L’Itasy à la fin du XIXè siècle : essai de géographie historique

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L’Itasy à la fin du XIXè siècle : essai de géographie historique
Madagascar : revue de géographie, volume 15, juillet-décembre 1969 pp:53 - 80
Auteur(s) : Mottet G.

Auteur correspondant :
Mots-clés : GEOGRAPHIE REGIONALE/GEOGRAPHIE HISTORIQUE/MADAGASCAR /ANTANANARIVO/ITASY

Résumé de l’article

[FR]

[MG]

[EN] In this attempt at historical geography, the author, using the accounts of travellers, missionaries and soldiers, wants to show that the district of Lake Itasy, 100 km (60 miles) West of Tananarive in the uplands of Madagascar, constituted an original historical province in the 19th century. The population, concentrated in important villages perched on top of the numerous volcanic summits, jealous of its independence, was engaged in farming, cattle-raising and fishing, especially eelfishing in the rapids through which Lake Itasy flows into the Lily River. This historical district known as Mandrindrano was conquered by the Merina sovereigns who established settlements of peasant soldiers there, so as to secure a strong base before undertaking the conquest of the Sakalava people further west. But they could not prevent the latter from plundering the villages bordering Lake Itasy repeatedly. In that state of insecurity, the French found the country at the end of the 19th century, when they began the conquest of Madagascar. Even to this day, Itasy forms an original well-defined geographical region.