Bezanozano

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Bezanozano are an ethnic group (more precisely: Foko ) in Madagascar . They are considered to be one of the oldest Malagasy-speaking ethnic groups. They mainly settle inland between the Betsimisaraka region in the northern lowlands and the Merina highlands. They are associated with the Vazimba , the indigenous people of Madagascar, and the numerous tombs of the Vazimba in the territory of the Bezanozano are places of pilgrimage, ritual and sacrificial sites, even if the Bezanozano believe that the descendants of these very oldest ancestors are not identified in their population group can. The name means: "People with many small braids". This refers to the traditional hairstyle. As with the Merina, the famadihana burial ceremony is performed. In 2013 there were around 100,000 Bezanozano in Madagascar.

The slave trade and trade in European merchant ships on the east coast of Madagascar in the 18th century brought great prosperity to the Bezanozano and led to the development of large trading cities such as Ambatondrazaka and Moramanga in the Ankay area . In the late 18th century, the Bezanozano were first forced into vassalage by King Andrianampoinimerina of Imerina and then completely subjugated and colonized by King Radama I , son of Andrianampoinimerina from 1817 . Under the rule of the Merina the Bezanozano were forced into unpaid labor. Above all, they had to transport goods between the capital Antananarivo and the port city Toamasina , which caused the region around Ankay to suffer severe population decline and impoverish the locals. The name Bezanozano has become a synonym for "slave". Efforts to improve the economic situation for the Bezanozano began with the Protectorate français de Madagascar in 1896 and after independence in 1960 a local movement emerged with the aim of dissolving the historical class division and thereby giving the communities development opportunities. Today agriculture is the main occupation of the Bezanozano.

Ethnic identity

Distribution of ethnic groups in Madagascar.

The Bezanozano only had an organized state for a short time and therefore they have not developed a particularly strong internal identity. The center of the Bezanozano ethnic community in the late 18th century was the city of Ambatondrazaka .

history

Historic photo

The Bezanozano inhabited the fertile woodland between the plateaus of the Imerina in the west and the lowland rainforests in the east. Their tribal area was called Ankay . Fortified villages were run by local chiefs. The cohesion was given by the worship of 11 protective sampy (idols), which according to tradition came from the area of ​​the Sakalava . Legends say that the Bezanozano descendants of the indigenous people, the Vazimba. Oral history reports that the Bezanozano spoke right by negotiating jointly and reaching a general consensus.

Bezanozano society reached its golden age in the 18th century when they organized the intermediate trade between the Merina and the European and Arab slave traders and traders on the east coast. Some Bezanozano negotiated directly with French traders, some of whom were caught and sold into slavery themselves. Through this role as a middleman, Bezanozano acquired significant fortunes in slaves and cattle. Some of this wealth was acquired through raids and slave robberies in the neighboring kingdom of Imerina while there was civil war there. The city of Moramanga became an important hub for the Bezanozano trade. The Bezanozano population had grown so rapidly in the mid-18th century that a rebellion flared up in 1768; however, the Bezanozano struck them down with the help of the Europeans. In order to strengthen their economic position, the Bezanozano entered into an alliance with the powerful Betsimisaraka in the east. So they were in regular relations with the Europeans and had the opportunity to pay Spanish piastres and slaves in exchange for the cannons of the European traders. The villages bordering on the Bezanozano area were sometimes invited to help with the transport of the goods, as the Bezanozano's transport options were often exhausted. In the late 18th century, the ancestral territory of the Bezanozano extended over an area twice the size of today's "Homeland". The area extended from Angavokely in the west to the Betsimisaraka Cliffs in the east and south to twelve kilometers beyond Beparasy . The first and only king of the Bezanozano, Randrianjomoina , lived at this time.

Imerina reign

The prosperity of the region had already challenged attempts at conquest by other kingdoms several times, but until the conquest by King Andrianampoinimerina from the neighboring kingdom of Madagascar (Imerina, † 1810), the Randrianjomoina and the Bezanozano chiefs allowed to keep their positions, but they did so on an annual basis Forced tribute. The Bezanozano, however, opposed Andrianampoinimerina throughout his tenure and also refused to perform the funeral ceremonies on the occasion of his death. After the king's death, numerous Bezanozano communities rebelled against the rule of the Imerina. His son and successor, Radama I , retaliated by sacking one of the Bezanozano capitals and slaughtering its inhabitants. Radama and his army of 30,000 soldiers then finally subjugated the Bezanozano territory when they were en route to Toamasina in 1817, where Radama further expanded his power with the Betsimisaraka. Radama then enforced compulsory fanampoana ( compulsory labor, or work to waive taxes) and had large quantities of rice, cattle and goods produced in this way, which were paid as an annual tribute. To this end, he built a large transport road from his capital in Antananarivo , which ran through the Bezanozano territory to the port in Toamasina . His successor, Queen Ranavalona I , founded an ammunition factory in Mantasoa and built a second transport route to Toamasina, which included the southern part of the Bezanozano Territory between the two trade routes. The population in the area was drawn to the utmost in unpaid labor to maintain the streets and accompany the trade caravans. The Bezanozano were so strongly associated with fanampoana and porter services that some refer to the Bezanozano synonymously as andevo (the historical slave class). As a result, the Ankay became depopulated. In the 1830s a rebellion against this forced labor cut trade between the capital and the east coast until it was suppressed by the Merina army. The natural resources of the territory were systematically exploited, including wood and iron; Iron ore was often found in the area, also because the population had never learned the blacksmith's trade. The merina culture also changed in the 19th century, so the culture of peanuts and beans was introduced and burials in stone trees and the construction of trano gasy houses began.

colonialism

After the French colonization of Madagascar in 1896, other innovations were introduced by Imerina, such as terraced rice fields, ox carts and the manufacture of metal tools. Large numbers of Merina migrants settled in this region in the 1920s, where they worked as traders and forest entrepreneurs. After Madagascar regained its independence in 1960, there was a strong social movement among the Bezanozano to regain an ethnic identity in which restrictions associated with class and historical social roles were abandoned in favor of greater freedom, opportunity and equality. Officials from the main political party, the Social Democratic Party of Madagascar and the Comoros (PSD), endeavored to obtain equal participation from both andriana (nobles) and former slaves, while keeping the Merina representation in the area as small as possible. After the rotaka protests in 1972, in which the administration of Philibert Tsiranana was overthrown, a government developed under the leadership of Didier Ratsiraka and the Andry sy Rihana Enti-Manavotra an'i Madagasikara (Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar, AREMA), the preferably worked with the traditional leaders of the community, typical Bezanozano elders.

society

Economy and Agriculture

Today the Bezanozano grow rice in terraced, irrigated rice fields, and in contrast to the neighboring Betsimisaraka, they shy away from clearing the primeval forests, since there are vazimba graves and other natural monuments that are inhabited by spirits and home for those through Fady (taboos) protected indri - lemurs . The Betsimisaraka consider undeveloped land to be unclaimed. This way of dealing with land creates tensions between the two ethnic groups. A special farming tradition is vary verina , the cultivation of rice on a higher terrace and the cultivation of beans and maize on a lower terrace. The influence of the Merina colonization in the Ankay region is still eminent, most of the wealth and the most valuable land is still in the hands of Merina families.

Honey is collected in the woods and sold in markets or by the roadside. Honey used to play an important role in the rituals of the Merina kings and the Bezanozano were considered the best honey collectors.

Indirect speech, discretion, tact and avoidance of conflict are essential characteristics of communication and language among the Bezanozano, similar to the highland Merina, but in stark contrast to the Betsimisaraka of the east coast.

family

Gender roles in traditional Bezanozano families are clearly defined. Men actively participate in public discussions and are responsible for building houses, making money, and planting paddy fields. Women are responsible for weaving, tilling the fields, fetching water, running the stove and preparing meals. Women are also expected to lag behind their husbands when walking. Bezanozano men who worked as porters had the superstition that they would be hurt if a woman passed them in front of their faces at work.

religion

Most Bezanozano practice ancestor worship ( razana ), some of which are referred to as zanahary (gods) in the ritual . There are male and female zanahary , which represent the oldest and most powerful ancestors and who are called anonymously with the title zanahary , in order to avoid forgetting someone and thus angering one of the ancestors. The tompontany (masters of the land) are Vazimba , the earliest inhabitants; they differ from the razana in that it is impossible to identify their descendants. All old graves or grave-like mounds of earth are considered graves of the Vazimba and are therefore places of pilgrimage and places for sacrifices and rituals to appease the spirits or to secure their benevolence. The Bezanozano also believe in sorcery and witchcraft. Even if Protestant missionaries and churches have been established in the Ankay region since the late 19th century, the Merina in particular belong to the congregations; only a few Bezanozano have converted.

Fady

In Ambatondrazaka and certain Bezanozano communities, eating pork is a fady. The Indri are also considered taboo. They must not be killed or eaten, must be freed if they have fallen into traps and must be buried with the same rites as a person.

Funeral rites

The Bezanozano traditionally bury their dead in stone graves. Like the Merina, they practice the famadihana reburial ceremony. Funerals are celebrated with large drinking parties with rum.

Dance and music

Betatoato is a dance that is only danced by the Bezanozano.

language

The Bezanozano speak a dialect of Malagasy , which forms a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages . It is related to the barito in southern Borneo .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bradt, Austin 2007: 26.
  2. ↑ Diagram Group 2013.
  3. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 89th
  4. ↑ Campbell 2012: 746.
  5. ^ Ogot 1992: 431.
  6. ↑ Madagascar: Les sillons du passé - Les Bezanozano, une origine vazimba. In: Midi Madagasikara. 5th February 2013.
  7. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 91st
  8. ↑ Rakoto, Urfer 2014: 111.
  9. ^ Ogot 1992: 431.
  10. ^ Ogot 1992: 434.
  11. ↑ Campbell 2005: 55.
  12. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93rd
  13. ^ Ogot 1992: 431.
  14. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93; Ogot 1992: 431.
  15. ^ Ade Ajayi 1989: 414.
  16. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93rd
  17. ^ Ade Ajayi 1989: 416.
  18. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93rd
  19. ^ Ade Ajayi 1989: 420
  20. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93rd
  21. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 93rd
  22. ↑ Rakoto, Urfer 2014: 118.
  23. ↑ Rakoto, Urfer 2014: 111.
  24. ^ Campbell 2005: 250.
  25. ^ Raison-Jourde 1991: 47.
  26. ^ Campbell 2012: 420.
  27. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 95th
  28. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 148th
  29. ↑ Rakoto, Urfer 2014: 116.
  30. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 146-147.
  31. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: two hundred and first
  32. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 148th
  33. ↑ Campbell 2012: 444.
  34. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 148th
  35. ↑ Gennep 1904: 155-156.
  36. ↑ Rahamefy 2007: 38-39.
  37. ↑ Rahamefy 2007: 23-24.
  38. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 148th
  39. ↑ Aubert, Razafiarison, Bertrand 2003: 149th
  40. ↑ Gennep 1904: 225.
  41. ^ Gennep 1904: 220.
  42. ↑ Rakoto, Urfer 2014: 116.
  43. ^ Bradt, Austin 2007: 26.
  44. ↑ Festival Betatoato. Office de Tourisme Alaotra Mangoro 2012.
  45. ^ Campbell 2012: 478.

literature