a brief note on Madagascar's position in African history
plus, early industrialization in the Merina kingdom.
=========================== #### Discover more from African History Extra All about African history; narrating the continent's neglected past Over 6,000 subscribers a brief note on Madagascar's position in African history
======================================================== ### plus, early industrialization in the Merina kingdom. ( Aug 05, 2023 12 The island of Madagascar has for long languished on the periphery of African historiography. The reluctance of some Africanists to look beyond the east African coast stems partly from the perception of Madagascar as insular and more 'culturally' south-Asian than African, despite such terms being modern constructs with little historical basis in Madagascar's society. Recent research on the island's history has bridged the chasm between the island and the mainland, revealing their shared political, economic and genetic history that defies simplistic constructs of colonial ethnography. The long chain of islands extending outwards from the east African coast through the Comoros archipelago to northwestern Madagascar comprised a series of stepping stones that formed a dynamic zone of interaction between the African mainland and Madagascar. Its on these stepping stones that African settlers continously travelled to Madagascar, establishing settlements along the northern and western coasts of the island and in parts of the interior, where they were joined by south-Asian settlers from the eastern coast to create what became the modern Malagasy society. The north-western coast of Madagascar was part of the 'Swahili world', with its characteristic city-states, regional maritime trade, and extensive interaction with the hinterland. From these interactions emerged an economic and political alliance which drew the Malagasy and Swahili worlds closer: (
, Malagasy elites were integrated in Swahili society, and the movement of free and servile Malagasy into the east African coast was mirrored by a similar albeit smaller movement of both free and servile east Africans onto the island. The evolution of states on the island and their complex interactions with their east African neighbors and the later colonial empires, closely resembles that of the kingdoms on the mainland. At the onset of European imperial expansion on the east African coast, the largest power on the island was the kingdom of Merina, which controlled nearly 2/3rds of the Island during the reign of king Radama (r.1810-28) and Queen Ranavalona (1828-1861). Often characterized as a profoundly sage monarch, king Radama recognized the unique threats and opportunities of the European presence at his doorstep, and (
, he invited foreign innovations on his own terms, and directed them to his own advantage. After the relationship between Merina and its European neighbors soured, Radama and his successors created local industries to reduce the kingdom's reliance on imported technology, and like Tewodros of Ethiopia, Radama retained foreign artisans inorder to establish an armaments industry. **<**_Next week's substack article will explore the history of the Merina kingdom from the 16th century to the late 19th century._**\>** The **early industry of Merina** is the subject of my latest Patreon post in which I explore the kingdom's economic history during the early 19th century when the **Merina state, foreign capital and local labour, converged to create one of the most remarkable examples of proto-industrialization in Africa.
### A Brief Note on Madagascar's Position in African History

1. **Perception and Historical Context**  
   - Madagascar has often been overlooked in African historiography. Many Africanists have viewed it as culturally more South-Asian than African, which is a modern construct lacking historical basis.  
   - Recent research challenges this perception by highlighting the shared political, economic, and genetic history of Madagascar and the African mainland.

2. **Historical Interactions**  
   - The islands stretching from the East African coast through the Comoros to Madagascar formed a network of interaction.  
   - African settlers consistently traveled to Madagascar, establishing settlements along the northern and western coasts and in the interior regions.

3. **Cultural Synthesis**  
   - The settlement patterns contributed to the development of modern Malagasy society, which arose from the integration of African and South-Asian settlers.  
   - The northwestern coast of Madagascar was part of the "Swahili world," characterized by city-states, regional maritime trade, and extensive hinterland interactions.

4. **Political and Economic Alliances**  
   - Economic and political alliances emerged from the interactions between the Malagasy and Swahili societies.  
   - Malagasy elites integrated into Swahili society, leading to a reciprocal movement of both free and servile individuals between Madagascar and the East African coast.

5. **State Evolution and Colonial Interaction**  
   - Madagascar's evolving states and their interactions with East African neighbors resemble the dynamics of mainland kingdoms.  
   - By the time of European imperial expansion in the late 19th century, the Merina kingdom was the dominant power on the island, controlling about two-thirds of it under King Radama (1810-1828) and Queen Ranavalona (1828-1861).

6. **King Radama's Reign**  
   - King Radama recognized the threats and opportunities posed by European presence, inviting foreign innovations on his own terms for the kingdom's benefit.  
   - After relations with European neighbors deteriorated, Radama and his successors developed local industries to lessen reliance on imported technology.

7. **Proto-Industrialization in the Merina Kingdom**  
   - Radama, similar to Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros, retained foreign artisans to establish an armaments industry.  
   - The early 19th century saw the convergence of the Merina state, foreign capital, and local labor, leading to a notable example of proto-industrialization in Africa.

8. **Further Exploration**
   - The history of the Merina kingdom from the 16th century to the late 19th century will be examined in future discussions.  
   - Additionally, the economic history of the Merina's early industry is a topic of exploration that outlines the kingdom's industrial advancements during this critical period.