Ranavalona I

Ranavalona I

Ranavalona I (born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina (also called Ramavo); 1778 – 16 August 1861), 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. She made heavy use of the traditional practice of fanompoana (forced labor as tax payment) to complete public works projects and develop a standing army of between 20,000 and 30,000 Merina soldiers, whom she deployed to pacify outlying regions of the island and further expand the realm. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ranavalona I has received more than 817,695 page views. Her biography is available in 34 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 30 in 2019). Ranavalona I is the 3,953rd most popular politician (down from 3,705th in 2019), the 3rd most popular biography from Madagascar and the 2nd most popular Malagasy Politician.

Ranavalona I was the Queen of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. She is most famous for her policies which were designed to make the country more traditional and conservative. These policies included banning Christianity, outlawing the wearing of clothes with European styles, and forbidding the teaching of reading and writing.