An Economic History of Imperial Madagascar, 1750–1895: The Rise and Fall of an Island Empire (African Studies, Series Number 106)
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Binding : Paperback
ISBN-10 : 0521103916
Language : English
Publisher : Cambridge University Press; 1st edition
Publication Date : December 11, 2008
Pages : 436
This comprehensive economic history of pre-colonial Madagascar examines the island's role in the burgeoning international economy and the rise of modern European imperialism. It reveals that the Merina of the Central Highlands attempted to found an island empire and, through the exploitation of its human and natural resources, develop the economic and military might to challenge British and French pretensions in the region. Ultimately, their failure (due to imperial forced labor policies and natural disasters) caused the nefarious consequences, attributed to external capitalist and French colonial policies.