Andriana

For other uses, see Andriana (disambiguation).
Radama I was from the Andriana strata of Merina people.

Andriana was both the noble class and a title of nobility in Madagascar. Historically, many Malagasy ethnic groups lived in highly stratified caste-based social orders in which the Andriana were the highest strata. They were above the Hova (free commoner castes) and Andevo (slaves).[1] The Andriana and the Hova were a part of Fotsy, while the Andevo were Mainty in local terminology.[2][3]

The Andriana strata originally constituted the Merina society's nobility, warrior, and land-owning class.[4] They were endogamous, and their privileges were institutionally preserved.[5] While the term and concept of Andriana is associated with the Merina people of Madagascar, the term is not limited to them. The use of the word "Andriana" to denote nobility occurs among numerous other Malagasy ethnic groups such as the Betsileo, the Betsimisaraka, the Tsimihety, the Bezanozano, the Antambahoaka, and the Antemoro. "Andriana" often traditionally formed part of the names of Malagasy kings, princes, and nobles. Linguistic evidence suggests its origin is traceable back to an ancient Javanese nobility title, although alternate theories have been proposed.

  1. ^ Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9.
  2. ^ Ottino, Paul (1973). "La hiérarchie sociale et l'alliance dans le royaume de Matacassi" (PDF). Bulletin de l'Académie malgache (in French). IV (4): 55, 74.
  3. ^ John A. Shoup (2011). Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-59884-362-0.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference gwyn623 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Gwyn Campbell (2005). An Economic History of Imperial Madagascar, 1750-1895: The Rise and Fall of an Island Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-0-521-83935-8.