13 Facts About Radama II

Radama II was the son and heir of Queen Ranavalona I and ruled from 1861 to 1863 over the Kingdom of Madagascar, which controlled virtually the entire island.

Under the terms of the Lambert Charter, which Radama II secretly contracted in 1855 with French entrepreneur Joseph-Francois Lambert while Ranavalona still ruled, the French were awarded exclusive rights to the exploitation of large tracts of valuable land and other lucrative resources and projects.

The public was informed that Radama II had committed suicide and that his body had been unceremoniously interred in a tomb in Ilafy.

Radama II was born Prince Rakoto on September 23,1829, in the Imasoandro building on the compound of the Rova of Antananarivo.

Radama II was officially recognized as the son of King Radama I and his widow Queen Ranavalona I, although the king had died more than nine months before the prince's birth.

The latter successfully obtained key strategic allies within the court that enabled Radama II to seize the throne without violence following his mother's death.

Ramboasalama was obliged to swear a public oath of allegiance to Radama II, and was later sent into exile in the highland village of Ambohimirimo where he died in April 1862.

Radama II reopened the country to foreign powers and concluded treaties of friendship with Britain and France.

Significantly, Radama II freed numerous political prisoners captured under Ranavalona I during provincial wars of subjugation and offered repatriation of confiscated property.

On May 7,1863, Radama II announced his intention to allow disputes to be settled by a duel, much to the disapproval of many of his advisers at court who feared the practice would lead to anarchy.

Friday afternoon, the prime minister's younger brother, Rainilaiarivony, who was head of the army, called several thousand troops into the city to besiege a number of the menamaso and members of the royal family at the Rova palace compound, and by Saturday morning the decision had been made and carried out to execute eleven of the menamaso and other key political figures who had counseled Radama II to legalize dueling.

The next morning, it was publicly announced in the marketplace that Radama II had taken his own life due to grief over the deaths of his compatriots the menamaso and that Rabodo would succeed him as Queen Rasoherina.

Radama II's name was struck from the list of kings and it was declared illegal to mourn his death.