Andrianampoinimerina

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Andrianampoinimerina : biography

ca. 1745 – 1810

Family and lineage

Andrianampoinimerina was descended from two royal lines. He was the third son of Andriamiaramanjaka, the King of Ikaloy and Anjafy in Imerina and a Zafimamy Prince of Alahamadintany, a Highlands kingdom that had retained political and cultural independence from Imerina.

His mother, Ranavalonandriambelomasina, was sister to Andrianjafy (1770–1787), King of northern Imerina, making him a Merina Prince.

In response to the threat of invasions by the Sakalava to the West and the Alahamadintany-Zafimamy alliance to the North, Andrianampoinimerina’s grandfather Andriambelomasina concluded a strategic alliance with the bordering Alahamadintany- Zafimamy principality of Ikaloy by marrying his daughter, Ranavalonandriambelomasina, to King Andriamiaramanjaka. This deal stipulated, notably, that after the reign of Andriambelomasina’s son, Andrianjafy, the throne of Ambohimanga would be given to one of his daughter’s sons. For the people of Ambohimanga, this alliance seemed to fulfil a famous prophecy attributed to Andriamasinavalona who said: "One day, Imerina will be unified and ruled by a light-skinned man from Alahamadintany". Andriamasinavalona’s prophecy suggest that the Merina Kings had long intended to extend their kingdom to the North by absorbing the great and menacing Zafimamy Kingdom of Alahamadintany. At the same time, the Zafimamy Kings of Alahamadintany had also wished to extend their land to the South by absorbing the Merina Kingdom. Thus, the wedding of Andrianampoinimerina’s parents represented a fair and peaceful compromise for both parties: the Prince born of this union would at last rule over both states and unify these two great kingdoms without bloodshed.

Andrianampoinimerina’s Zafimamy ancestors practised endogamy and therefore rarely mixed with the descendants of the legendary first inhabitants of Madagascar, the Vazimba. However, he is known to have had partial vazimba ancestry on his mother’s side through her antecedent, King Andriamanelo (1540–1575), son of vazimba Queen Rafohy (1530–1540) and her Merina husband Manelo.

Childhood and education

Andrianampoinimerina spent his early childhood in his father’s Zafimamy court at Ikaloy. There, he received a Zafimamy education and culture, which probably included Indonesian, Indo-Aryan and Arabic forms of knowledge, including cosmology, astronomy and the Arabic-based sorabe script, as well as Malagasy mythology such as the myth of Ibonia, an origin myth that communicates the Malay-Javanese concept of Andriambahoaka afovoanitany ("A King must be at the center of his territory").

In addition, he most likely studied medicine, military strategy (including the traditional strategic boardgame of fanorona), weaponry, basic economics and music – perhaps learning to play the valiha, a bamboo tube zither then reserved for Merina and Zafimamy princes and noblemen

). After concluding this Zafimamy education at the age of 12, his Merina grandfather, King Andriambelomasina, oversaw his Merina education at Amboatany and later at court in Ambohimanga, where he learned political leadership (including the Merina oratory art of hain-teny and particularly kabary) and continued his studies in military strategy and economics.

Beginnings as a "Self-Made Prince"

Starting with the meager proceeds of his own business, Andrianampoinimerina managed, by intelligence and hard work, to amass a sizable property, including rice fields and herds of zebu. Thus, by the age of 30, he had become one of the richest princes of Ambohimanga. Regarded as a "self-made man" who didn’t rely on his privileges as a prince, his independence, temper, tenacity and sense of justice made him very popular among the commoners and the slaves of Ambohimanga. His popularity stood in contrast to popular dissatisfaction with his uncle, King Andrianjafy, who was seen as an irresponsible ruler.