Merina

(noun)

The dominant "highlander" Malagasy ethnic group in Madagascar, and one of the country's eighteen official ethnic groups. Their core territory corresponds to the former Antananarivo Province in the center of the island. Beginning in the late 18th century, their sovereigns extended political domination over the rest of the island, ultimately uniting it under their rule.

Related Terms

Examples of Merina in the following topics:

  • The Kingdoms of Madagascar

    • The fractured Betsimisaraka kingdom was easily colonized in 1817 by Radama I, king of Merina.
    • The Merina emerged as the politically dominant group in the course of the 17th and 18th centuries.
    • Though the Merina were never to annex the two last Sakalava strongholds of Menabe and Boina (Mahajanga), the Sakalava never again posed a threat to the central plateau, which remained under Merina control until the French colonization of the island in 1896.
    • The Merina kingdom reached the peak of its power in the early 19th century.
    • In a number of military expeditions, large numbers of non-Merina were captured and used for slave labor.