Ranavalona III (1861–1917)

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Ranavalona III (1861–1917)

Last queen of Madagascar. Pronunciation: rah-nah-VAH-loo-nah. Name variations: Razafindrahety. Born in 1861 in Madagascar; died in 1917 in Algiers; daughter of Princess Raketaka of Madagascar; married Rainilaiarivony, prime minister of Madagascar, in 1883; no children.

A princess of Madagascar's ruling family of Imerina, Razafindrahety was the last monarch of the great island, and would witness its annexation as a colony of France. She was chosen by the nobility of the Malagasy people of Madagascar to succeed Queen Ranavalona II in July 1883, and took the name Ranavalona III. A favorite grandniece of the old queen, Razafindrahety was recently widowed after a brief marriage when she was elected queen. She had been educated in Protestant schools by the London Missionary Society in the capital of Tananarive. Her election was supported by Rainilaiarivony, the prime minister and widowed husband of the late queen, who sought her election in order to continue his own unofficial reign. Ranavalona III and the prime minister married in August 1883.

On her accession, the new queen faced the crisis of an ongoing war with the French, who wanted to establish Madagascar as a colony in order to control its rich natural resources and strategic geographical location off the East African coast. The first French-Malagasy war had broken out in June 1883, and the crown would devote most of its resources to a losing military effort over the next decade. In December 1885, the occupation and destruction of the island's chief ports and cities led Ranavalona to sign a treaty with the French, ending the war and agreeing to a French protectorate. However, the French continued their demands for more control over Madagascar's land and trade, and the second French-Malagasy war followed in 1894–95.

Throughout the early 1890s, Ranavalona III and her husband faced a serious decline in royal authority, as Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony aged and the French military position strengthened. There was a continued armed struggle for possession of land on the island between the Malagasy people and French troops and traders. As traditional authority in the capital of Tananarive was eroded, crime, civil strife, and a breakdown of the island economy followed. Other European nations recognized the legitimacy of the French protectorate and ceased direct diplomatic relations with the Madagascar government, which left it with few potential allies in its struggle to maintain independence. The queen did have some support from the British army, which helped hold off the final conquest of the island. However, in September 1895 the queen was forced to surrender Tananarive to French troops. A few days later, Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony was ousted from office and exiled to Algiers. Queen Ranavalona was retained as a figurehead ruler by the French government, which hoped to use her influence to stave off further rebellion. She made speeches urging her subjects to lay down their arms and accept French rule in the interest of peace, but to little effect.

In early 1896, the French faced renewed opposition with the outbreak of the Revolt of the Menalamba, a nationalist insurrection against all foreign influence and control in Madagascar fought in Ranavalona's name. The threat to French troops and trade caused by the Revolt of the Menalamba was the pretext the French used to formally annex Madagascar in August 1896. A governor-general was installed and a few months later the monarchy and the post of prime minister were formally abolished. In February 1897, Ranavalona III was exiled to Réunion to prevent her from becoming a focus for uprisings among her former subjects. Two years later, she was removed to Algiers where she lived in relative comfort, but under French control, until her death in 1917. In 1939, her ashes were returned to Tananarive and interred in the royal tomb. This event generated resurgent nationalist sentiment among the Malagasy, although they would not win back their independence from France until 1960.