The Betsimisaraka Ratsimilaho Son of a Pirate

How did the son of an English pirate and a Malagasy princess unite the east coast of Madagascar into a single kingdom? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Ratsimilaho, the founding king of the Betsimisaraka confederation. Born in the late 17th century, Ratsimilaho was the child of a pirate captain named Thomas White and a local princess from the Antongil Bay region. After the death of his father, he returned to Madagascar from England, where he had been educated. Using his knowledge of European military tactics and his understanding of local clan politics, Ratsimilaho forged an alliance between the coastal Betsimisaraka clans and the pirate communities that had settled along the coast. He established a kingdom stretching from Toamasina to Antongil Bay, with its capital at Foulpointe. Lucas discusses how the confederation managed trade with European ships, the role of pirates like Captain William Kidd in the region, and the eventual decline of the kingdom. The episode also touches on the Betsimisaraka tradition of tromba spirit possession and the legacy of Ratsimilaho's rule. #Betsimisaraka #Ratsimilaho #MadagascarHistory #PirateKing #EastCoastMadagascar #AntongilBay #Toamasina #Foulpointe #ThomasWhite #WilliamKidd #MalagasyKingdoms #Tromba #IndianOceanPirates #17thCentury #18thCentury #ColonialHistory #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo