First Madagascar expedition

First Madagascar expedition; (1883–1885)
	Part of the Franco-Hova Wars
	; Tamatave, bombarded and occupied by the French under Admiral Pierre, on 11 June 1883. Le Monde illustré , 1883.
Date	May 1883 – December 1885
Location	Madagascar
Result	French victory "Protectorate" treaty signed in December 1885 but did not go into effect, leading to the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895.;
Belligerents
France	Merina Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Adm. Pierre † ; Adm. Galiber; Counter-Adm. Miot	Ranavalona II ; Rainilaiarivony
Strength
2 cruisers (Flore, Forfait); 1 scout ship (Vaudreuil); 1 aviso (Boursait); 1 gunboat (Pique); 1 aviso transport (Nièvre)	unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown
	unknown

Last updated August 26, 2024

The First Madagascar expedition was the beginning of the Franco-Hova War and consisted of a French military expedition against the Merina Kingdom on the island of Madagascar in 1883. It was followed by the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895.

British influence

Following their capture of Mauritius from the French in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars, with ownership confirmed by the 1814 Treaty of Paris, the British saw Madagascar as a natural expansion of their influence in the Indian Ocean.^[1] The Merina King, Radama I, managed to unite Madagascar under one rule, benefiting from British weapons and military instructors.^[1] He signed treaties with the British, allowing Protestant missionaries and outlawing the slave trade.^[2]

When Queen Ranavalona I took power in 1828, relationships with foreign powers gradually soured. By the mid-1830s, nearly all foreigners had chosen to leave or were expelled, and British influence was largely suppressed.^[1]^[2] An exception, the Frenchman Jean Laborde, was able to remain in the island to build foundries and an armament industry.

Meanwhile, the Queen's son Prince Rakoto (future King Radama II) had been under the influence of French nationals at Antananarivo. In 1854, a letter destined for Napoleon III that he dictated and signed was utilized by the French government as a basis for future invasion of Madagascar.^[2] He further signed the Lambert Charter on 28 June 1855, a document that granted Frenchman Joseph-François Lambert numerous lucrative economic privileges on the island,^[2] including exclusive right to all mining and forestry activities, and exploitation of unoccupied land, in exchange for a 10% fee to the Merina monarchy.^[2] A coup to topple the Queen and replace her by her son was also planned, in which Laborde and Lambert were involved. Upon the death of the queen, her son took over as King Radama II in 1861, but he only ruled two years before ending by an assassination attempt. This assassination was treated as successful at the time, although later evidence suggests Radama survived the attack and lived to old age as a regular citizen outside the capital. He was succeeded to the throne by his apparent widow Rasoherina.

The Prime Minister Rainivoninahitriniony revoked the Lambert Treaty in 1863. From 1864, Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony endeavored to modernize the state by putting an end to slavery in 1877, modernizing the legal system in 1878 and setting up a new constitution in 1881.^[3] Under the anglophile Rainilaiarivony, British influence grew considerably in the economic and religious fields.^[1]

Growing French interests

In the early 1880s however, the French colonial faction, the right-wing Catholic lobby and Réunion parliamentarians all advocated an invasion of Madagascar in order to suppress British influence there.^[3] The non-respect of the Lambert Charter and the letter to Napoleon III were used by the French as the pretext to invade Madagascar in 1883.^[2] Various disputes also helped trigger the intervention: the minority Sakalavas remained faithful to a French protectorate in the north of the island, a French national was killed in Antananarivo, and the Merina placed an order for the French flag to be replaced by the Madagascar flag in French concessions.^[1] This triggered the first phase of the Franco-Hova War.

Expedition

The decision was taken to send the naval division of Admiral Le Timbre.^[1] The French under Admiral Pierre^[4] bombarded the northwestern coast and occupied Majunga in May 1885.^[5] A column brought an ultimatum to Antananarivo, asking for recognition of French rights in northeastern Madagascar, a French protectorate over the Sakalava, recognition of French property principles and an indemnity of 1,500,000 francs.^[1]^[5]

When the ultimatum was refused, France bombarded the east coast, occupied Toamasina, and arrested the English missionary Shaw.^[3]^[5] Meanwhile, Queen Ranavalona II died, as did Admiral Pierre, who succumbed to the fatigue of the campaign.^[1] Admiral Pierre was replaced by Admiral Galiber, and then Counter-Admiral Miot.^[1]

Aftermath

A Treaty was signed in December 1885, the French interpreting it as a Protectorate Treaty, while Queen Ranavalona III and Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony denied it.^[3] The Treaty included the acceptance of a French resident in Antananarivo and the payment of an indemnity of 10 million.^[1]

The Treaty however remained without effect, and led to the Second Madagascar expedition in 1895, which resulted in the French colonization of Madagascar.^[1]

Related Research Articles

The history of Madagascar is distinguished clearly by the early isolation of the landmass from the ancient supercontinent of Pangaea, containing amongst others the African continent and the Indian subcontinent, and by the island's late colonization by human settlers from the Sunda islands and from East Africa. These two factors facilitated the evolution and survival of thousands of endemic plant and animal species, some of which have gone extinct or are currently threatened with extinction. Trade in the Indian Ocean at the time of first colonization of Madagascar was dominated by Indonesian ships, probably of Borobudur ship and K'un-lun po types.

