Rainilaiarivony

Rainilaiarivony ( born January 30, 1828 in Ilafy; † July 17, 1896 in Algiers ) was 1864-1895 Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Madagascar.

He was the son of Rainiharo - born and therefore enjoyed the special favor - a lover and at the same time Prime Minister of Queen Ranavalona I.. He rose to the post of private secretary to the Queen. With his predecessor Rainivoninahitriniony he was connected by kinship (they were half-brothers and both had Rainiharo to the parent).

His long reign is explained by his marriage behavior. He was successively with the queens Rasoherina, Ranavalona II and Ranavalona III. married. Even before these marriages he was also with the wives Ralizah ( four children) and Rasoanalina (15 children) Married ( since 1845 resp. 1847).

The Prime Minister recognized the benefits of cooperation with the Europeans and their technology. In 1865, he completed a comprehensive treaty with Great Britain, in 1868 with France. Later contracts were added with other Western countries ( including Germany and the United States). In 1869, he was baptized Protestant.

He abolished polygamy and slavery, but was otherwise tolerant of indigenous traditions. Rainilaiaryvony judged the school system on massively and let learn locals European techniques. He hoped, less of European advisors and missionaries to be dependent on these measures.

Since he suspected that the Europeans wanted to colonize Madagascar, he played this sent off against each other. At the same time he gave his people a broad knowledge of European military technology, built the army and had them modernize (guns, rifles, machine guns). Thus he hoped to be able to withstand a possible military aggression and to preserve the independence of the Kingdom.

In the commercial he created modern structures. A civil and criminal law on the European model was created. Village councils were given more rights. And a modern arms, health and police system was created. In place of royal advisers were ministers and chiefs in place of provincial governors. When he fled into exile in Algiers on account of the French invasion in 1895, there were numerous schools in the country with over 150,000 pupils. And nearly a quarter of the people had been baptized Christian - including almost the entire elite.

• Politicians (Madagascar)
• Born in 1828
• Died in 1896
• Man