History and Memory in the Age of Enslavement: Becoming Merina in Highland Madagascar, 1770-1822

449 Pages·2000·74.765 MB·English

by  Pier M. Larson

H I S T O RY A ND M E M O RY IN
T HE A GE OF E N S L A V E M E NT
B e c o m i ng M e r i na in H i g h l a nd
M a d a g a s c a r, 1 7 7 0 - 1 8 22
S O C I AL H I S T O RY OF A F R I CA
SERIES EDITORS: ALLEN ISAACMAN AND JEAN AELMAN
r"
Social History of Africa
H I S T O RY A ND M E M O RY
IN T HE A GE
OF E N S L A V E M E NT
* "* »»•<*»»» m. t &*\ 4 \
H I S T O RY A ND M E M O RY
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Pamela Scully
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A Lion Amongst the Cattle: Reconstruction and Resistance in the Northern Transvaal
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Heinemann James Currey Ltd. David Philip Publishers (Pty) Ltd. Copyright Acknowledgments
A division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Road Botley 73 208 Werdmuller Centre
361 Street Hanover Oxford OX2 OBS Claremont 7708 The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to use the following material:
Portsmouth, 03801-3912 NH Kingdom United Cape Town, Africa South
Modified excerpts from Pier M. Larson, "Reconsidering Trauma, Identity, and the African
USA
Diaspora: Enslavement and Historical Memory in Nineteenth-Century Highland Madagascar,"
www.heinemann.com Mary and Quarterly, William 3d. ser., 56, 2 (1999). Reprinted with permission.
Offices agents arid throughout the world
Figure 3.1 fromRemembering the Present: History Popular Painting in and Zaire reprinted by
' 2000 by Pier M. Larson. All rights reserved.^No part of this book may be reproduced in any permission of Johannes Fabian.
form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book,
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote
but in some instances this has proven impossible. The author and publisher will be glad to
brief passages in a review.
receive information leading to more complete acknowledgments in subsequent printings of this
ISBN 0-325-002*17-7 (Heinemann cloth") book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions.
ISBN 0-325-00216-9' (Heinemfnri paper)
ISBN 0-85255-689-6 (James Currey cloth)
ISBN 0-85255-639-X (James Currey paper)
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Larson, Pier M.
History and memory'in the age'of ensjavement : becoming Merina in highland Madagascar,
1770-1822.—(Social history of Africa) ^
1. Slave-trade—Madagascar—History 2. Merina (Malagasy people)—History—18th
century 3. Merina (Malagasy people)—History—19th century 4. Madagascar^-Social
conditions—18th century 5. Madagascar—Social condtitions—19th century 6. Madagascar—
History—To 1810
I. Title
306.3'62'09691'09033
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Larson, Pier Martin.
History and memory in the age of enslavement : becoming Merina in highland Madagascar,
1770-1822 / Pier M. Larson.
p. cm.—(Social history of Africa, ISSN 1099-8098)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-325-00217-7 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-325-00216-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Merina (Malagasy people)—Ethnic identity. 2. Merina (Malagasy people)—History.
3. Slavery—Madagascar. 4. Slave trade—Indian Ocean Region. I. Title. II. Series.
DT469.M277 M475 2000
969.1004'993—dc21 99-049241
Paperback cover photo: Embroidered image of Andrianampoinimerina modeled after
Ramanankirahina's imaginary painting of 1905 (see Figure 5.1). The author purchased this rich
embroidery of colored thread in a craft market of Antananarivo in September 1999. Memories of
Andrianampoinimerina, very much alive in modern highland Madagascar, are wedded to this
stereotypical image. The artist is unknown.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.
04 03 02 01 00 SB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Heinemann James Currey Ltd. David Philip Publishers (Pty) Ltd. Copyright Acknowledgments
A division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Road Botley 73 208 Werdmuller Centre
361 Street Hanover Oxford OX2 OBS Claremont 7708 The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to use the following material:
Portsmouth, 03801-3912 NH Kingdom United Cape Town, Africa South
Modified excerpts from Pier M. Larson, "Reconsidering Trauma, Identity, and the African
USA
Diaspora: Enslavement and Historical Memory in Nineteenth-Century Highland Madagascar,"
www.heinemann.com Mary and Quarterly, William 3d. ser., 56, 2 (1999). Reprinted with permission.
Offices agents arid throughout the world
Figure 3.1 fromRemembering the Present: History Popular Painting in and Zaire reprinted by
' 2000 by Pier M. Larson. All rights reserved.^No part of this book may be reproduced in any permission of Johannes Fabian.
form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book,
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote
but in some instances this has proven impossible. The author and publisher will be glad to
brief passages in a review.
receive information leading to more complete acknowledgments in subsequent printings of this
ISBN 0-325-002*17-7 (Heinemann cloth") book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions.
ISBN 0-325-00216-9' (Heinemfnri paper)
ISBN 0-85255-689-6 (James Currey cloth)
ISBN 0-85255-639-X (James Currey paper)
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Larson, Pier M.
History and memory'in the age'of ensjavement : becoming Merina in highland Madagascar,
1770-1822.—(Social history of Africa) ^
1. Slave-trade—Madagascar—History 2. Merina (Malagasy people)—History—18th
century 3. Merina (Malagasy people)—History—19th century 4. Madagascar^-Social
conditions—18th century 5. Madagascar—Social condtitions—19th century 6. Madagascar—
History—To 1810
I. Title
306.3'62'09691'09033
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Larson, Pier Martin.
History and memory in the age of enslavement : becoming Merina in highland Madagascar,
1770-1822 / Pier M. Larson.
p. cm.—(Social history of Africa, ISSN 1099-8098)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-325-00217-7 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-325-00216-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Merina (Malagasy people)—Ethnic identity. 2. Merina (Malagasy people)—History.
3. Slavery—Madagascar. 4. Slave trade—Indian Ocean Region. I. Title. II. Series.
DT469.M277 M475 2000
969.1004'993—dc21 99-049241
Paperback cover photo: Embroidered image of Andrianampoinimerina modeled after
Ramanankirahina's imaginary painting of 1905 (see Figure 5.1). The author purchased this rich
embroidery of colored thread in a craft market of Antananarivo in September 1999. Memories of
Andrianampoinimerina, very much alive in modern highland Madagascar, are wedded to this
stereotypical image. The artist is unknown.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.
04 03 02 01 00 SB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ho fahatsiarovana ny hadino
in memory of the forgotten
ho fahatsiarovana ny hadino
in memory of the forgotten
C O N T E N TS
Illustrations XI
Textual Notes xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxiii
Glossary xxvii
Abbreviations xxxi
1 Enslavement and Culture 1
PART I: ENSLAVEMENT
2 Moving Slaves 49
3 Enslavement and Its Morality 82
4 Strategies in a Slaving Economy 118
PART II: CULTURE
5 Popular Politics 61 1
6 Memory in the Tension of Citizenship and Sovereignty 05 2
58 2
7 Lessons from the African Diaspora
89 2
Notes
47 3
Bibliography
89 3
Index
C O N T E N TS
Illustrations XI
Textual Notes xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxiii
Glossary xxvii
Abbreviations xxxi
1 Enslavement and Culture 1
PART I: ENSLAVEMENT
2 Moving Slaves 49
3 Enslavement and Its Morality 82
4 Strategies in a Slaving Economy 118
PART II: CULTURE
5 Popular Politics 61 1
6 Memory in the Tension of Citizenship and Sovereignty 05 2
58 2
7 Lessons from the African Diaspora
89 2
Notes
47 3
Bibliography
89 3
Index