Malagasy empires (Sakalava and Merina)

Abstract Two empires emerged in Madagascar between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Sakalava Empire, comprising a loose coalition of three kingdoms, embraced most of the west of the island. It was based on control of foreign trade achieved through an alliance with the Swahili and Indian middlemen whose long‐standing maritime trading network connected Madagascar to East Africa, the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and West India. From the 1750s, rising demand for Malagasy slaves, live cattle, and provisions from the French‐held Mascarenes initially augmented Sakalava dominance. However, from the 1790s, the Merina of the central highlands unified under a dynasty that sought to dominate trade with the Mascarenes, and in 1820 signed a treaty with the British who recognized the Merina sovereign as king of Madagascar and supplied him with the arms and military training required to expand. The Merina initiated military conquests of other regions – in the process ending Sakalava imperial pretensions. However, they aroused enmity and counterattacks from non‐Merina groups, notably the Sakalava, while excessive forced labor undermined the domestic economy and loyalty of Merina subjects. These factors ensured the success of the 1895 French colonial takeover and the end of the Merina Empire.