Ranavalona I (born
Rabodoandrianampoinimerina; 1778 – August 16, 1861), also known as
Ramavo and
Ranavalo-Manjaka I, was sovereign of the
Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. After positioning herself as queen following the death of her young husband and second cousin,
Radama I, Ranavalona pursued a policy of
isolationism and self-sufficiency, reducing economic and political ties with European powers, repelling a French attack on the coastal town of
Foulpointe, and taking vigorous measures to eradicate the small but growing
Malagasy Christian movement initiated under Radama I by members of the
London Missionary Society. She made heavy use of the traditional practice of
fanompoana (forced labor as tax payment) to complete public works projects and develop a standing army of between 20,000 and 30,000
Merina soldiers, whom she deployed to pacify outlying regions of the island and further expand the realm. The combination of regular warfare, disease, difficult forced labor and harsh measures of justice resulted in a high mortality rate among soldiers and civilians alike during her 33-year reign.