of Rakotobe were killed.
As she was illiterate, she needed much support from the military officials in the administration. She was crowned on 1st of August 1828. She was anointed with the blood of freshly slaughtered bull prior to ceremony.
"never say...'' Ranavalona demanded her crowd at coronation... "she is only a feeble and an ignorent woman. How can she rule such a vast empire? I will rule here to the good fortune of my people and for the glory of my name. Iwill worship no gods but those of my ancestors. The ocean shall be the boundary of my realm, and I will not cede the thickness of one hair of my realm."
This, according to her biographer, Keith Ladlier, shows her entire attitude towards her goal. She understood the need of legal heir and maintained sexual affair with a high level militry official by name Adrianamihija. Her son Rabodo was born after more than 10 months of her husbands death. Historians opine that Adrianamihija might have fathered the boy. Even then, the merina customs accepted the kid as the son of the deceased king. She soon cancelled the pacts with France and England that were made during the reign of her husband. She understood the danger of Europeans to colonise the Africa. She suspected they are entering the country in the name of christionity. By the time of her coronation, almost 1/4 th of the country had been christianised. She banned the preaching and practicing of the christionity and punished severely those who contempted the law.
She killed lakhs of people for the reasons of opposing her or on the name of christianity. In 1929 and again in 1935, there were attempts of europeans to cede the madagaskar. First by England and the second by the combined forces of English and French. Both the times she was able to foil the attempts. She pearced the heads of the European soldiers to spears and planted on the hilltops of the coastal areas... as a warning, so that no european colonialist should ever dare to think of occupying madagaskar.
To day I want to post about an extra ordinary historical lady. The lady... who terrified the European colonialists, who nullified the christianity and who never cared of the world except about herself. She was the lady... whose life has been picturised as a heroine with cruel nature, adventurous but mercyless, the female caligula and modern messalina and so on...
She is none other than Ranavalona 1, the mad queen of Madagaskar and belonged to merina kingdom. In the European colonial history of African continent, she could be declared as 'nightmare'. Perhaps no other king or queen might have restricted the colonialists to their roots... like that of Ranavalona 1. The story of this queen and her rising is really breath taking.
The exact roots of Ranavalona's is not known to the historians, but some opine that she belongs to 'menabe' tribe of Madagaskar and her initial name was Ramavo. Her father helped the future king Adrianamapoinimerina to come out of a plot by his enemies to kill him. In gratitude of this help, the king adopted Ranavalona to the royal family and married her to his son prince Radama. Though she was the first of Radama's 12 wives... she was never given due respect as she belonged to a tribal family and was an illiterate. After Radama became king she was probably waiting for the opportunity. She might have poisoned the king when he went on expedition to punish a revolted kingdom. The poison spoiled his health and irritated his throat so much so that he was unable to bear pain and cut his neck himself.
Meanwhile Ranavalona acted very fast. The legal heir for the thrown should be Rakotobe, the son of eldest sister of Radama. There was a prevailing custom in merina kingdom that if the eldest wife of the king ..i.e.Ranavalona... bears a child even after the death of the king, could be considered as a legal heir to the thrown. This might prompt Rakotobe to eliminate her. Hence Ranavalona thought that her life was in peril and she must act in time to strengthen her position. She called some armed followers from her native village and kept them to safeguard the palace. Only traditional priests and influential courtmen who supported her were allowed. To others, a strict warning was announced and given a chice either to support her or face the consequences. As higher ranks are grown up in Ranavalona's side... the palace and administration came under her control very fast. She killed Rakotobe and imprisoned his mother to starve her unto death. Almost all loyal supporters of Rakotobe were killed.
As she was illiterate, she needed much support from the military officials in the administration. She was crowned on 1st of August 1828. She was anointed with the blood of freshly slaughtered bull prior to ceremony.
