History : The ancestors’ country

From the 7th to the 9th century : The great foundation on oriental side of the island...


The Malagasy people is the result of sucessive arrivals of migrants from malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia and East Africa. At the times of the India Company, eh portugese captain Diego Diaz discovered the great island as he was sailing away from a storm.
First european to step on the island, he named it Saint Laurent island. As a strategic point on the spice route, several european settlements have been made, but all failed. The saint Laurent island saw Portugese, Deutch and British try to establish themselves.


The French had the most successful setting, they settled a colony or 30 years from year 1642 to 1672. From then to 19th century, french merchants developped a florishing commerce between their west coast counters and Reunion and Mauritius island (Bourbon and France island at these times).

The name of Madagascar came from a naming mistake made by Marco Polo who tought Madagaar coast was Somalias Mogadiscio that is northest. The multiple eurpean influences have been very well integrated by the locals.

Integration and inter comunity mariages made something very unique  : the malagasy people’s identity.
   
5th century : first grand kingdoms
As the local spread in the island several independant kingdom raised.

The 19th century saw the raise and extention of the Merina kingdom in the highlands.

Thanks to a unification policy of its king Andrianampoinimerina, dominated almost all the island. At the time of european colonisations, the great kings RADAMA the first, RANAVALONA the first were  place. Radama the first was the first king who united Madagasgar’s kingdoms. He reigned from 1810 to 1828, and got help in his unification policy from the Great Britain with military support. The british action had a strong cultural and religious influence on the malagasy society at theses times.

With Queen RANAVALONA I (1828-1861) all european influences were rejected. Christian missionaries were expelled and christian comunities killed. A very important caracter for Madagascar futur landed then, a frenchman called Jean Laborde. He brought to Madagascar the european technologies of the 19th century. The came the reign of Radama II, queens Rasoherina, Ranavalona II et  Ranavalona III. In 1883, france attaqued and ocupied the major harbours of the island. After 30 months of war, the french government imposed a treaty that made a french colony of  Madagascar.


The General governor Joseph Simon Gallieni oficially declared Madagascar french colony the 6th of august 1869. French became the official language, the monachy first remained with no real power and was finally obolished in 1897, the Queen RanavalonaIII was sent in exile. Then came a 64 years period during which great public building was undertaken : roads, railways and harbour were built.

Agriculture technique was developped, madagascar became a great producer of vanilla, coffee and cloves . Educational schools were created, as welle as a School of medicine in 1897. In 1896 all malagasy people became “french subjects” but not french citizens, and remained with no political right.

The intransigent french colonial policy soon made independancy movement raise against taxes and people requisitions. The 1947 insurrection beacame a corner stone of Madagascar independanceeven if it have been strongly repressed. In september 1958, Madagascar voted for the comunity status proposed by the General De Gaulle.

26th of june 1960 the birth of the Republic of Madagascar

From 1960 to 1972, the neo-colonisation period is governed by Philibert TSIRANANA, first president of the island. In 1975 Didier RATSIRANAKA is elected as the second president. Albert ZAFY is democratically ellected third president in 1993 and Didier RATSIRANAKA came back to the head of the nation in 1997. Since May 2002 Madagacar president is Marc RAVALOMANANA.