Andrianampoinimerina - King of Merina Kingdom
Andrianampoinimerina was born in 1745 in Ikaloy in the kingdom of Ambohimanga. He was the son of Andriamiaramanjaka (King of Ikaloy) and Ranavalonanandriambelomasina (Princess of Ambohimanga). At 1787 he became king of the small Ambohimanga kingdom. In 1794 he conquered the neighbouring kingdom of Antananarivo and moved his headquarter to Antananarivo. After uniting the various Merina kingdoms from the central plateau of Madagascar, he also conquered other highland tribes, such as the Betsileo, Sihanaka, Bezanozano and Bara territories. By 1810, the time of his death, Andrianampoinimerina had conquered two thirds of Madagascar. The Merina kingdom was the most powerful empire in the history of Madagascar.
He is widely recognized as one of the three greatest Merinas to rule over Madagascar before the French occupation, along with his son Radama I and Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony. Andrianampoinimerina issued many laws, such as land reforms and trade regulations. Each was given enough land for rice production to support their families, the left over was paid as a rice tribute to the king. Community projects, such as building canals, were imposed through forced labor with bonuses for the most productive workers. He standardised the usage of weight scales and all units for volume and length measurements at the markets. Additionally the use of money was standardised and regularised. Andrianampoinimerina also organised the military force by creating a citizen army called the Foloalindahy - the 100 000 soldiers and forbidd the burning of forests.
Andrianampoinimerina had several wives and at least 30 children. His successor was his son Radama I, who conquered with the help of Britain most of the rest of Madagascar island.