Radama I "the Great" was the first Malagasy sovereign to be recognized as King of Madagascar (1810–1828) by a European state, Great Britain. He came to power at the age of 17 following the death of his father, King Andrianampoinimerina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranavalona I</span> Queen regnant of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861

Ranavalona I, also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I and the "Mad Monarch of Madagascar" was sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After positioning herself as queen following the death of her young husband, Radama I, Ranavalona pursued a policy of isolationism and self-sufficiency, reducing economic and political ties with European powers, repelling a French attack on the coastal town of Foulpointe, and taking vigorous measures to eradicate the small but growing Malagasy Christian movement initiated under Radama I by members of the London Missionary Society.

Radama II was the son and heir of Queen Ranavalona I and ruled from 1861 to 1863 over the Kingdom of Madagascar, which controlled virtually the entire island. Radama's rule, although brief, was a pivotal period in the history of the Kingdom of Madagascar. Under the unyielding and often harsh 33-year rule of his mother, Queen Ranavalona I, Madagascar had successfully preserved its cultural and political independence from European colonial designs. Rejecting the queen's policy of isolationism and persecution of Christians, Radama II permitted religious freedom and re-opened Madagascar to European influence. Under the terms of the Lambert Charter, which Radama secretly contracted in 1855 with French entrepreneur Joseph-François Lambert while Ranavalona still ruled, the French were awarded exclusive rights to the exploitation of large tracts of valuable land and other lucrative resources and projects. This agreement, which was later revoked by Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony, was key to establishing France's claim over Madagascar as a protectorate and, in 1896, as a colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasoherina</span> Queen of Madagascar

Rasoherina was Queen of Madagascar from 1863 to 1868, succeeding her husband Radama II following his presumed assassination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranavalona III</span> Queen of Madagascar from 1883 to 1897

Ranavalona III was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the government of France. As a young woman, she was selected from among several Andriana qualified to succeed Queen Ranavalona II upon her death. Like both preceding queens, Ranavalona entered a political marriage with a member of the Hova elite named Rainilaiarivony, who largely oversaw the day-to-day governance of the kingdom and managed its foreign affairs in his role as prime minister. Ranavalona tried to stave off colonization by strengthening trade and diplomatic relations with foreign powers throughout her reign, but French attacks on coastal port towns and an assault on the capital city of Antananarivo led to the capture of the royal palace in 1895, ending the sovereignty and political autonomy of the centuries-old kingdom.

The Merina people are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar. They are the "highlander" Malagasy ethnic group of the African island and one of the country's eighteen official ethnic groups. Their origins are mixed, predominantly with Austronesians arriving before the 5th century AD, then many centuries later with mostly Bantu Africans, but also some other ethnic groups. They speak the Merina dialect of the official Malagasy language of Madagascar.

Andrianampoinimerina ruled the Kingdom of Imerina on Madagascar from 1787 until his death. His reign was marked by the reunification of Imerina following 77 years of civil war, and the subsequent expansion of his kingdom into neighboring territories, thereby initiating the unification of Madagascar under Merina rule. Andrianampoinimerina is a cultural hero and holds near mythic status among the Merina people, and is considered one of the greatest military and political leaders in the history of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Laborde</span>

Jean Laborde was an adventurer and early industrialist in Madagascar. He became the chief engineer of the Merina monarchy, supervising the creation of a modern manufacturing center under Queen Ranavalona I. Later he became the first French consul to Madagascar, when the government of Napoleon III used him to establish French influence on the island.

The Malagasy Protectorate was a French protectorate in what is now Madagascar. Through the protectorate, France attempted to control the foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Imerina through its representative at Antananarivo. France declared the island a protectorate in 1882 after reaching an agreement with Britain, which had been the first European power to establish a lasting influence and presence on the island that dated back to the arrival of London Missionary Society missionaries around 1820; Britain agreed to sanction French claims to Madagascar in exchange for French recognition of its claims to Zanzibar. The French justified the establishment of a protectorate on the basis of land claims over outlying islands like Nosy Be and Nosy Boraha and a treaty signed with a local leader of the western coastal Sakalava people. It was further justified through documents signed by King Radama II, including a letter he was possibly tricked into signing that entreated Napoleon III to support a coup d'état against Ranavalona I, and land ownership agreements with French industrialist Joseph-François Lambert that were revoked upon Radama's assassination in 1863. It ended in 1897 as Madagascar became a French colony.

Rainilaiarivony was a Malagasy politician who served as the prime minister of Madagascar from 1864 to 1895, succeeding his older brother Rainivoninahitriniony, who had held the post for thirteen years. His career mirrored that of his father Rainiharo, a renowned military man who became prime minister during the reign of Queen Ranavalona I.

