Sakalava empire
Sakalava empire Fanjakana sakalava (Malagasy) | |||||||||
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| c. 1600–1902 | |||||||||
| Capital | Menabe: Mahabo (Morondava as principal port) Iboina: Tongay (1700-mid 18th c.) Marovoay (mid 18th c.-early 19th c.) (Majunga as principal port) | ||||||||
| Common languages |
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| Religion | Fomba Gasy | ||||||||
| Government | Absolute monarchies | ||||||||
| Mpanjaka be | |||||||||
• late-16th/early-17th centuries | Andriamandazoala (Menabe, first) | ||||||||
• 1897-1902 | Ingereza (Menabe, last) | ||||||||
• 1685-1710 | Andriamandisoarivo (Iboina, first) | ||||||||
• ?-1840 | Tsiomeko (Iboina, last) | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Establishment of Menabe | c. 1600 | ||||||||
• Expansion north and founding of Iboina | late-17th century | ||||||||
• Menabe nominally submit to Imerina | 1822 | ||||||||
• Imerina capture Majunga | 1824 | ||||||||
• Last Boina monarch renounces claims to the west coast | 1840 | ||||||||
• French conquest of Menabe | 1902 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Madagascar | ||||||||
The Sakalava empire was a polity along the western coast of Madagascar, consisting of two large Sakalava kingdoms (Menabe and Iboina) and various others ruled by members of the Maroserana dynasty. Characterised by scholars as either a confederation or (diffuse) empire, the three broad divisions were Iboina (stretching from Ampasindava Bay in the north to the Namakia River in the south), Menabe (continuing down to the Mangoky River), and Fiherenana (ending at the Onilahy River near St. Augustine Bay), with Sakalava rule stretching anywhere between 50 and 200 km (31 and 124 mi) inland.
The Kingdom of Menabe was founded sometime before 1600 along the Morondava River. Maroserana rule grew following a succession dispute in Menabe which resulted in the expulsion of the king's brother, who expanded north to found Iboina. The details of how territory in the south was acquired are disputed. The king of Menabe re-established relations with his brother, and the Sakalava came to dominate trade. The empire expanded in part via the fatidra ceremony, which incorporated local rulers into the dynasty. In the 18th century Imerina's efforts to gain greater control over the island's trade posed a great threat to the Sakalava. Amid Britain and France's rivalrous competition to control Indian Ocean trade, Britain allied Imerina in 1817, forcing Sakalava to ally France. Imerina rapidly expanded throughout the 19th century, gaining nominal rule over Menabe and expelling the rulers of Iboina to surrounding islands. France invaded and defeated Imerina in the late-19th century, and after a 5-year-long war conquered Menabe in 1902, consolidating their rule over the island by 1904.