"never say...'' Ranavalona demanded her crowd at coronation... "she is only a feeble and an ignorent woman. How can she rule such a vast empire? I will rule here to the good fortune of my people and for the glory of my name. Iwill worship no gods but those of my ancestors. The ocean shall be the boundary of my realm, and I will not cede the thickness of one hair of my realm."
This, according to her biographer, Keith Ladlier, shows her entire attitude towards her goal. She understood the need of legal heir and maintained sexual affair with a high level militry official by name Adrianamihija. Her son Rabodo was born after more than 10 months of her husbands death. Historians opine that Adrianamihija might have fathered the boy. Even then, the merina customs accepted the kid as the son of the deceased king. She soon cancelled the pacts with France and England that were made during the reign of her husband. She understood the danger of Europeans to colonise the Africa. She suspected they are entering the country in the name of christionity. By the time of her coronation, almost 1/4 th of the country had been christianised. She banned the preaching and practicing of the christionity and punished severely those who contempted the law.
She killed lakhs of people for the reasons of opposing her or on the name of christianity. In 1929 and again in 1935, there were attempts of europeans to cede the madagaskar. First by England and the second by the combined forces of English and French. Both the times she was able to foil the attempts. She pearced the heads of the European soldiers to spears and planted on the hilltops of the coastal areas... as a warning, so that no european colonialist should ever dare to think of occupying madagaskar.
Within the country, there were severe punishments to disobey her rule. There was a 'tangena test' a poisonous nut that has to be swallowed by the culprit to prove his innocence. Obviously no body could survive. Even Adrianamihija, once her lover, was also brought to the test and was killed. The reason for her angry might be... he had sexual contact with some other woman. Ranavalona's punishment methods were vey strange. The culprits were tied up like dressed chickens and were thrown from the hilltops repeatedly until they die. Some were dressed up with bloodshed animal skins and hunt dogs were unleashed. Some were tied up like cattle and left among the densely forests of madagaskar... when they try to escape their necks would broken up and the survivers were naturally become the feast of the forest beasts. Many were sent to the malaria proned swamps. One of Ranavalona's favourite method of punishing was... the culprits were tied in the pits of the foothills and boiled water is drained to the pits from the hilltops, so that, they die of burns.(The female cligula... written by keith ladlier)
There is probably no other ruler in the history, than Ranavalona who was so cruelous among her own people. Hence the historians call her the mad queen of madagaskar. But much of the records available that are only written by her opponents, especially europeans. A lot of fresh study should be made about the history of this brave queen and the real grounds of her nature should be brought out. She ruled for 33 years and kept the europeans at her bay as long as she reigned. She trusted the only european by name Jean Laborde who happened to come to that island when his shipwrecked. He was a young and energetic frenchman who managed to covince her with her engineering and military skills. He was satisfying the sexual urges of the queen and was helping in manufacturing the modern weapons. He was the earliest industrialist in madagaskar. He was the chief archtect of the royal wooden palace of Ranavalona. The palace was later outer lined by stone construction during the reign of Ranavalona 2. Even Laborde also was vexed of her deeds and couped to dethrown her with the help of her son Rabodo. But the queen foiled the coup with the help of her spies. The culprits were punished drastically, but her son was pardoned. The famous european traveller Reith was happened to be there in Madagaskar and was she was also dragged in to this case. She was sent to the malaria prone swamps, but was survived and returned to europe with declined health.
After continous and ruthless rule of 33 years, Ranavalona died peacefully in 1861 at her old age of 80 years. Now the argument is whether she was a shrewd ruler or a mad ruler of madagaskar. There are many books written on her historical biography, most of which are either exaggerated or illusioned. There is a popular pop song on her methods of punishment. Many europeans cut the cake to celebrate her death anniversary ... sounds some thing like celebrating 'narakasura vadha' during diwaali in India naa..! may be... but for those who suffered for centuries together (like indians) in the hands of europeans... she is definitely a great heroine. Hurray let us worship Ranavalona....
Refferrals..
1. history of madagaskar
2. the red island
3. the female caligula.. by keith ladlier
4. female rulers of African continent
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