The political elite of Imerina and the revolt of the "Menalamba": the creation of a colonial myth in Madagascar, 1895-1898

Abstract

The revolt of the Menalamba occurred over a wide area of central Madagascar, mostly in the kingdom of Imerina, in the two years following the French invasion of Madagascar in 1895. A mysterious aspect has always been the question of who, if anyone was its leader. The official version (of the French government) was that the movement was inspired or directed by a number of magnates at the old Merina court. Recent research in previously unopened archives has thrown new light on the question: the role of the old oligarchy in the uprising was virtually nil. Notes, French sum