26 Facts About Ralambo

Ralambo was the ruler of the Kingdom of Imerina in the central Highlands region of Madagascar from 1575 to 1612.

Ralambo is credited with popularizing the consumption of beef in the Kingdom of Imerina and celebrating this discovery with the establishment of the fandroana New Year's festival which traditionally took place on the day of Ralambo's birth.

Oral history furthermore traces the tradition of royal idols in Imerina to the reign of Ralambo, who made heavy use of these supernatural objects to expand his realm and consolidate the divine nature of his sovereignty.

However, both of these explanations are likely to have originated at some point after his reign; it is more probable that he took the name Ralambo after propagating the consumption of the meat of the zebu, called lambo in the proto-Malagasy language and the Malayo-Polynesian tongue from which it derived.

Ralambo's many enduring and significant political and cultural achievements of his reign have earned him a heroic and near mythical status among the greatest ancient sovereigns of Merina history.

Ralambo was the first to assign the name of Imerina to the central highland territories where he ruled.

Ralambo moved his capital from Alasora to Ambohidrabiby, location of the former capital of his maternal grandfather King Rabiby.

Ralambo introduced the traditions of circumcision and family intermarriage among Merina nobles, these practices having already existed among certain other Malagasy ethnic groups.

Ralambo is credited with introducing the tradition of polygamy in Imerina.

Ralambo then informed his first wife of his intention to marry again, to which she replied, "I approve your decision," and the marriage was made.

Ralambo ultimately took four wives in total: Rafotsitohina, Rafotsiramarobavina, Ratsitohinina and Rafotsindrindra.

Ralambo expanded and defended his realm through a combination of diplomacy and successful military action aided by the procurement of the first firearms in Imerina by way of trade with kingdoms on the coast.

Ralambo famously repelled an attempted invasion by an army of the powerful western coastal Betsimisaraka people at a site now known as Mandamako at Androkaroka, north of Alasora.

Ralambo disseminated this discovery throughout his realm, as well as the practice and design of cattle pen construction.

Ralambo is likewise credited with founding the traditional ceremony of the fandroana, although others have suggested he merely added certain practices to the celebration of a long-standing ritual.

Ralambo declared zebu meat to be fit for human consumption.

Ralambo amassed twelve of the most reputed and powerful sampy from neighboring communities.

Ralambo furthermore transformed the nature of the relationship between sampy and ruler: whereas previously the sampy had been seen as tools at the disposal of community leaders, under Ralambo they became divine protectors of the leader's sovereignty and the integrity of the state which would be preserved through their power on the condition that the line of sovereigns ensured the sampy were shown the respect due to them.

Ralambo had traveled from her village located at Isondra in Betsileo country to the south which had been destroyed by fire, walking the great distance and traveling only at night in order to deliver to the king what she called Kelimalaza, giving the impression that it was no less than the greatest treasure in the land.

Ralambo took the sampy and built a house for it in a nearby village.

Ralambo then selected a group of adepts who were to study under Kalobe to learn the mysteries of Kelimalaza.

Ralambo announced that it would be sufficient to throw a rotten egg at the warriors, and Kelimalaza would take care of the rest.

The honored place that Ralambo awarded to Kelimalaza encouraged others like Kalobe to bring their own sampy to Ralambo from neighboring lands where they had been introduced long before by the Antaimoro.

The next arrival, Manjakatsiroa, protected the sovereignty of the king from rivals and became the favorite of Ralambo, who kept it always near him.

Ralambo was buried in the traditional stone tomb of his grandfather, King Rabiby, which still stands at the highland village of Ambohidrabiby.

The rules of succession established by Andriamanelo obliged Ralambo to pass over his eldest son in favor of the succession of Andrianjaka, his younger son by his first wife, Rafotsindrindramanjaka.