Raketaka (August 1824 – 1866) was heir to the throne of
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
until her father
Radama I
Radama I "the Great" (1793–1828) was the first Malagasy sovereign to be recognized as King of Madagascar (1810–1828) by a European state. He came to power at the age of 18 following the death of his father, King Andrianampoinimerina. Under Ra ...
died. She was also the mother of the last queen,
Ranavalona III
Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...
.
Biography
Early life
Raketaka was born in
Antananarivo
Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "An ...
in August 1824. She was the youngest child of King
Radama I
Radama I "the Great" (1793–1828) was the first Malagasy sovereign to be recognized as King of Madagascar (1810–1828) by a European state. He came to power at the age of 18 following the death of his father, King Andrianampoinimerina. Under Ra ...
and Queen Rasalimo.
Rasalimo was the daughter of King
Ramitraho of
Menabe
Menabe is a Regions of Madagascar, region in western Madagascar, with its capital at Morondava. It covers an area of , and its population was 700,577 in 2018. The population mostly belongs to the Sakalava ethnic group. The region is named after th ...
. She was born in August 1824 and had two sisters, Ratsiadala and Ramarivelo.
Prior to her birth, Radama I had intended for his nephew Rakotobe to inherit the crown, however on her birth it was decided they would marry and she would become Queen.
After the death of Radama I in 1828, there was turmoil as to who should become sovereign. Some parties supported Raketaka's claim to the throne. However, power was assumed by her step-mother, the king's first wife,
Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I (born Rabodoandrianampoinimerina (also called Ramavo); 1778 – 16 August 1861), also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I and the “Mad Monarch of Madagascar” was sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After pos ...
. She believed that there was not enough popular support for any of her step-daughters, particularly Raketaka, who was very young.
She did put two men to death for giving vocal support to Raketaka assuming the throne. Supporters of Radama wanted to manipulate the infant Raketaka and rule behind the scenes. However many relatives of the king were killed by Ranavalona to ensure her own accession was secure, but Raketaka was spared because she had
Sakalava
The Sakalava are an ethnic groups of Madagascar, ethnic group of Madagascar. They are found on the western and northwest region of the island, in a band along the coast. The Sakalava are one of the smaller ethnic groups, constituting about 6.2 pe ...
ancestry.
Raketaka was present at her father's funeral.
By 1838, Raketaka was the only surviving child of Radama I.
Marriage
Raketaka married her cousin Andriantsimianatra.
They had nine children.
Their daughter Razafindrahety, who was born in 1861, inherited the
Merina
The Merina people (also known as the Imerina, Antimerina, or Hova) are the largest ethnic group in Madagascar.[Merina ...]
throne in 1883 and became Queen
Ranavalona III
Ranavalona III (; 22 November 1861 – 23 May 1917) was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the go ...
.
Her mother's lineage was an important factor in Ranavalona II's decision to make Razafindrahety her heir. Another daughter,
Rasendranoro was exiled to
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
by the French government. Some of the rest of Raketaka's descendants have spread across Madagascar.
Raketaka died in 1866 and was buried in
Ampasanimalo.
See also
*
Lists of princesses
A list of princesses may refer to:
People
*List of Princesses of Condé
*List of princesses of Greece
*List of princesses by marriage of Greece
*Hanoverian princess by marriage
*List of Princesses of Liechtenstein
*List of Princesses of Orange
*L ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raketaka
1824 births
1866 deaths
Malagasy royalty
Princesses
Daughters of kings
Sakalava
Merina people