Accueil > Documentations scientifiques > Revues archivées > Omaly sy Anio > Archives > Omaly sy Anio (Hier et Aujourd’hui) : revue d’études historiques, volume 7-8, (...) > Religion et politique : l’évangélisation du pays betsimisaraka à la fin du (...)

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  Religion et politique : l’évangélisation du pays betsimisaraka à la fin du XIXème siècle
  Omaly sy Anio (Hier et Aujourd’hui) : revue d’études historiques, volume 7-8, janvier - décembre 1978, pp. 7-42

  Auteur : Esoavelomandroso M.

  Mots clés : RELIGION ET POLITIQUE/CHRISTIANISME/MALGACHES/BETSIMISARAKA/EVANGELISATION/EDUCATION/ENSEIGNEMENT/19è SIECLE/MADAGASCAR/TOAMASINA/ATSINANANA
  
  

  [ EN ] The Betsimisaraka country, eastern and maritime province of yhe « Kingdom of Madagascar », had been but superficially evangelized until the end of the XIX° century. As evangelization and education usually come together, the Betsimisaraka people had consequently fallen a victim of a late improvement. In fact this region had been disregarded by European missions. The Anglican missionaries especially, whose field had been reserved on the eastern coast, preferred to spread Christianism in Imerina, as it had been done by other missions. Though not absolutely absent from the Betsimisaraka country, missionaries did not exert any influence but too sporadic, unable to get threw a deep evangelization of the natives. Every mission indeed, protestant ones and catholic as well, intended to nothing else but to convert the rulers of the merina kingdom, as they thought it would serve an example for their subjects. Exerting themselves into hard rivalry, missions found their spot in the same places, i.e. in Imerina and Betsileo. The evangelization of the Betsimisaraka country was also undertaken by royal officers. Rainandriamampandry, head officer of the eastern maritime province, intend to evangelize and to instrucr the Betsimisaraka to make effective a law stating that school was an obligation. However his enthousiam and sincerity were not taken in part by his subordinates, his petty governors scattered throughout the province : these felt contented by a mere acknowledgement of Protestantism by the Queen’s subjects, a real education carrying the risk, they thought, of a recession of Merina dominion. In another part, evangelization met with Betsimisaraka’s reticence ; for it was spread by those who hold political and economical power and who ruled them. So Christianism was received as an other manifestation of that dominion of which they felt a victim. The new religion was the less accepted as predicants were far from leading a life in accordance to what they taught.
  The Betsimiraka country was indeed late with regard to evangelization and education at he end of the XIX° century. This was not in consequence of whatsoever an inferiority of the Betsimisaraka people as asserted by some European missionaries and Merina governors, but truly due to the policy led by European missions and the Merina oligarchy.

  [ MLA ] Tsy dia lalim-paka loatra ny fitoriana ny Filazantsara tany amin’ny tanin’ny Betsimisaraka, faritany atsinanana amoron-dranomasina ao amin’ny “Fanjakan’i Madagasikara” tamin’ny faran’ny taonjato faha-XIX. Noho izany, niharan’ny fahatarana teo amin’ny lafiny fampianarana ry zareo Betsimisaraka satria niara-dia hatrany ny fitoriana ny Filazantsara sy ny fampianarana. Tsy dia noraharahian’ireo misionera vazaha loatra mantsy iny faritr’iny. Anjaran’ny Anglikana indrindra ny nitory ny finoana kristiana tamin’iny morontsiraka atsinanana iny, kanefa naleony nanitatra ny asany tany Imerina, sahala amin’ireo misionera hafa rehetra. Tsy hoe tsy tany amin’ny tany betsimisaraka mihitsy akory izy ireo, fa asa nitsitapitapy na vonjy tavan’andro ihany no nataony ka tsy lalim-paka ny fiovam-pinoan’ireo tompon-tany. Ny misionera rehetra mantsy, na protestanta na katolika dia tsy nikendry afa-tsy ny hanova ireo mpitondra ny fanjakana merina, noheveriny tamin’izany fa ireo mpitondra ireo dia ho lasa ohatra alain’ireo olona entiny tahaka. Nifaninana amin’izay ahazoana mpanaraka betsaka avy izy ireo, hany ka nitangongo eo amin’ny toerana izay efa niasan’ny sasany ihany, izany hoe ao Imerina indrindra indrindra sy tany Betsileo. Nitaona ny vahoaka betsimisaraka ho kristiana koa ireo mpiasam-panjakan’ny Andriamanjaka. Rainandriamampandry, filohan’ny faritany atsinanana amoron-dranomasina dia niezaka hitory ny Filazantsara sy nampianatra ny Betsimisaraka, noho ny faniriany hampihatra ara-bakiteny ny lalàna mandidy ny olon-drehetra tsy maintsy hianatra. Ireo mpiasam-panjakana teo ambany fitondrany anefa, sy ireo goverinora niparitaka aran’ny faritany dia tsy nitovy hevitra taminy sady tsy nanana ny hafanam-po sy ny fitiavany te-hampandroso ny olom-peheziny. Nionona tamin’ny faneken’ny mponina ny fivavahana protestanta izy ireo. Natahorany hanozongozona ny fahefan’ny fanjakana merina mantsy ny fielezan’ny fianarana. Afa-tsy izany, tsy nampaharisika ny Betsimisaraka ny nandray ny fivavahana kristiana satria ireo olona nanana teo am-pelatanany ny fahefana ara-politika sy ara-toe-karena ka nangeja azy no nampiely io fivavahana Kristiana io. Arak’izany ny fivavahana kristiana dia noraisiny ho endrika hafa isehoan’ny fangejana nihatra taminy. Nolaviny mihitsy aza io finoana vaovao io satria ireo mpitoriteny dia tsy niaina velively amin’izay notoriany sy nampianariny. Koa nanohitra ny fitoriana ny Filazantsara izay nampiharin’ireo mpangeja avy ety ivelany izy, na dia an-kolaka ihany aza izany fanoherana izany.
  Nisy fahatarana arak’izany ny fitoriana ny Filazantsara sy ny fampianarana tamin’ny faran’ny taonjato faha-XIX tany amin’ny tanin’ny Betsimisaraka. Tsy noho ny fahambanian’ny Betsimisaraka eo amin’ny lafiny samihafa arak’izay niheveran’ny misionera vazaha sy goverinora merina sasantsany azy akory izany fahatarana izany, fa noho ny drafitra maty paika narahan’ny misionera vazaha sy ny olom-bitsy merina nanana ny fahefana.

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