Rainilaiarivony
Rainilaiarivony (born January 30, 1828 in Ilafy , † July 17, 1896 in Algiers ) was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1864 to 1895 .
He was born the son of Rainiharo - a lover and at the same time Prime Minister of Queen Ranavalona I - and therefore enjoyed her special favor. He rose to the post of private secretary to the queen. He was related to his predecessor Rainivoninahitriniony (they were half-brothers and both had Rainiharo as their father).
His marriages explain his long reign. He was successively with the queens Rasoherina , Ranavalona II and Ranavalona III. married. Even before these marriages, he was married to Ralizah (since 1845; four children) and Rasoanalina (since 1847; 15 children).
The Prime Minister recognized the benefits of cooperation with the Europeans and their technology. In 1865 he signed a comprehensive treaty with Great Britain and in 1868 with France . Contracts with other western states (including Germany and the United States ) were added later. In 1869 he was baptized as a Protestant .
He abolished polygamy and slavery , but was otherwise tolerant of local traditions. Rainilaiaryvony greatly upgraded the school system and let locals learn European techniques. He hoped that with these measures he would be less dependent on European advisers and missionaries.
Since he suspected that the Europeans wanted to colonize Madagascar, he cleverly played them off against each other. At the same time, he gave his people knowledge of European weapons technology , expanded the army and had it modernized (cannons, rifles, machine guns). So he hoped to be able to withstand any military aggression and preserve the kingdom's independence.
He created modern structures in the administration. A civil and criminal law based on the European model was created. Village councils got more rights. A modern poor, health and police system was established. Ministers took the place of royal advisors, and provincial governors took the place of chiefs. When he fled into exile in Algiers due to the French invasion in 1895 , there were numerous schools in the country with over 150,000 students. Almost a quarter of the people had been baptized Christian - including almost the entire elite.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rainilaiarivony |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Malagasy politician, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Madagascar (1864–1895) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 30, 1828 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ilafy |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 17, 1896 |
| Place of death | Algiers |