In our last episode, Andrianampoinimerina reunited the warring kingdoms of Imerina after seven decades of intermittent civil war. While this alone is a significant achievement, Andrianampoinimerina also had to shoulder the considerable burden of trying to repair his economically and socially devastated kingdom. Through smart and efficient use of the Fanamapoana corvee labor system, Andrianampoinimerina directed the repair, construction, and maintenance of hundreds of canals and dams, which greatly revitalized the region's agricultural output. Combined with the end of the Sakalava raids, this resulted in a major population boom. Soil depletion and overpopulation, however, forced Merina people to expand their territory for further settlement, at the expense of neighboring people.Support the show

Andrianampoinimerina is the most famous monarch in Malagasy history, and for good reason.At a young age, Andrianampoinimerina, still then known by his birth name Rambosalamarazaka, quickly emerged as the favorite to inherit the kingdom of Ambohimanga. However, the kingdom was instead inherited by his uncle Andrianjafy. Throughout his rule, the king would enact several unpopular policies. His failed wars against the king of Antananarivo led to economic strife, as did growing tribute demands from Ambohimanga's Sakalava overlords. In order to cope with these growing demands, Andrianjafy made the unpopular decision to begin manufacturing criminal accusations against his own subjects to justify selling them into slavery. This unpopular decision justified a group of nobles in overthrowing Andrianjafy and placing Andrianampoinimerina into power.Support the show

After Andriamasinavalona's passing, his sons' feud will blossom into a 70-year long civil war. Communities will tear each other apart, slave raiding will reach new heights, and famine will re-emerge as a new threat.  Meanwhile, Merina rulers will engage in some experimental policies, like the minting of the region's first local coins, but mostly just kill each other.Support the show

The 18th century will be a painful time for the people of Imerina. The once proud kingdom will devolve into a deadly multilateral civil war, splitting into dozens of smaller kingdoms, each suffering from intermittent famine and domination by foreign enemies. How could the kingdom of Andriamasinavalona, rapidly rising to become a major player in Madagascar, fall so far. The inciting incident lays at the feet of the otherwise great king Andriamasinavalona.The mpanjaka Imerina had spread his kingdom several times beyond what his predecessors would have even considered possible. Could such a large kingdom survive in highland Madagascar? Andriamasinavalona believed that the answer was "no." Instead, he favored transforming the Merina kingdom into a confederation of four smaller states called Imerina Efa Toko, or "Imerina like the Legs of a Cooking Pot." The king's advisor Andriamampandry repeated warned him against the plan, cautioning that the newly empowered princes would immediately seek to make war with each other. But Andriamasinavalona persisted. Support the show

The class conflict of Imerina comes to a head, as the free peasants of central Madagascar overthrow the hated king Razakatsitakatrandria. In his place they elevate Andriamasinavalona, a king far more willing to listen and act on their concerns, ushering in a golden age of Merina history.Support the show