The Betsimisaraka: Pirates, Slaves, and a Coastal Confederacy

This episode explores the rise and fall of the Betsimisaraka Confederacy, a powerful alliance of coastal peoples in eastern Madagascar forged in the 18th century by Ratsimilaho, son of an English pirate and a Malagasy princess. Lucas and Luna delve into the confederacy's role in the Indian Ocean slave trade, its complex relationship with European pirates like Thomas Tew and William Kidd, and its eventual decline under Merina expansion. They discuss the unique Betsimisaraka culture of piracy, slave raiding, and maritime trade, and how this coastal kingdom differed from the highland Merina state. The episode also touches on the Betsimisaraka's legacy in modern Madagascar and the contested memory of Ratsimilaho. Key figures, dates, and terms abound: Ratsimilaho, Thomas Tew, William Kidd, the Betsimisaraka Confederacy (c. 1710-1790), the port of Foulpointe, and the slave trading post of Île Sainte-Marie. #Betsimisaraka #Ratsimilaho #MadagascarHistory #Piracy #IndianOceanSlaveTrade #ThomasTew #WilliamKidd #Foulpointe #IleSainteMarie #MerinaExpansion #18thCentury #CoastalConfederacy #MalagasyHistory #ColonialAfrica #EastAfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory #PirateHistory #Madagascar #MerinaKingdom Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo