Andriana

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Andriana is a Malagasy Nobility Title, preceding most of the noblemen, Princes and King names in Madagascar history.

It has been used by numerous clans, such as the: Zafiraminias, the Merinas, the Betsileos, the Betsimisaraka, the Tsimihetys, the Bezanozanos, the Betsimisarakas, the Antambahoakas, or the Antemoros. A Malagasy Sovereign, Prince, and noble name was often composed by "Andriana", plus his principal name, for example:

  • Andrianampoinimerina (a great Merina King) < "'Andriana'" + "Nampoinimerina", [1]
  • Andriamisara (a great Sakalava King) < "'Andriana'" + Misara. [1]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

According to K.A. Adelaar (2006, p.6, [2]) this Malagasy title probably comes from the Old Javanese nobility title Rahadyan (Ra-hadi-an) 'Lord', 'Master'. In Malagasy the term became:

  • Rohandryan/Roandriana, mainly used in the Southeastern part of the island, among the clan of Zafiraminias, the Antemoros, the Antambahoakas, etc.,[3]
  • 'Randryan/ Andriana, mainly used in the central highlands among the Merinas, Betsileos, Bezanozanos, and Sihanakas.[1]

Other propositions have also been given on the possible etymology of Andriana, though none has seriously challenged the Adelaar (2006) hypothesis, which is based on solid linguistics arguments. We can still cite some of these hypothesis:

According to Adelaar (2006, p. 6), the modern Malay and Javanese title Raden derives also probably from the Old Javanese Rahadyan. [2]

[edit] History of the Andrianas

[citation needed]

[edit] Primary sources

  • The Andrianas of the central highlands

Almost all of what is known about the Andrianas of the central highlands comes from the Révérend Père François Callet's book Tantara ny Andriana ("History of the Nobles"). This collection of oral tradition about the history of the Merina Dynasty was originally written in Malagasy and published between 1878 and 1881. Callet summarized and translated it in French under the title Tantara ny Andriana (Histoire des rois) in 1908.[1] Tantara ny Andriana constitutes the core material for the historians studying the Merina history, and has been commented, criticised, and challenged ever since by numerous historians from Madagascar, Europe, and North America (see for example: Rasamimanana 1930; [4] Ravelojaona et al 1937; [5] Ramilison 1951;[6] Kent 1970;[7] Berg 1988;[8] Larson 2000.[9]) The work is complemented by oral traditions of other tribes collected by Malagasy historians.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Callet, F. (1908). Tantara ny Andriana (Histoire des rois). Imprimerie Catholique, Edition 1878-1881, 1943 p. 
  2. ^ a b Adelaar, K.A. (2006). "The Indonesian migrations to Madagascar: Making sense of the multidisciplinary evidence". in Adelaar, Austronesian diaspora and the ethnogenesis of people in Indonesian Archipelago, LIPI PRESS. 
  3. ^ a b Ottino, Paul (1973). "La hiérarchie sociale et l'alliance dans le royaume de Matacassi". Bulletin de l'Académie Malgache IV (4): 53 – 89. 
  4. ^ Rasamimanana, & Razafindrazaka (1930). Ny Andriantopokoindrindra: Fanasoavana ny tantaran'i Madagasikara. Librairie Mixte. 
  5. ^ Ravelojaona, Randzavola, Rajaonah G. (1937). Firaketana ny Fiteny sy ny Zavatra Malagasy. Antananarivo:Imprimerie Tanananarivienne. 
  6. ^ Ramilison, Emmanuel (1951). Ny loharanon'ny andriana nanjaka teto Imerina : Andriantomara-Andriamamilazabe. Imprimerie Ankehitriny. 
  7. ^ Kent, Raymond K. (1970). Early Kingdoms in Madagascar, 1500-1700. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ISBN 0030841712. 
  8. ^ Berg, Gerald M. (1988). "Sacred Acquisition: Andrianampoinimerina at Ambohimanga, 1777-1790". The Journal of African History 29 (2): 191 – 211. 
  9. ^ Larson, Pier M. (2000). History and Memory in the Age of Enslavement. Becoming Merina in Highland Madagascar, 1770-1822. Social History of Africa Series. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 414 p.. ISBN 0-325-00217-7.