Menabe is the southern part of the Sakalava territory. Tradition holds that it was founded by
Adriamandazoala (reigned 1540 – 1560). Its territory was increased under the legendary
Andriandahifotsy ( 1610 – 1685). It thus became the strongest kingdom in
Madagascar until the mid-18th century. Among its most famous rulers was
Ranaimo or Andriandrainarivo (ruled 1718–1727) who is known through the memoirs of Europeans such as
Robert Drury,
James Cook, the crew of the Dutch East Indiaman
Barneveld, 1719,
François Valentijn (1726). Though handsome and imposing, he was a paralytic.
Radama I would conduct three ravaging campaigns in the kingdom of Menabe in 1820, in 1821 and finally in 1822. Finally, Ramitraho, king of Menabe at the time, sued for peace by giving his daughter Rasalimo to Radama as his wife. But peace would not follow until Rasalimo offered another peace treaty in 1827. Unfortunately Radama died before negotiations could finish. Eventually the Merina conquered and subjugated the southern Menabe territories in 1834 right after
Ramitraho's death. Constant war would ensue culminating with a Merina victory in 1846. Queen
Ranavalona I then garrisoned major Menabe towns and sent farmers to colonize the area. Menabe rulers were allowed to keep their authority but under the local Merina governor. The northern Menabe largely escaped Merina authority and stayed independent despite the fact that they no longer posed any threat to the monarchy in
Antananarivo. During the
French invasion of Madagascar the Menabe kings united their forces. On August 14, 1897 and August 30, 1897 the 100 Menabe chiefs with 10,000 warriors armed with
rifles met the French troops in
Anosimena and
Ambiky. King
Itoera was killed along with his generals and many of his nobles, but the Menabe was not pacified until the year 1900. Menabe was then incorporated into the province of
Toliara under the
French colonization which ended in 1960. In 2004 it became a Region. ==Geography==