Joseph-François Lambert, the "Duke of Imerina" (1824–1873) was a French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat who fathered the Lambert Charter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco-Hova Wars</span> 1883–1896 pair of French colonial invasions of Madagascar

The Franco-Hova Wars, also known as the Franco-Malagasy Wars, were two French military interventions in Madagascar between 1883 and 1896 that overthrew the ruling monarchy of the Merina Kingdom, and resulted in Madagascar becoming a French colony. The term "Hova" referred to a social class within the Merina class structure.

The Rova of Antananarivo is a royal palace complex (rova) in Madagascar that served as the home of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Imerina in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as of the rulers of the Kingdom of Madagascar in the 19th century. Its counterpart is the nearby fortified village of Ambohimanga, which served as the spiritual seat of the kingdom in contrast to the political significance of the Rova in the capital. Located in the central highland city of Antananarivo, the Rova occupies the highest point on Analamanga, formerly the highest of Antananarivo's many hills. Merina king Andrianjaka, who ruled Imerina from around 1610 until 1630, is believed to have captured Analamanga from a Vazimba king around 1610 or 1625 and erected the site's first fortified royal structure. Successive Merina kings continued to rule from the site until the fall of the monarchy in 1896, frequently restoring, modifying or adding royal structures within the compound to suit their needs.

Rainivoninahitriniony (1824–1868), was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Madagascar between 1852 and 1864. He was the chief engineer of the Aristocratic Revolution initialized upon the attempted assassination of King Radama II. His excesses and participation in the regicide saw him fall from favor, ultimately being relieved of his position and replaced as Prime Minister by his younger brother Rainilaiarivony. Rainivoninahitriniony died in exile on May 5, 1868, shortly after an attempted coup meant to enable him to regain his position upon the death of Queen Rasoherina ended in failure.

The KingdomofMerina, also known as the Kingdom of Madagascar and officially the Kingdom of Imerina, was a pre-colonial state off the coast of Southeast Africa that, by the 18th century, dominated most of what is now Madagascar. It spread outward from Imerina, the Central Highlands region primarily inhabited by the Merina ethnic group with a spiritual capital at Ambohimanga and a political capital 24 km (15 mi) west at Antananarivo, currently the seat of government for the modern state of Madagascar. The Merina kings and queens who ruled over greater Madagascar in the 19th century were the descendants of a long line of hereditary Merina royalty originating with Andriamanelo, who is traditionally credited with founding Imerina in 1540.

Field Marshal Rainiharo was from 1833 to 1852 prime minister of the Kingdom of Imerina in the central highlands of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Madagascar expedition</span> 1894–1895 French conquest of the Merina Kingdom

The Second Madagascar expedition was a French military intervention which took place in 1894–1895, sealing the conquest of the Merina Kingdom on the island of Madagascar by France. It was the last phase of the Franco-Hova War and followed the First Madagascar expedition of 1883–1885.

The Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies was a French colony off the coast of Southeast Africa between 1897 and 1958 in what is now Madagascar. The colony was formerly a protectorate of France known as Malagasy Protectorate. The protectorate became a colony, following Queen Ranavalona III's exile to Réunion.

Christianity in Madagascar is practiced by 85.3% of Madagascar's population according to the Pew Research Center in 2020. However, other surveys put the figure at 58%. Malagasy Christianity is generally practised in syncretic form with traditional religious practices.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Randier, Jean (2006), La Royale, La Falaise: Babouji, p. 400, ISBN 2-35261-022-2 .
1 2 3 4 5 6 Van Den Boogaerde, Pierre (2008), Shipwrecks of Madagascar, AEG Publishing Group, p. 7, ISBN 978-1-60693-494-4 .
1 2 3 4 Boahen, A. Adu (1 January 1990), Africa under colonial domination 1880-1935, p. 108, ISBN 978-0-85255-097-7 .
↑ Johnston, Harry Hamilton (1969), A History of the Colonization of Africa by Alien Races, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-543-95979-9 .
1 2 3 Priestley, Herbert Ingram (26 May 1967), France overseas: a study of modern imperialism, p. 305, ISBN 978-0-7146-1024-5 .

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[Randier_p400-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Randier, Jean (2006), La Royale, La Falaise: Babouji, p. 400, ISBN 2-35261-022-2 .

[Boogaerde_p7-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Van Den Boogaerde, Pierre (2008), Shipwrecks of Madagascar, AEG Publishing Group, p. 7, ISBN 978-1-60693-494-4 .

[Boahen_p108-3] 1 2 3 4 Boahen, A. Adu (1 January 1990), Africa under colonial domination 1880-1935, p. 108, ISBN 978-0-85255-097-7 .

[4] Johnston, Harry Hamilton (1969), A History of the Colonization of Africa by Alien Races, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-543-95979-9 .

[Priestly_p305-5] 1 2 3 Priestley, Herbert Ingram (26 May 1967), France overseas: a study of modern imperialism, p. 305, ISBN 978-0-7146-1024-5 .

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