Sadiavahy Rebellion
| Sadiavahy rebellion | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Madagascar |
Antandroy Bara Mahafaly | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Hubert Auguste Garbit |
Fanolahy Tsirekitsy Masikavelo Mahatomby Efantanà Ralenje | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | |||||||
The Sadiavahy rebellion was anti-colonial uprisings that broke out in southern and western Madagascar between 1915–1917. These revolts, though smaller than the Menalamba rebellion, expressed widespread resistance to the French colonial system, particularly its heavy taxation, forced labor policies, and suppression of dissent.
Background
[edit]The Sadiavahy movement emerged in the Southern Madagascar (Ampanihy, Ampotaka, Ambovombe) recently conquered by the French colonists. Most tribes of the South were independent from the Hova rule and not used to taxation and forced labour.[1] It was primarily composed of peasants led by regional clan chiefs such as Fanolahy, Tsirekitsy, Masikavelo, and Mahatomby.[2]
Causes
[edit]The main grievances that triggered the uprisings included:
- Famine
- Excessive taxes imposed by the French colonial administration
- Forced labor obligations (prestations)
- Arrest and repression of those who criticized colonial policies[3]
Such conditions created deep unrest, especially in rural communities where traditional leaders were increasingly marginalized.[4]
Objectives
[edit]The rebels sought to:
- Expel the French colonizers from their tribal tertitory
- Abolish colonial taxes and forced labor[5]
Development
[edit]Initially, colonial authorities considered the rebellion to be mere banditry or xenophobic violence. However, it evolved into a more organized armed resistance, with guerrilla warfare and ambush tactics becoming common.[6]
Aftermath
[edit]The French responded with a harsh military crackdown. The Sadiavahy rebels were poorly equipped compared to French troops, and their resistance was quickly crushed.[7] Rebel leaders were captured, imprisoned, sentenced to forced labor, or exiled from their home regions.[8]
The suppression was particularly brutal due to the context of World War I, during which the French colonial government could not afford internal unrest while facing external threats.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Randrianja, Solofo; Ellis, Stephen. Madagascar: A Short History. University of Chicago Press, 2009, p. 92.
- ^ Gueunier, Noël Jacques. Histoire de Madagascar. L’Harmattan, 1994, pp. 212–213.
- ^ Julien, Charles-André. Histoire de l'Afrique contemporaine. Presses Universitaires de France, 1964, p. 188.
- ^ Mutibwa, Phares. African Protest Movements. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 67.
- ^ Raison-Jourde, Françoise. Bible et pouvoir à Madagascar au XIXe siècle. Karthala, 1991, p. 246.
- ^ Randrianja & Ellis, op. cit., p. 93.
- ^ Mutibwa, op. cit., pp. 68–69.
- ^ Julien, op. cit., p. 190.
- ^ Raison-Jourde, op. cit., p. 247.