Season 4 Episode 9: Betsimitatra and the Wonders of Merina Agricultural Engineering

from History of Africa · host The History of Africa Podcast

As Andrianjaka passes his stable but poor kingdom to his grandchildren, they undertake an enormous project to improve the agricultural output of Imerina. Their largest project, consisting of the miles of canals and terraces of Betsimitatra, would go on to transform the destiny of Imerina's history. This project, completed using the fanampoana system of conscript labor, would forever transform the demographics of Imerina by kicking off a decades-long trend of rapid Merina population growth. Support the show

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This episode was published on March 27, 2023.

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